Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-08-25
From the Limerick Star.
WRECK OF THE FRANCIS spAIGH

| WRECK OF THE FRANCIS SPAIGHT.
The Francis Spaight, fine vessel OF
$40 tons burthen, laden with timber. sail.
ed from ST. Johns Newfoundland on the
24th OF November. The crew amounted
TO fourteen men with the captain aud mate
many OF whom were Indifferent hands,
They were mostly boatmen trained on the
Shannon: some from Kilrush. few from
Tarbert, and one or two from Foynes-
Nothing could be iiner than the weather
for the first eight or ten days of the voy-
age, but il afterwards came on TO blow so
hard that they were obliged TO drive be-.
fore the wind under mizen topsail. At
three clock in the morning OF December
8. an alarm was raised by cry and con
fusion on deck. The vessel, il appeared,
either steering wild through the careless.
ness of the helmsman, or perhaps from
her bad trim, suddenly preached 10, and
lay like log in the trough of the sea-
] he day had not dawned ut the time. II
was still very dark, and the waves broke
50 frightfully over her, that the captain or
mate could not get the men 10 obey their
directions nor even when she was filling
rapidly with water, could he get them to
work the pumps. In less than an hour
she lay on her beam ends, the greater part
OF her crew saving themselves by climbing
to The rigging. Pat Cusack and Pat Be-
hane, however, were drowned in the fore
castle, aud WIN. Griffith. the mate, in the
after cabin into which he bad gone acct
dentally only few minutes before. The
captain and man named Maryll; now
go, to the fore aud main masts and cut
them away the mzen top mast went with
them over the side, and the ship almos,
Immediately righted As soon as she
rigbtcd, being already filed with water,
she settled down in the sea, and there was
scarcely any portion Of her to be seen ex
cept the poop and bulwarks. No situa-
ton could be more hopeless or miserable
than that Of the unfortunate crew, stand
ing ANGLE deep on the wreck, in The depth
of winters night, and cllnging in the
darkness 10 whatever was nearest, as sea
after sea rolled successfully over them:
but they knew not the full horror Of their
condition until the dawn OF the morning;
for which all were looking eastward with
intense anxiety. They then discovered
tina, their provisions bad been washed o.
verboard, and as the holds were filed by
any fresh water. The gale continued on
unabating through the morning. and the
dreadful swell every now and then swept
over the decks. so that for safety as well
as for shelter. they gathered INTO the cab
in under tho poop. Even here she was
SO deep with water, that dry plank
could not be found on which they might
lie their only rest was by standing close
together, huddled up, and leaning against
one another. About ten O'Clock 10 the
forenoon vessel was suddenly deserted
to the westward, and for some time il was
thought possible her course might be near
them, but she was soon out of sight -
That day and the next passed away with,
out the slightest change IN the weather.
On the third it began to moderate, during
the whole OF which period they remained
standing in the cabin, leaning against one
another, or against the ships sides, una
BILE to take rest or sleep.
The greatest suffering was hunger, or
rather a sinking al The stomach, and from
thirst, neither Of which had they any con
ceivable means of allaying. There were
fifteen hands alive, and Of these not one
hand tasted morsel OF food since tho
wreck and for drink they had only three
bottles Of wine, which were found in the
cabin; this was served out in long inter
walls There was some occasional rain,
which they were not prepared at first for
saving, getting but scan.y supply by hol
ding the cover Of tureen under the sad
die of the mizen mast Ia seven days az
ter the appearance of the fret vessel, ano-
ther was seen on the weather quarter, out
ward bound, and only four miles north -
I he hopes Of the crew were again revived
and their anxiety was intense Tor a short
time. An ensign was hoisied on the mig
en- mast, and part Of sail the day was
very clear, and she could not but see il.
at least the wrecked men thought so--but
she bore away like the former, and was
soon lost 10 their view. Despair was now
in every eountenance. How they lived
through the succeeding five days it would
be hard TO tell, but no one tasted food
some few cndeayored to eat the horn but
tons off their jackets, the only substitute
for nutriment that occurred TO them. -
There was no means Of taking fish, aud
though birds were sometimes seen flying
past, they had no means Of bringing them
down. Horrible as this stuatian was, il
was made yet worse by the conduct Of the
crew towards one another. AS their suff
erings increased, they lost all command OF
temper and became cross and selfish IN |
the extreme as were strong securing |
a lying place on the cabin floor, and push |
ing aside those who were weak, 10 shit |
for themselves as they could in the wet & |
cold.
On the twelfth OF December, the six-
teenth day since the wreck, and since they |
had tasted food, many OF the crew
were observed gathering together IN groups !