The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-13 00:00:00

A PERILOUS ATLANTIC VOYAGE.

On the Ist of June last Mr. Louts G. Goldsmith, a Dane
I.ll.cconapanled by his wife, commenced the attempt to cross
I'M Atlantic in a small boat-181t. in leneth over all, and
beam—and by the arrival of the ship Queen of Nations
Liverpool the sequel is told of the hazardous adven-
The little craft was named the Uncle Sam, and she
!_as sloop•rigged, with jib, mainsail, and square-sail
''° run before the wind. Five months' provisions for
Goldsmith and his wife were laid in, and the rigging
rd gear, were strengthened to enable the vessel
deer to contend against the perils of the sea. Thus
.Iquipped the Uncle Sam sailed troip Boston for
"enrnark, it being Mr. Goldsmith's intention sub-
sequently to proceed by the Suez Canal to China and
California, and having circumnavigated the globe,
taco return to America, On leaving Boston he sailed
itn the coast to Nova Scotia, and reached St. John's,
ewfoundland, early in August, where he was
!letained by stress of weather. On the 11th of August,
121,9Wever, the Uncle Sim started with a fair wind from
cne west; and, after getting outside "The Narrows,"
the fishing schooner Oceana, of Marble Head, fireil a
sdaltite, and the voyagers were invited on board to
cilet, which was accepted by Captain Goldsmith.
hey re.embarked immediately after the meal and pro-
ceeded to sea. The weather at this time was fine, with
a fresh breeze from the west, before which the little
craft ran under jibsail daring the night. As it was im-
Passible for Mr. Goldsmith to attend to the boat with-
tit sleep, and as his wife was unable to leave her berth
through ss
sickne hcaught a few snatches of rest at
beterya in the e
daylight, when the boat could lie to
OC could proceed under jibsail, the nights being always
The
to steering and keeping a strict watch.
'lle indisposition of Mrs. Goldsmith, which at first
Was -thought to arise from sea sickness, assumed a
re more serious aspect when they had been at sea a
days, and led to the belief that it was an attack of
""-Lanarnation of the bowels. This circumstance added
gteatly to the difficulty of Mr. Goldsmith's position,
84 he had to discharge the duty of a doctor and also to
take charge of his craft. Nor had he any medicine
laich W&5 adapted to the cure of inflammation. As the
aPproached the banks of Newfoundland a dense
fog prevailed which demanded additional watch.
‘Lutiess at the helm' • and, notwithstanding this, on the
evening of the 14th o'f August the little cratt was nearly
!..T1 down by a brigantine, which was close upon them
nen discovered, and which did not blow any fog horn.
tutee this the captain of the boat blew his fog
oral during the whole time that the fog prevailed,
rtil his lips were quite swollen from the task.
,c,thijoß further occurred of any importance until
s-"
cr„ °eY, the 16th, when the Uncle Sam entered
garc:' an
experience of Atlantic weather. A
cf tremendous force from the north•west
eal-an,g n ro, which neccessitated the taking in
all sail and the setting of the square-
'lT with one reef in it, with which the boat went
iaahtlY before the wind. The sea, however, ran so
g
_ Rh that there was great danger of running the boat
under the waves or turning her over, and her owner
steed ready with knife in hand to cut the halyards at
ri moment. In consequence of shipping heavy seas
to the cockpit, and much water running into the
oliddY, where his wife was lying sick, Mr. Goldsmith
toandoned sailing, and lay to with two drags over the
OWa• Jaded, and with clothing saturated, he lay
n to rest, the barometer standing at 28'80. Shortly
tiaLterwards a tremendous sea struck the boat, which
Lal PPed a quantity of water, almost filling the place
to which he was lying with his wife. Without stopping
rtain the cause of this, he commenced to bale
11-4 the water, feeling assured that if another such
Pa struck them the boat would go to the bottom.
n.t this time his wife was sitting with the water
non up to her shoulders, but by dint of peneverance
,hhaled most of the water out, and the boat righted,
,en he found that his drag rope had parted, and that
Laele_nad lost two drags and two oars to which they were
'led. This, however, was not the worst misfortune.
uPo n examining the lockers which contained his food,
Goldsmith found that the water had forced its
Way in and had destroyed all his bread and provisions,
:cent tinned meats. His wife continued to grow
h (41. e• and at ten p.m. on the night of the 16th, when
he ,cok charge of the tiller, with nothing to be seen or
Reard around him but the raging of the angry waves
Lthe heavens as black as pitch, he began to eontem-
.Luatendlahued desirability of returning to the banks of New-
(about 109 miles), where he hoped to be
,eked up by some fishing smack. The gale continued
vi,cecithout the 17th and 18th, and as three of the cleets
which the main sheet was fastened had given way
tier- Goldsmith felt that if the fourth broke he should
133,:utterlY hopeless, For 48 hours he had not slept, and
chlY food was some canned mutton, and up to that
Jile he had sighted no vessel during the continuance
?It the tale. About three p.m. on the 19‘.h, after
bean for 72 hours without rest, hs lay down for a
eel), when a heavy sea struck the boat, and upon
fene,Bl:icg on deck ti discover whether any mischief had
b2.' committed he saw a large barque on the star-
id4 bow, and after chasing it for an hour his
e craft was observed, and measures were taken
‘0 reecue both him and his wife. Tbe vessel
ft;',ct?d to be the barque Queen of Notions, be.
st—Rid cg ' 'to Messrs Fernie of Liverpool, corn-
-anaciade,d Captain F. W. Edwards, with timber
valg, bound for Liverpool, and was reached in
lat. 47 36 N., long. 43 20 W. Mrs. Goldsmith
Ltas hauled on board with a bowline, and after-
orla Mr. Goldsmith was rescued ; but in consequence
au 4ec heatY sea running he was not able to recover
tt P""ing from the boat, and lost clothes, money,
I:etoanneeters, barometer, and some valuable letters
-?..t introduction. The boat was afterwards scuttled.
-iticler the kindly treatment which both parties re-
ics:!yed from
Captain Edwards and crew, Mrs. Gold-
ethsradually recovered; and except suffering from
ettecte of an accident which subsequently befell
"iaLtad, Air. Goldsmith was landed at Liverpool on Wed-
for aip in last week, apparently not much the worse
Perilous; adventure.—Monday's

AN AMERICAN FRIGATE IN THE BLACK SEA —Ad-
vices received from Odessa states that the United
States frigate Wyomirg has been cruising in the
Black Sea with the United States Minister to the
Tturkish Court (Mr. Maynard) on board. The Turkish
"lrrtment refused4o,allow the frigate to enter the
"14 811.tiltheztjna.,b.ad been removed horn the
vessel and plaetiff 0;144:, banks
,of
,the BOsphorus.
CaPtain Watson PrOceedea-firiseto'Tietiondo and
afterwards to the Russian ports of Batoum, Poti,
Soukum, and Sebastopol, at each of which places the
Americans were warmly received by the Russian
authorities, At Odessa the Minister was entertained
127 General Todleben, who afterwards paid a formal'
vlllli to Mg frigate.

!INIIIIIMigimiM