The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-14 00:00:00

THE ILL-FATED "MISSOURI."

The burning at sea of the steamer Missouri, off the
coast of Abaco, has already been announced in the papers. I
Twelve survivors who escaped in a boat and landed 1
at Abaco, have brought to America the intelligence of
what was one of the saddest calamities of the time,
and it was then thought that out of 93 souls they
were all who escaped. It appears now, however, that
four others escaped, though after almost incredible
sufferings. When the Miarouri caught fire all appears
to have been confusion, and all the boats launched
were swamped or capsized. The party of 12 above
referred to righted a carnized boat and baled it out,
and in that way saved themselyee. The story of the
four others can best be told by one of their number.
It is as follows
He says they made preparations to lower a boat, and SO
persons jumped into her; but owing to the mismanagement
of the davits, one end fell into the sea, the other hanging
lathe air, so that several were split out. Nine, however,
managed to hold on until someone on the ship cut the boat
loose, and she went free of the ship, although she was full
of water. They saw two men clinging to a boat bottom
upwards, and warred them to come on board, but
the two men thought their situation the beet. Finally,
however, one of them came on board, and one of
the nine went and joined his companion. Shortly
afterwards they met the boat that had the twelve on
board above-mentioned, and wanted them to take them on
board, being in a sinking condition, but the commander of
the butt objected, saying he bad enough on board, lie
threw them a bucket, and they tried, though ineffectually,
to bale out their boat. They parted company with tne boat,
which steered towards Abaco, and at nightfall pulled back
towards the steamer, hoping the fire would prove a beacon
for passing vessels. About seven in the evening the vessel
sunk, and then they put their boat before the wind. On the
second and third day they suffered greatly. On the latter day
• vessel came within a mile of them, and they shouted
and hoisted their clothing, but were unable to attract at-
tention. On the fourth day one of their number died, and
two others, becoming crasy, jumped overboard during the
night. The boat was all the time full of water and they
sat in it waist deep. On the fifth morning another man
died, and a crazy man jumped overboard with the bucket.
This left four of there, and that evening the sea being calm
they succeeded in baling the boat out with their hats.
From three life-preservers in the boat they made a
small sail, set it, and steered south, but they were
so exhausted they could do little. On the sixth and seventh
days affairs continued about the same, and en the eighth,
sighting land, they succeeded in landing at Powell*, Key, near
Abaco, in the evening They had eaten and drunk nothing
since leaving the ship, and lay down on the beach in •
horrible oondition. After • short rest they got up and
managed to reach some deserted houses, near by where they
found • spring of fresh water. This railed their hopes
wonderfully, and they slept there all night. On the ninth
day they found a few tomatoes, and boiled them,
having found matches and spot in one of the houses. This
producing • little strength, they launched their boat, and
endeavoured to reach the mainland, but failing, they went
tuba° again, and slept there a second night. The tenth day
they made a final effort to reach the mainland, bat were so
exhausted, they were hardly able to stand, and could not
launch their boat; so they lay down beside his a dying con-
dition, giving up all hope. Soon, however, they saw a small
sloop cruising near the shore, and hoisting some clothes on
a pole, again lay down. This attracted attention. The
people on the sloop came ashore, and found them, and,
carrying them on board, took them to Green Turtle Key,
where they remained a week, and four days afterwards they
reached Nassau, whence the report comes. Subsequently
they went to ffavantiah to embark for New York. These
four persons were all employed on the ill. fated Missouri,
being the first and third assistant engineers, the oiler, and •
fireman.
I.orkshire,

The coke manufacturers of Derbyshire, Yoe
and Durham met in Sheffield on Tuesday and decided to make
no reduction in the price of coke until the effect of the new
Mines Regulation Act had been tested.
Wortley Hall, the seat of Lord Wharncliffe, situated
near Sheffield, has narrowly escaped destruction by See. On
Monday morning, about one o'clock, in the midst of a hoc.
dean° of wind and rain, a fire broke out in the laundry,
which is situate in a wing on the north side of the builclng,
and above which are servants bedrooms. Fortunately Lord
Wharncliffe was at home, and took an active part in the
efforts to arrest the fire. A plentiful supply of water,
derived from reservoirs near, was poured into the burning
part of the building, and in about an hour all danger wan
over. The fire originated In the laundry, and destroyed its
, contents, and gutted the bedrooms above it. Toe wind was
' blowing across the laundry towards the main building of
the house, and had the names once escaped from the rooms
n which they originated, nothing could have saved the
maasloa. The damage Is covered h 7 hieugmea

SPUTTERINGS FROM "JUDY'S" PEN.
AN Effective Peace (piece) Maker.—A Winn a chlnwshots
Passau]. isupense.—Haeging.
A Lame soldier halts when he marches.
A BAD 0f... for the'Eyea —Your Path slam of hot bread,-
and-water.

-•
kvzir if you are in & hurry, you need not drink your tea
with fork.
- -

- ---
OUGHT you to reckon a dog's worth by what he will fetch or
what he will Wog?
- - - • - •

•
IT makes all the difference if you put DT. before Instead of
aft,r a miox's name.

" A BUMPER at parting," as the drunken man said when h
ran up against the poet

A STOCK IN' Trade—Hollery.
THE best Flowers for Winter Wear—Furze.
Br. temperate in diet—our brit parents ate themselves 04
of house and home.

Tina say crocodiles do not really weep; we know a sailor,
though, who hee seen whale's blubber.
WILL the " Woolwich Infants," which disappeared under
water the other day, be rocked in the cradle of the deep?

NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT —What (aromas pickle does Sarah
name when the rejects in offer from Policeman Xl!—' Nay,
/lob" (Nabob). .

AN Estate in "Tail ?dale "—A post-oillew order in & late
pecket-boat.
WHAT is the difference between a tortoiseshell torn and •
burnt child I—One is n brindled sat, the other a kindled
brat.