South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-08-27
AWFUL DETAIL


n AWFUL DETAIL!
Wreck Of the Francis Spaight.
Related by one yofthe Crew.
The Francis Spaight, Of S45 tons;
den with timber, sailed, from St.
6hn's, Newfoundland, on oath Noyem.
h bound for Limerick. the crew
mounted to IA men,, with the captain
1d mate ; they had fine weather for a
days, but it after wards blew so
HSSshat they we're obliged to drive
e the winds. At three in the
ning of December Sd, the vessel,
4 Pugh the carelessness of the helms
b, suddenly broached too, and 10
than an hour she lay ON her beam
rs, the greater part Of the crew saw.
themselves by clinging to the rig
8g. Patrick Cusack and Patrick Be-,
y were drowned 10 the forecastle, s.
Z ffith, the mate, in the after cabin.
|e captain and MuIviIIe got to the
and main masts, and cut them a.
" the mizzen lop-mast went with
m over the side, and the ship imme.
4tely righted. AS soon as she right.
she settled down in the sea. and
ere was scarcely any Of her 10 be
e. except the poop and bulwarks.
= situation could be more miserable
81 that ofthe unfortunate crew. stan.
ng ANGLE deep on the wreck, in q
|QteI's night, and clinging to wha,ey.
ooJect was nearest, as sea after sea
JED successfully over them. On The
70, they discovered that their pro.
ll9ns had been washed overheard
q they had no menus Of comiug al
fresh water. The gale continued
Iabated and for safety and shelter
eygathered into the cabin under the
'op. Even here, she was SO deep
'th water, dry plank could not be
md, and their only rest was by
nnding close together. At,en in the
moon a vessel was dscried to the
inward, but she stood far away be.
md the reach OF signal, and was soon
Itof sight. That day and the mex,
lssed away without any change in
Z 7weather. o. the third, ii began
mederate.-TheTe were thirteen
lnds alive, and not one had tasted a
orssl Of food since the wreck {; and
a had only three bottles Of wine :
y twas served out in wine glasses at
pg intervals. There was some oc-
!lonal rain, which they were not pre-.
red at first for saving, bu. on the 9TH
NTH day they got q cistern under
mlzzen mast, where il was filled in
Z days. The periods in which little
mo rain fell were, however often
Rg, SO tina. they stinted themselye, to
smallest possible allowance. In
en- days after the appearance Of the
vessel another was seen only four
e. north. An ensign was hois,ed.
she bore away like the former. and
n soon lost to their view. De,psir
now in every countenance. How
y lived through the succeeding five
T., it would be hard to tell some
endeavored to ca, the horn buttons
their jackets, the only substitute for
ltr'ment which occurred to them.
Sere was no means Of taking fish, and
0ugh birds were sometimes seen
% past, they had no means Of
'glng them down. Horrible as this
alton was, it was made yet worse
the conduct OF the crew towards
4 another. AS their sufferings in
pSed, they became cross and selfish
Re strong securing place on the
bin floor, and pushing aside the
* to shift for themselves in the wet
cold. There was a boy, named
sTiep, especially, who seemed TO
no friend on board, and endured
Ey sort OF cruelty and abuse. Most
ne men had got sore legs from
1dIns in the salt water, and were
yish and apprehensiye of being
Nas soon as O'Brien came near
" search Of a dry berth, he was
ked away, Tor which he relalialed
Qrses.
me 18Th December, the 10Th
nee the wreck, the Captain said,
ere now length Of time without