The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-23 00:00:00

THE SHIP WILLIAM BROWN

John Messer, one of the crew of the ship William Brown,
Captain Harris, which was wrecked in the ice on the 19th of
April, called on the editor of the Boston Post, and furnished
him with a statement relating to the loss of the ship and the
circumstances connected with the heart-rending affair in the
long boat. • He spoke in the highest terms of Captain Harris,
as an able, experienced commander, and a generous, noble-
hearted man. Messer is still in a very weak state of health,
from his sufferingi, in the boat, and he fears that he will never
perfectly recover.

relatin

" I am acquainted with the partial'
collision which caused the loss of the William B
felt the collision below, but did not think of hurryin
deck, especially as we were not called. Near twenty mini
I think, elapsed before we were called, and then the not un-
usual cry of ` All hands shorten sail. l' roused us on deck.
The topgallant sails, foretopmast studding sail, and other
sails were taken in, and the topsails clewed down, and reef
tackles hauled out. The captain then went down in the
forecastle in order to ascertain what damage had been done,
and, upon ascertaining, he exclaimed, ` My God, we ean'l
save the ship. It's no use—clear away the long boat. The
pumps had previously been rigged, and every effort used to
keep her afloat, but without effect.
" The long-boat was cleared away, and provisions
a compass, quadrant, and several other articles were put on
board of her. One or two of the passengers secreted them-
selves in her while she was yet on board, and were hoisted
out in her. When she was in the water, the passengers made
a rush, and I believe that several of them perished in their
baste to get on board. In the meantime the stern boat was
lowered down, but I did not see what transpired, I will not
state anything upon hearsay. The boats both dropped
astern, where they remained fast by their painters to the ship
until she was on the eve of sinking, when they were cut
adrift. The ship went down in about three hours, I think,
after she struck. There were forty-two in number in the
long boat.
' At daylight, Captain Harris told the mate the latitude
and longitude, and advised him to steer N.W. The captain
then took the names of the passengers and crew, after which
the mate told him that the long boat was leaky, and could
not live. Some communications, which I did not distinctly
hear, then passed between the Captain and mate, to which
the captain replied, ` I will not bear such talk.' The mate
then distinctly said, `We must cast lots—we all cannot live
die, some of us must the boat is so leaky.' The captain
again remonstrated with the mate.
" During the whole of the day the weather was extremely
cold, and the sea very rough. We riggedu drag with our
ours, in order to keep the boat's head towards the sea, and
to break the force of the waves. Towards night-fall the
mate consulted, in a low voice, with several of the crew,
about lightening the boat. I was aft at the time with my
back against the stern, At last he said to me and another
man who was near me, ` Well, I suppose you have no ob-
jection to lending us a hand to lighten the boat ?' I inquire(
how he intended to do so, and while I was speaking, I hear(
a splash alongside, and the whole boat was in uproar—th,
work of death had commenced. The other man and mysel
bad both remonstrated against such cold-blooded proceed
inns, and said, ' If we are to die, let us die fai

'Yery well,'

overboard next.' I then drew my sheath-knife, and swore
that whoever should lay a hand on me should share my fate.
The mate then called a tall negro, one of the crew, to toss me
overboard, but when he saw my knife, he went forward again
and lent the others a hand. l\ly companion stuck close to
me during the whole of the heartrending scene, determined
to defend himself to the last.
" One old man, a native of Ireland, when about to be
seized, fell upon his knees and entreated them to spare his
life, and he would give them all he had. Ile then drew from
his purse a number of sovereigns and offered them to the
crew, but they were thrown aside and himse"
board

,sed over

A lad, about eighteen years of a age, requested time

to say his prayers, which was granted, and when he co
eluded, he said, lam now prepared—l do not wish you to
throw me overboard—l will go myself,' and he stepped off
the gunwale into the sea. Of all who were thrown over-
board, not one, to my knowledge, succeeded in getting on
hoard again. There were no hands cut off, nor any blood
spilt; neither did any one, excepting the young man already
mentioned, jump overboard voluntarily.
" The unfortunate passengers offered no resistence ; prayers
and entreaties where all they used. 'Oh! spare me! spare
me!!' several of them cried, even when they were half over-
board. I will not attempt a description of this awful scene;
it would melt the heart of stone. I believe there were six-
teen thrown overboard.
" The boat was bailed out after she had been lightened ;
she then rode very well, and made but little water. The
following morning I discoverd a sail, and communicated the
fact to the mate, who said, By God, Jack, you're a lucky
fellow ; you have saved your life.' The ship that picked us
up, as is already known, was the Cresent. So strong was mg
indignation against the negro that, upon reaching the Cresent's
deck, I seized a heaver and threw it at his bead.
" All the crew in the boat, excepting the mate and another
man, were foreigners, or, as sailors say, Dutchmen, that is,
men belonging to the continent of Europe.
" Upon our arrival at Havre, in the Villa de Lyon, the
American consul, when made acquainted with the facts, ad-
vised me and my companions to remain and give our evidence
against the mate and crew;. but we declined, upon the ground
that we conceived the testimony of the passengers sufficiert
As we was not very urgent, we were liberated aft
amination before the board of police.
" After my health was somewhat recruited, I shipped cu
board the Angelo, Captain Jacques, bound for Newbervport
where I arrived on Wednesday last. I arrived in Boston on
Thursday, and have made this statement for the information
of the public.

