The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-05-11 00:00:00

PERILS OF THE SEA.

The following account of the sufferings and heroism of the
mutes and crew of the scowler Jaya appears in Monday's
Liverpool Telegraph :
- - .

Report of Captain Alexander Parsons, of schooner
Java :—"On the 21st of December, 1871, at 5 p.m., left
St. Vincent bound to Harbour Grace; came through
the windward passage and experienced strong breezes;
but nothing particular occurred until the 3rd of
January. On that day at 3.30 p.m., a heavy squall
split the foresail. Unbent it and bent another. And
9 p.m. on the same day we experienced a succession of
heavy squalls. shipping much water. A heavy sea
burst into the mainsail, carrying away mainsheets and
peals halyards, split the boat, smashed in the cabin
windows' sweeping water-cooks and loose gear over-
hoard; shifted the top tier of the cargo. On manning
the pumps a great quantity of water and molasses
NMI hove out. Lat., by observation, 37 52 N.
, long. 61 49 W. Secured the cargo and repaired
' damages immediately. From this time until the 7th
of January encountered a succession of very heavy
squalls. At 4 p.m. on the 7th experienced a heavy
gale from the westward with a high cross sea;
stowed foresail and jib, set close-reefed mainsail
and hove the sohooner to with her head to the
northward. January the Bth commenced with a strong
gale from the westward, heavy sea, and intense frost.
At 1.30 p.m., while running under a three-reefed fore-
sail, encountered a heavy snowstorm, causing a high
cross sea, swept the decks, washing the second mate,
Michael Griffin, and George Sheppard, seaman, over-
board. The sea burst in and filled the cabin; the
mate, who was in his berth at the time, was rendered
insensible by the awful deluge, and would have been
drowned had not the fore part of the cabin given way
from the pressure, when he managed to gain the deck,
where lie was severely frostbitten.
"No human effort could save the two poor fellows
who were washed overboard. The schooner in a water-
_ _ .

logged roniltion, was kept before the wind until she
righted, when she was hove-to immediately. Wet and
in a perishing condition as we were, with four feet of
water in the hold, there was tot a moment to be
lost. Manned the pumps immediately, and suc-
ceeded in partially freeing her. The sea now raged
with fearful fury, swept the bowsprit from the
bollards, the foremast from the deck, and the main
mast three feet above the deck, hurting one man
badly and shifting the cargo. The schooner tossed
and surged on her spars with great violeme,
threatening every moment to bilge and founder.
At great risk wore round, bringing the wreck to
windward, cutting away abaft, and holding on
forward, when, by the merciful interposition of Provi-
dence, uhe floated clear, a perfect wreck, with two of
her small crew gone and the survivors disabled and
half dead from wet and exposure to the cold. It was
a desperate situation, but we consoled ourselves with
the reflection that it might have been much worse. Had
tea boiled, and drank with the hope that it would
resuscitate the men. While no engaged I endeavoured
to cheer the drooping spirits of my men, telling them
the storm was at its height, and, if anything. abaticg.
and as long as the wreck hung to the bows the hull
would float and drift out to the northern edge of the
Gulf Stream and in the track of ships, when we should
be taken off. This reasoning diffused a degree of
cheerfulness among the poor fellows, who soon re-
gained their accustomed energy.
" The rudder head being disabled and the wheel
broken, we wedged the rudder and repaired damages in
the best possible manner under the vroumstanees.
Finding the port anchor stock to be the best elevation,
we placed a globular light upon it, and sheltered our-
selves from the perishing winds and foaming sea in the
foremost part of the wreck. The storm kept up
until the 11th, when it abated, but not before a
heavy sea swept away our storm drag, to which,
under Providence, we owed our preservation,
leaving thitwreek quite helpless for the next gale. A
email spar was then stood by the stump of the mains