Sinking of USS Weehawken-- Part 4: Overconfidant To the Peril

As many others were rescued from the surging waves by the launches if the flagship, the South Carolina and the tugboats Dandelion and Iris.  Thirty perished.

All day the Weehawken had labored heavily  in the seas, which had kept her decks constantly submerged, and which frequently swept in huge volumes into her forward hatch.  Towards noon the crew commenced playing out chain, to ease her; but, as accustomed as they were, in every gale, to the shipping of such seas, it is believed that they had grown confident and careless of danger, and paid no hewed to the encroaching waters until it was too late to resist them.

They dreamed of no peril till the waves had fairly yawned to swallow them.  Then, when it was known for certainty that the vessel was to be lost, a panic if fright and fear benumbed them, and the terror-stricken crew below had little power to help themselves.

There were men in irons between  decks, and the sergeant at-arms rushed frantically away to release them.  Poor fellows, they all went down.

--Old B-Runner