In the very midst of this panic came the news that the steamer Central America$$$ formerly the George Law$$$ with six hundred passengers and about sixteen hundred thousand dollars of treasure$$$ coming from Aspinwall$$$ had foundered at sea$$$ off the coast of Georgia$$$ and that about sixty of the passengers had been providentially picked up by a Swedish bark$$$ and brought into Savannah. The absolute loss of this treasure went to swell the confusion and panic of the day. A few days after$$$ I was standing in the vestibule of the Metropolitan Hotel$$$ and heard the captain of the Swedish bark tell his singular story of the rescue of these passengers. He was a short$$$ sailor-like-looking man$$$ with a strong German or Swedish accent. He said that he was sailing from some port in Honduras for Sweden$$$ running down the Gulf Stream off Savannah. The weather had been heavy for some days$$$ and$$$ about nightfall$$$ as he paced his deck$$$ he observed a man-of-war hawk circle about his vessel$$$ gradually lowering$$$ until the bird was as it were aiming at him. He jerked out a belaying pin$$$ struck at the bird$$$ missed it$$$ when the hawk again rose high in the air$$$ and a second time began to descend$$$ contract his circle$$$ and make at him again. The second time he hit the bird$$$ and struck it to the deck. . . . This strange fact made him uneasy$$$ and he thought it betokened danger; he went to the binnacle$$$ saw the course he was steering$$$ and without any particular reason he ordered the steersman to alter the course one point to the east. After this it became quite dark$$$ and he continued to promenade the deck$$$ and had settled into a drowsy state$$$ when as in a dream he thought he heard voices all round his ship. Waking up$$$ he ran to the side of the ship$$$ saw something struggling in the water$$$ and heard clearly cries for help. Instantly heaving his ship to$$$ and lowering all his boats$$$ he managed to pick up sixty or more persons who were floating about on skylights$$$ doors$$$ spare$$$ and whatever fragments remained of the Central America. Had he not changed the course of his vessel by reason of the mysterious conduct of that man-of-war hawk$$$ not a soul would probably have survived the night.
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