Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-01-31
DISTSESS AT SEA.
.Norf0lk jan,


The Scbr. William, of Camden, Me-
OF 48 tons burthen. nayigated by John
Welsh, master, and Geo, Eaton and John
Hathaway seamen, sailed from that port
on The 26th December for Savannah, with
a cargo of lime, potatoes and some mack-
erel and beet. On the 9Th inst. in the
Gulpb Stream, in lat about SO 55, in Sc
we're gale from N. n. Z. was thrown upon
her beam ends, which caused her cargo i'm
medialely to shift, and swept her deck
load, including her boat and tarpaullns,
entirely overheard. Capt. Welsh was
knocked down in slate OF insensibiity,
and when his senses were restored, found
himself in the water with the end Of rope
clenched in bis 6st--it was the space OF
minute or two before he was able to ascer-
tain his exact situation, which was that oil
having hold of the end of piece OF the
weather rigg ing which he had instinctively
and providentially caught hold ofw hen The
vessel went over, and by which he was
then suspended alongside Of the quarter
deck. Capt. w. called out fol George,
who he found had saved himself, but John
Hathaway, the other young man belonging
to Camden, had been swept overheard and
lost. The sea when the vessel hove down
had also carried away the pipe projecting
out from the top of The chimney, through
which the wa,er rushed lthe companion
way being securely into The cabin, which
instantly rose so high as to inundate all the
ceward births, wet the clothes Of the
weather ones, which were consequently
thrown out, and destroy all the provisions,
and wet and iDjure every thing capable OF
of being injured, which the cabin contain
ed.
TWAS considerable time before Capt.
w. and the surviving man could effect
means 10 right the vessel, as the sea contin-
ued to run mountains high and almost con-
stanlly breaking over them They how
ever, succeeded in setting part of the
mainsail; and Capt. w. recollected TO
have heard that an anchor let 90, altho' in
the Gulph Stream, would assist in bring
ing the vessels head round to the wind,
they with much difficulty got forward, got
in the cable which was hanging confused
ly over the vessels bows, aud let the an
Choir go, paying out as much ct the cable
as they thought requisite, which at length
brought the vessels head round when they
were enabled nearly to right her.
In this condition they remained for two
days before they got their anchor up again
during which time they suffered most in
tensely with the cold, hunger and wet clo-
thing, having nothing to subsist upon but
cheese and some biscuit which had been
plentifully charged with the water of the
ocean, and no ire to cook their potatoes
or dry their clothes, their IRE works bav-
ing been all destroyed. Capt. w. had
been severely hurt 10 bis side and breast,
and it was not without great pain that he
could render any assistance. Various ef-
folts were made by them until the 10th
inst toprocure fire, but all proved unayai-
ing. At last it oct urred to Capt. w. that
he might procure FIRE from some OF his lime;
be accordingly made hole through the
bulkhead into the hold, from one OF the
casks in which he took out about peck Of
lime, and Put it into small keg, having
previously put therein a gallon or two Of
water, putting in at the same time with the
lime some of the chips which had been cut
from the bulkhead, and to the great joy Of
both they procured ire From the 9Th to |,
the leth Capt. W. states they could not
see the sun; they put the vessels head to
the southwark and westward, and let her
make what progress she could during all
which time they were surrounded with a
mist, or apparently, a number OF water
spouts which appeared to reach from the
ocean to the heavens, and which threaten