The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-20 00:00:00

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TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS ON A RAFT.

The New York Times of the 4th inst. contains the
following account of the loss of the barque Tresaurora
with seven hands, and the subsequent rescue of the
remainder of the crew, six in numier, in an exhausted
condition, after being five days on a raft without
food or shelter: "The schooner Anna Hutcheson '
arrived here yesterday, having rescued a portion of
the crew of the Spanish barque Tresaurora when off
the Tortugas on October 14th. The captain of the
schooner states that at two p.m. on that day a piece -
of wreckage to which several persons appeared to be
clinging was sighted a short distance ahead. The
schooner's course was quickly altered, and in a short
time they were alongside the wreckage. Six men in
the last stages of exhaustion were clinging to the raft
upon which they floated; two of them were dying
and insensible. The clothing Lad been washed from
the lower portions of the limbs of the six men,
and their legs, hands, and feet were badly
swollen. With much difficulty they were lifted
aboard the vessel, craving for food and water in
SI anish and broken English. After some hours they
recovered strength, and stated that they were the
survivors of the Spanish barque Tresaurora, which had
foundered six days previously, and that seven others
of the crew went down with her. She was bound from
Barcelona to Havannah, and on the Bth of October
was disabled in a hurricane, and foundered before
they could adopt means to leave her. The second
mate, cook, and five seamen went down with the
vessel, and never rose. The captain, mate; and four
seamen reached the surface after being carried down
with the wreckage. They succeeded in reaching the
top of the deck house, which was washed overboard
by a sea before the vessel sank. To this they clung
for five days and nights without a particle of food or
drop of fresh water. Several times they were washed
off the house, and with difficulty reached it again.
Sails were seen, but at a distance. The captain and
mate became delirious on the fourth day. When
rescued the men were unable to move hands or feet.',

TERRIBLE SCENE ON BOARD it
PASSENGER mu.
News was received at Plymouth on Monday night
of a frightful occurrence near Astrakan, details of
which were telegraphed to Shanghai shortly before
the departure of the mail. While the passenger
steamship Vera was proceeding up the Volga from
Astrakan a lamp in the fore cabin burst, and the con-
tents falling on the floor, set the vessel on fire. The
hoses were got out, and every endeavour was made to
extinguish the flames, but without success. The pas-
sengers were nearly all asleep in their cabins at the
time, and on the alarm of fire being raised a panic en-
sued among them. Several of them rushed on deck and
threw themselves overboard. They were drowned, as it
was impossible to render them any assistance. Others,
it is fearea, were overcome by the noxious fumes, and
were suffocated or burnt to death. Finding it was
impossible to subdue the fire, which was then raging
fiercely, the captain turned the ship's head towards
the land, with the intention of grounding her, and
thus save the lives of the 400 passengers and crew on
board. Even while the vessel was being run at full
speed for the shore several passengers, in their
frightened condition, jumped overboard. Eventually
the vessel was stranded, but in too deep water for
those on board the steamer to reach the shore. A very
large number were consequently drowned. The Vera
burnt down to the water's edge, many perishing in
the flames; and the total loss of life is estimated at
fully 200.

A BRIGHT story is told of a little school-girl in
grammar. She was parsing the word "quarrel."
Common noun, plural number. Plural number? in•
terrunted the teacher, how so ?—Because it takes two
to make one, was the triumphant reply.
Ye u have been arrested for stealing from a bakgr's
cart. What have you to say in your defence?
Hibernian: Nothing, sot, except that the doctor told
me I must eat stale bread for me dyspepsv, so I had
to stale it.


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