" JOHN MESSER

TERRIFIC STORY

.-HYDROPHOBIA

(From the Perthshire Advertiser.)

About a month ago, a dog belonging to Mr. Fen

George-street, Perth, gave pretty strong symptoms of being
in a rabid state, by biting three or four of its own species,
without anything like provocation, and immediately there-
after fastening on a horse belonging to James Rollo, a li-
censed carter in Bridgend. The aggressor, as well as those
he attacked, with the exception of the more noble animal,
were drowned or otherwise killed with all convenient speed,
to save probable consequences. The horse, a tine stallion,
was bit on the upper lip ; but the wound, which seemed
trivial, soon healed up, and was quickly forgotten. On the
evening or sabbath last, his owner, on going into the stable,
found him in rather a feverish state, frothing at the mouth,
and perspiring copiously. This circumstance, however, did
not at the time bring to mind any recollection of the injury
done by the dog, as natural causes might account for those
manifestations of excitement. On Monday morning, Rollo
rose about four o'clock, to cart a quantity of clothes to the
North Inch for bleaching. On entering the stable, he was
immediately struck at by the horse ; and on essaying to put
on the harness, the enraged animal caught hold of his left
shoulder by his teeth. By dint of superior strength and for-
titude, however, he succeeded in extricating himself, and ad-
justing the harness ; but no sooner had he cleared the stable
door, when the infuriated animal again rushed upon his ma-
ster, seized him by the arm, and throwing him down, tram-
pled and tore at him alternately, and would have made him a
mangled corpse in a short time, had not a house carpenter
and a policeman rushed to his assistance, and striking the
maddened brute on the head with a hammer, forced him
from the prostrate man. The horse was now yoked by the
assistance of the carter's son, and the clothes taken to the
Inch. On returning, he was driven knee deep into the river ;
but though showing no marked repugnance to water, he re-
fused to drink, and without taking off the harness, he was
again placed in the stable. In about three hours afterwards,
the young man, thinking the animal would now be somewhat
cooled, re-entered the stable, but found him wilder than ever
—striking out furiously, and making every imaginable effort
to bite. After great risk andexertions, however, he succeeded
in taking off the harness, with the exception of the collar.
Throughout the day, every succeeding hour added to the in-
tensity of the animal's fury, and by evening his contortions
of rage and agony were absolutely terrific. By that time,
the door was strongly barricadoed, in the fear that he should
make his escape. Two or three individuals anxious to see the
animal in the heat of his paroxysms, made way into the loft
above him. 'rise scene was appalling in the extreme. Be-
low them was the infuriated brute, which was dimly seen
through a dense cloud of steam fed by the tires that raged
through and distended his nostrils. Every vein and muscle
was frightfully swollen. He had broken his binding, torn his
collar to tatters, and was kicking and stamping furiously up
and down the stable. Now he would neigh. now
as heave
o
groans of the deepest agony, then, shaking w
al Then fit, would gather himself up, and suddenly,
withwifilsith fl.
and
a als'eraelm
spring aloft, making the very house shakei
groan again, or, gnashing his teeth, roll hisw s teeth the
i
savagely around. He ever and anon tore om
e found relief
t the quiver-
flesh from his breast, would shake for a ,
wall of the stable n; iteyes wildly
T e ing carrion, and then dash it from him, a
in the intensity of his sufferings
were now literally covered with froth and blood : and in this
if
tinned until exhausted nature
dreadful state the animal
gave way. on examination, the carter's arms were
following inorning•
lacerated, and other parts of his body
The poor ti; u 1 tcr died.about two o'clock on the
found to be dreadfully
severely Ilvowever, we are happy to state that his
no symptoms of danger, hut bear every
yet give.
of -healing mneh sooner than could have been
appearance
expected.
wounds ainsj
injured.

Sir Edward Sugdeu returns to Dublin as chancellor.
The reported death of. Catalini, the famous singer, is con-
tradicted by Galignages ?ressenger. It is said de never
NM in bettor health.