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of which I gave you & also sent a paper containing an account
of the disaster. I also wrote you at that time that the Steamer
"Independence" had then long been due here & that it was
feared some accident had befallen her. A fortnight ago
yesterday we learned her fate. As she was sailing along
near the coast of Lower California she struck a rock
which stove a hole in her bottom so that she commenced
filling with water. In order to save the passengers if possible
she was immediately backed off from the rock & headed on
to the shore where she soon struck -- no sooner had she struck
however than the awful fact was discovered that the ship
was on fire. The scene as described by eyewitnesses was then
awful, & horrible to behold. Hundreds jumped into the
water many of whom were saved but 180 persons lost their
lives, by the disaster!!! Those who were saved were brought
to this port in a sailing vessel .. A week ago today the Steamer
Samuel S. Lewis went ashore & was soon a complete wreck

She was on her way from San Juan to this port & was
near here when wrecked. She had on board 385 passengers
all of whom were saved. To crown all the worst accident
happened last Monday on board the Steamer Jenny Lind
which is a small steamer running between this place & San
Jose & the very one I came down on, only the trip
before this accident happened. At the time of the accident
she was coming from San Jose & when near here her steam
pipe exploded filling the cabin (where most of the
passengers numbering about 100 were seated to dinner)
with steam, scalding & killing them in a frightful
manner. A gentleman by the name of Ripley was killed

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