Irish-American October 3, 1857 Special Report Pt. 1 The Wreck of the Central America The Wreck of the Central America Statement of the Second Officer The following particulars of this melancholy tale are given by Mr. FRAZER, the first mate who was rescued by the Norwegian steamer, Ellen: "As near as I can recollect we left Havana, Sept. 8,  at 9:25 A.M. and proceeded to sea, heading for Cape Florida, with the fine moderate breezes and dead sea. Sept. 9: Begins with a fresh breeze and sea; at 5:30 A.M. Cape Florida bore a distance 15 miles, seen from aloft; we had fresh breeze and sea; had an observation, but don't recollect latitude or longitude.  As near as I remember we ran first twenty-six and 286 miles, steering about N. 1/2, following the Gulf Stream. Sept. 10: Begins with a strong breeze and sea.  Wind from the northward and inclined to haul to the east.  Had an observation this day but I don't recollect the latitude or longitude; the distance run, up to the time of observation at meridian, was 215 miles, still going north, or very nearly so. At 8 P.M., or thereabouts, Mr. VAN RENSSCLEAR, the first officer, handed me a slip of paper with the course for the night - a practice when the course had to be changed often during the night.  The courses steered were N.N.E.N.E. 1/2 N., and E., at different hours of the night, the time for each course to be taken I don't recollect; but the ship at that time was around the bend of the Gulf Stream.  The wind continued to blow heavy all night. Sept. 11: Tuesday - I came on deck at 4 A.M.  It was blowing fresh, with E. sea and wind; the sea was running with heavy rain.  At 8 o'clock A.M., I was relieved by the third officer.  It was blowing very heavy, but no rain then.  About 10 o'clock A.M., the third officer set the storm spencer or spanker, and kept on until the sail blew to pieces.  He also put down the fore-yard.  The gale and rain were now increasing.  He also spread canvas, bolts, sails, etc., in the main rigging, but to no purpose, as the ship was so high out of the water that she could not head to the wind and sea.  At 12 P.M., I came on deck and relieved the third officer; it still continued to blow heavily, but there was not so much sea as in the forenoon.  I had been on the forward part of the ship about half an hour when the captain came foreward, and I spoke to him about trying to bring the ship head to wind.  He replied it was no use to try, as he had tried all the forenoon and could not affect it.  I then proposed to keep off before the wind and he told me to do what I could in keeping her away.  Mr. VAN RENSSELEAR then came forward, and told me to rig the forward and afterdeck, blige pumps, which was done.  We then started to set the fore staysail with helm hard to port, but before the staysail was hoisted and the sheet hauled down the remaining canvas and bolt ropes; then Mr. VAN RENSSELEAR proposed shifting the the jib bending it on the forestay for a staysail.  The captain said, we will try the foresail by reefing it and dashing the clews to the deck, and heave up the yard with the yard tackle and fore lifts.  So soon as we got it started up, the sail blew to pieces.  The captain then said that there must be a drag put overboard to try and bring the ship head to wind.  We went at it immediately and rigged the fore yard with a heavy anchor hanging to it.  The fore yard had a seven or nine inch hawser fast to it, and we payed out about forty fathoms at first.  It was then about 5 1/2 P.M., the ship still in the trough of the sea.  The captain then ordered us to cut away the foremast and see if that would help to right the ship.  She was then listed over to the leeward, so that people could not walk the deck. NEXT : Part 2 of Second Officer's Statement