Irish-American October 3, 1857 Special Report Pt. 2 The Wreck of the Central America The Wreck of the Central America Statement of the Second Officer, cont'd Sept. 11 cont'd: "I may say that she was almost on her beamends.  Myself, the boatswain and Capt., and Mr. BANGER, a passenger, cut away the rigging, and let the foremast go over the side.  In going over the rigging caught foul of the cathead and anchor, which caused the foremast to shoot under the ship's bottom, forward of where the foremast had been standing.  I do not doubt that when the foremast went under the ship's bottom, she was injured by it, and probably the leak increased thereby.  I don't know such to be the fact, but she thumped there some time.  All this time - since 2 o'clock - the passengers and crew who were not employed about the decks were busily engaged in bailing water out of the ship's hold.  After the foremast was cut away we paid out the hawser that was attached to the drag to about ninety fathoms in all, giving it a turn about the stump of the foremast.  This had no effect on the ship.  At about 7 P.M. all hands - passengers and crew - went to work bailing and pumping the water out of the ship.  About between 9 and 10 P.M., the water was on a stand, not gaining any; but after that appeared to gain faster than ever.  The wind was then about northward, blowing heavily.  At 11 o'clock the hawser attached to the hawser chafed and parted, and our drag was therefore gone. Sept. 12, Saturday - The day began with a very heavy gale and hazy horizon, with some rain, but not so much as on the day previous; the people still bailing and pumping.  We hoisted a signal of distress at daylight; wind ward. At 5 o'clock, or daylight, rigged several beef and pork barrels and commenced bailing with them by hoisting them up with (illegible).  At 6:44 A.M., I cut the starboard chain and let the starboard anchor go, which appeared for awhile to ease the ship.  The wind was still blowing heavy, in squalls, and hauling to the southward and westward; the water in the ship increasing rapidly." (article cut off) Sept. 12, cont'd: "The ship sank almost instantly.  When I came to the top of the water the only thing I saw was about ten feet of the ship's funnel above water.  It went out of sight instantly.  Around where I came up there must have been over one hundred people and great quantities of drift wood.  I tore off my overcoat and boots and swam out from the crowd.  After being some twenty minutes in the water, I discovered a light to the eastward.  The wind was then about south-west.  I, in company of two others, swam towards the light, but I found if I stopped with my companions, I must sink, so I left them.  I then came up with Dr. HARVEY, who was bound towards the same light that I saw.  We went on and saw a bark here to, hailed her, and were taken on board.  This was the bark, Ellen.  I was perfectly unconscious, and I recollect nothing that transpired from that time until the morning after.  The captain continued his search until after 11 o'clock on the 13th (Sunday), and received forty-nine of the survivors." NEXT: Survivors of the Central America