Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-05-14
MELANCHOLY sHrPwRECK.

Extract OF a letter from captain JACOB Duhng,
ofthe schr Christiana, to his owner, George
p. Claxton, esq.
have the painful task to relate TO you the
loss of your schooner Christiana. departed
from the Capes of the Delaware, April 10th,
bound for Alvarado, and on the Goth, after
light and variable winds, reached the lat OF
81, r,9rth, long. 70, west. The weather hav.
ing strong appearances of being stormy and
unsettled, as il generally is in the Cult Stream,
was using every exertion in my powerto get
the vessel under snug sail before dark, and
while in the act of sending the foretop-sail
ward down on deck, which was partly down
the fore rigging, the vessel unfortunately cap
sized ut half past o'clock IN the afternoon,
with moderate breeze from 5. ). W. Inn
mediately cut away the lanyards of the wea-
thcr rigging, and used every effort, as far as
nv abilities and circumstances would admit,
10 right the vessel, but they were all useless;
she filed with water almost in an instant, inso-
much that the upper rail was wash. AT halt
past 5 O'Clock, or thereabout, we saw a brig
10 the south, steering about west, to which |
Immediately made signal with piece OF sail
ON the gaff-top-sail-yard, but in consequence
of night coming on soon after, and we lying so
very low in the water and the brig being a
her to see us We succeeded in saving the
boat and the square sail, by dropping the for
mer under the lee of the schooner, and haul
ing the latter OH her bottom; we lashed our
selves to the same, and made shelter of the
SQUARE sail During the night the wind shift
ed 10 the northwest and blew fresh, with 4
high sea, in consequence We were all washed
off the vessels bottom number of times, and
the square sail on top of us, which caused us
10 reject IL; thus we lay exposed to the mercy
ofthe wind and waves, without shelter of a.
ny description whatever. The sea still get
ting higher, and the gale increasing, was o.
blged to ssnd two men in the boat to keep
her from biging, these were John II. Roberts
and John Pickett On the morning ofthe DIST
the gale increasing with violence, and the sea
running still higher, myself and others were
washed from the wreck rs far our lashings
would admit, almost constantly, which caused
our bodies TO be much bruised, and the skin
rubbed off our legs from one end to the other.
About four o'clock in the afternoon saw a
brig 10 the $ Z. dead to leeward, so plain
that persons were perceivable on her deck
As well as we could we showed two signals,
which were two pieces OF canvass stopped on
the two oars, and believe that they saw them,
and us also; but owing to the tempestuous rain
squalls, and they being dead to Reward, it
was matter of impossibiity for her to render
us any assistance. Night coming on, we lost
sight of her soon after. During the most vio-
lent part of the storm, which was from the
evening of the Dist until the morning of the
ed, the vessel and ourselves were under wa
ter almost constantly, and an Italian passenger
was drowned on the night of the 2lst, about
ten o'clock. NV mate and myself rescued
him several times previous from his fatal des-
tination; but at last the sea washed him so far
from the wreck that it was impossible for US
TO reach him. Soon aftcr~t the passenger was
drowned, I discovered that the two men that
were in the boat for the purpose of keeping
her from bilging, had cut the painter, and a
bandoncd the schooner, an action that can
not see how any persons conscience would al
low. About half an hour after the men had
left the vessel with the boat, the Almighty
God stretched forth his providential hand to
our assistance, separated the masts from the
hull of the vessel, and rghted her instantane.
ousy. extricsted myself as soon as possible
from the rope that was lashed with, ascend
ed the deck, and assisted my poor fellow suf
fcrs on board, in which succeeded. We
then lashed ourselves to the windlass bits,
and other convenient places about the deck
After being on deck some time-I Judged il
to be about midnight-the cook, whose name
was Joseph Greene, aged seyenty-6ve years
died through fatigue by my side On the
morning of the 22d the gale was more moder
ate, and the sea less; we ventured aft to the
cabin to see five could get any thing to eat
or drink, having been forty hours without
nourishment of any kind, of which thirty-twC
hours was on the vessels bottom; we succeed
cd in getting a key of vinegar, of which we
" l. h.
main boom, shipped it on the stump of the
mainmast, which was about five feet high, and
dashed the after end to the tahe rail; we then
took what quarter boards were remaining on
the vessel, nailed them to the main boom and
upper part ofthe trunk, over which we spread
the remains ofthe mainsail, which made 4 to-
lerable good house for us; the main gafi,
which was the only other spar remaining on
board, we lashed to the paul bitt of the wind
lass for flag staff, on which we nailed two
flags, and secured ourselves for the remaining
part ofthe night.
On the sd the weather being more mode
rate, we dove the cabin 9 or 10 feet under
water, TO see what we could find; We sue
Ceedcd in getting jug of peach brandy, 4
few bottles of ale and porter, key of wine,
three hams and cheese; the porter and ale
lasted three days, the hams six days, and the
cheese seven days; remainder of the wine we
left on board Although every thing we ate
and drank was wet with salt water, it relishcd
tolerably well.
On the Oath, the weather being calm and
clear, We took the quarter boards from of the
main boom and nailed them over the main
hatch, also three or four thicknesses of can
VasS, and endeavored TO get the water out OF
the vessel, the mate and one OF the seamen at
The pump, the other seaman bailing from out
the forecastle, and myself baihng from out the
cabin. We all bailed and pumped for some
length of time, but being very much fatgued
and the swell SO high that the water came in
As fast as we got it out, We were at last obliged
to give up the attempt in despair of success.
On the 18th and 10Th, heavy gales from n.
W. accompanied with thick rainy weather.
On the 9th, which was the seventh day We
had been upon the wreck, the weather being
rather more moderate and clear, we saw ship
TO windward, steering S. Z. about o'clock
In the afternoon my mate and myself got