The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-05 00:00:00

A SHOCKING ADVICHTUAS.

A dreadful st wy of suffering wee revealed before
Dr. Churton, the Chester county °wooer, at an Inquest
held at Frodsham on the body of a young wan named
Duckworth. The deceased had mime front Blackburn
In order buss hie brother, • lad on board the reforms,
tory ship Akber, lying in the Mersey off Hook Ferry.
At four o'clock • Grew of 12 boys, in charge of the
renewals, were prepared to land two officers of the
ship, the boy Dockworth, and the letters. On
endeavouring to get back they were caught by the
gale which cam on, and after gallantly struggling for
as hour and • half they found theneseleee being
gradually Laded up the Mersey, put Brombrough sad
Fewithain, oa be Cheshire shore. Luckily they were
in *barge of the stoutest boot on board the Akbar,
or they would have been inevitably drowned. The
waves repeatedly dashed over them, drenching them
ti the skin, No leo than eight out of the twelve
available oars were broken in the terrible struggle
agalust wind and tide. To add to their miseries the
night became pitch dark, and the boat was cow.
pistol, at the mercy of the waves. Fmr hours
latter the boat we, washed close mu etiore on the
want de...data part of Cheshire, locally known at
Frodeitnen marsh, situated betweete ihodeccm cud
kfleeintre port. All managed, by wading in water
breast high, to tease the shore, but in the most
exhausted and forlorn cooditioa. They were without
a particle of food, and were almost perished with
hunger and cold. Under the &dyke of the °Soar in
charge all the lads keep claw together to live out the
night, which we. of the most await cbaxac'er. The
eriad swept &arose the bleak alai desolate marsh with
tarriac fury. b iuging on the icy bleat hail, which cut
up the lade' hand. and faces is • shocking manner. A
which were beard,
little latter on Duckworth was found to be misting.
naundfordesiu.t.ipite
yth.eusiahoyuts. austdorttieldals,m4o.
off
fo
sequence of the roaring of the gale, nothing farther
was seen of him until daylight broke uiaon the
Integrable group. To get off the marsh is imposeible
at night, it being several thousand, sores lu eXteDt,
nod Intersected at every hundred yard* with wide
end deep dykes full of water. There is not a sick
or tree upon it. and here for ton hours throuigh the
awful night the poor boys bite the full brunt
• f the storm. One by one of the boys suocutab-.1
to sleep, and were with difficulty roused by their cool.
ride, is misery. When thy dawned, despite every
exertioo, four had fallen apparently dying. The chief
offloer set off for Frodebaco, which he mooed in about
an hour, and obtained assistance. Unfortunately, no
conveyance could be taken to the spot, and the help.
less and almost lifeless lade had to be carried • mile
and • half to Frodsham, where they were put to bed
In the Q teen's Head lan, and every attention was
paid t mem by the medical men of the town. In the
meantime Searchers were looking for Duckworth, and
he wise soon discovered about • quarter of • mile from
the soot where the lads had fought out the ge!e, lying
on his side. coil and stilt having wished front
exposure. The officer in hie evideric. t .ld the coroner
ent jory that they would never ferget It. awful eg..ny
experienced during the storm all night ti which they
were exposed, without foo I or shelter, for 11 hours.
Toe coroner said the fact that any of the boys sur-
vived the terrible exposure spoke highly for their
Amine and the tre.tweat they received on boird
the Akbeer. Ti,, jury returned • verdict of' Death
from exposure." Two of the boys are in such • elate
from the effects of the storm the: they still remain at
Frodsham under medical treatment.