The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-30 00:00:00

A BARQUE WRECKED OFF PORTLAND.

On Sunday afternoon at two o clock there was a terrific
storm at Portland, accompanied by thunder andlight-
Iling. About that time the barque Marie Reine, Cap-
tain Durand, was observed about two miles off the
Chesil Beach, trying to run down westward, but after
g°ing a mile the captain had to wear the ship. In
doing so most of the canvas split, and the ship drifted
towards the beach. For an hour or more the captain
118 ed every exertion to weather Portland Bill, but
Without avail. Finding it would be impossible to get
out of the bay, he backed the yards, and while it was
daylight determined to try to beach the ship. He
selected as the place Chesil Cove, and ran her aground
Within about thirty yards from the beach. Shortly
afterwards a rocket was fired by the Coastguard, but it
Missed the mark. Before this was discharged two of
the crew of the ship, thinking they could save them-
selves, got down the side and were washed away by
the suisf. The sea broke with such force against the
elliP as at times to cover her topmasts. The line from
the second rocket fell on the end of the jibboom, and a
Lascar at the risk of his life, went out and pulled it on
(11,teclt• The crew did not understand how to manage the
'u'e aPParatus ; they made fast the line, and, instead of
Pulling the cradle on board, several of them attempted
to make their escape,by crawling hand over hand
On it. The Lascar who was one of these, had a
wonderful escape. 'He was washed off the rope, and
Zcalmost carried round the bows of the ship, but
ias caught by another wave and actually brought to
lineeline again, when some of the Portlanders with life
a around them rushed into the trough of the sea
paid rescued him. One of the Portland men rushed
into the surf after another of the crew and a wave came
,31c1 carried them away. It was thought they were
drowned, but found clingin on the sea coming in again they were
g to each other, and several Coastguards-
Men rushed
from the in and brought them ashore. By signals
made to Coastguard on the bech a, the Frenchmen were
understand how to rig the rocket apparatus,
and as soon as B this was accomplished the cradle was
on of the lipped, and the remainder of the crew, with the excep-
peared the
ti
captain, brought safely on shore. It ap-
ad one of his unfortmiate captain, a short time previous
S lash
_h arms broken by the falling of a spar, and
vfa:ed to the rnizenmast. Almost as soon as the
!,Plop struck her ribs were stove in ; her masts went by
,3tahv I)oardd very quickly
plet after the last person was
in less than half , anf
an hour she was a corn-
Cove I e wreck. The rescued men were taken to the.
Zvicnn. The ship had left Dunkirk twelve days
nislY for Senegal with coal. The Portland men
ed their own lives to save those of the shipwrecked
Men.
A. se
she hooter was also in the bay at the time, but
nunatraged to weather Portland Bill. A large
breakwaefrslaips afterwards sought refuge within the

A NOVEL VOYAGE ON THE THAMES.
g(From Monday's Daily News.))
CaPtaiii.
Boyton the young American, whose won
emg- efful life
dressy we recently described as
Wsuccessfully exhibited in the Serpentine astonished
Pin
nethousands of persons on Saturday by floating from
latcill/g to Vauxhall in his waterproof suit. It may be
Safely said that never before was old Father Thames
EIO defied and set at nought by mortal; its depths had
no terrors to the man who fearlessly committed him.
Self to
resist theni, and its yellow tide no power to
- his
r advance or check his progress. The
13.i.10yant pectacle of a person calmly lying at ease, and
T:r, as a sea bird, upon the surface of the
n or
rtile h
, -Y way of change, standing armpit-
P i it, with many fathoms beneath his feet,
and moving hither and thither at will, naturally at-
tracted the attention of all the sailors on board the
ships an
• , d all the ?spectators on the bridges, and to
Ser
tieesetainmen Captain Boyton gave, in addition to a novel en-
a most t, a valuable lesson in life preservation. By
simple contrivance Bea going people may now
take a new lease of life. The itarii and stripes flutter-
ing at the feet of the floater, on Saturday, called at-
tent
tion to the true nature of the long, black object
tha kept the centre of the silent highway,
Perfect success f
new
while the
el_ . o the experiment must hare put
._ _
Lens into many.pondering minds as to what is possible
where hitherto impossibilities only have been admit-
am Boyton started with a flood tide from
'ePs
.., aPPing Old Stairs—not the modern broad flight of
"used by these latter-days wherries, but the nos-
Lo sh
low old-fa•shioned blocks of atone which still remain
Was ow where the jolly young waterman of the past
.veont to take the fine City ladies on board. All
begrireed lighters moored thereabouts were crowded
with workmen, just arrived from the yards and shops
°A the 37 other side, and the bargees and watermen,
-1:1111g and old, looked on Open-mouthed at the gentle-
r:ll,lTb°, encasing himself in an armour of india•
t 7..1.' walked into and along the river without
e°•lleeing the bottom; who could not sink lower than
:vll°Los breast had he tried ever so hard to do it' and
et of ,bY the aid of a light double-bladed canoe paddle,
f ort his
Journey, followed by a fleet of boats,
and loudly cheered by the amazed and delighted
13.kee,etat°rs• The principle of inflation, which is the
, a-'-' 0 of the invention, and all necessary details,
hp tneelte bioneen already described in the Daily News, in con-
With the trials in Hyde Park. The Thames,
ever, ruffled by a smart wind against a heavy
a much severer test than the streamless
4„_"Pentine, yet nothing could be more complete than
tt‘ae success of a trip. Rough or smooth, it matters
etiling to the American Guardsman, and the
sPectator. is soon
.possessed of 'absolute confidence in
the safety of the invention. Blowing his foghorn,. or
Whistl
hi e' using his axe smoking his cigar, and waving
—8 b ,e. , • :' e i
, atter, me vogage was quite a triumphal g water e(i)Friess,. and the voyageur seemed to take a special
, 'got in threading his way amongst shipping and
ooats, and
os taking the arches where the current was
12-!ornself
t dangerous.
Once or twice be purposely allowed
to foul a barge or the buttress of a bridge, in
one
a inetance shooting like an arrow under the stern,
lld
Was between two boats towing behind. Easy it
to see laaaY vent that, clad in one of these suits, a man
. where a boat could never go, and perform
services of ure
the highest advantage to humanity. The
wonder expressed n the faces of the sailors staring
°I. on bo
°Ter the bulwarks of the crowded shipping in the Pool,
westward the river steamers, and barges drifting
feature of , ard
Was not the least comical and interesting;
bae° Pull the Journey, and the omnibus and the cab-
tnrer 'l e ed uP on every bridge until the bold adven-
ridge
t had Passed. From a group of ladies on Southwark
ITeig there was thrown, in tied up a carefully-
hted handkerchief, a missive written by a female
the nationality of the author it would not be
t`lfheult to guess at from the style of the composition
Zd;_"onxpelsior ! Onward, brave Youth, hi your self-imposed
shedeeof science and humanity. Remember—" There's
t honest fame in drying up a single tear than
Ing sem of human gore 1" God bless you!
It w°llld be too much, doubtless, to expect that
every emigrant and sailor should at present possess
e,°ell a splendid life preserver, or that, possessing it,
,leatruction would be invariably averted. The most
°treaded cause of mischief in times of disaster at sea is
enc'w' 34 it has ever been, panic, and there is unfor-
'AgaittatelY..!to Possible invention that will guarantee us
on%lllle'' 'nat. P,oyton's life preserving dress may be
ed i•n two minutes by a cool hand, and by any
enee':° simple is the contrivance; but the essence of
innated 'BB is that it shall be thoroughly fastened and
, ; There seems to be no limit to the time
j3311,e, ,r2lgekt keep above water with safety and comfort
fi;i7 Te ell-important consideration of food. The in-
piii-Lo chamber at the back of the head forms a natural
the-w, and WI the- Proner- position- of - ther wearer of
th dresa is that of a floater advancing 4eo foNyvard,
43,bcklY must perforce 'ride the waves-like ,-a cork,
le„-:°,1-lt effort or fear save in those exceptional cases
14ieh ordinary rules are proved. Captain Boyton,
etO;„' a 8 Part of the outfit, a bag for the water-tight,
atei;eB•l‘ge of rations and rockets ; also a small sail to bte•
et e,'ed to meats stuck like a whip handle in sockets 1
dory-led-to the feet. On the return joarney on Satur-
eepeqe-Arnerican flag was hoisted in one_ of these re-
(:
Pai of bl ,
If pei even that bit of unrestrained bunting was
it, e.
, the floater. At first the wearer
. with a sense of suffocation,
and there is
no danger from
_s
ae suit is intact. By the u
lights Captain Boyton, as
, lie
' e
_
'estrein. ister, now
.tin which flooatiug,ic ant es
slf-submerged post
showed how lines might be con-
, A yachtsman should never
Jtec t i o n and assistant as this;
_
A garments, slip over the side
himself ashore to the club-house
•eturn at will independent of
For crossing rivers too deep
id be better ; the sportsman as
Sht iit utilize it. Captain Boyton
a tune ,'t
, A ~,., ing the manner in which, dis-
.haongs rod N.,
vvild "„shoulders in rushes, he once upon
at the art,' and made his noiseless way
tute
owl
e oanie for lettioe* on an American lake until the
nlltPerirnented with 6: 111
at thetn. At our request he
that the
aaoirstration 111 ye cane, proving to a dee-
te:eie,,r t° an almost ent,air might be used by th
detW'gscaPabilit* '4- • 'B3 extent. Of its life-pro. ,i, ~_ a tea ii, 13 unnecessary now to speak in
elenaatiir.use ewe e. kn0v,.... sosary n. . n0rk.,,,,, ula
. When L'ho ye, tbe its main recom-
th Inaltee m i' at be- , aY earnwietaveur,aawhie remember that
anda_
Ire,, orY oathin 8
eeems, tee_ ??. eaeon brines its frightful list of
i
."*44
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