Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-12-14
THE LOSS OF THE WHALE SHIP--NAR-
ALIVE OF THE SUFFERINGS AT SEA.

ALIVE OF THE SUFFERINGS AT SEA.
On Thursday last, says the N. Y. Com
mercial, we gave an account Of the loss
of the whale brig William and Joseph, Of
Martha's Vineyard, homeward bound, and
the escape of portion Of the crew. Since
then we have conversed with one Of the
survivors, jeremiah Clarke, Of this city,
and the account he gives is terrible. He
says that after they left Fayal they had
fine weather until the goth of October,
when it began TO blow heavily, and on the
morning of the 2lst, while scudding under
bare poles, about o'clock in the morn
ing, she was struck by very heavy squall,
and thrown on her beam ends, carrying
away both masts even with the deck, boats
&C., in which situation she remained for
about ten minutes, when she righted, but
the water coming up even with the main
deck, they all succeeded in reaching the
quarter deck, without having time TO save
anything but what they stood in-most Of
them having on no outer garments. They
Immediately began making a pair of RATS
out of the broken spars, &C., and after
much labor, succeeded in making one
large and one very small one, called
catamaran, rigging flag staff with a col
or on it, which they intended sending
adiift when vessel hove in sight, in hope
their situation would be made known.
The next day the oil casks burst up the
main deck, and the casks hoalcd up, and
among them were some Of water, but the
salt water had gone into the casks, spoil
ing the whole of it; a barrel Of flour also
drlted out Of the cabin, which they Sc
cured. The -four they mixed with the
water, and this was all they had to subsist
on while on the wreck There were then
sixteen Of them On the 9Th day the brig
began to settle down, when they took to
the RATS, and in ten minutes more there
was nothing to be seen but the briggs taft
rail, out of water. The large raft not be-
ing able TO support all hands, the mate and
one Of the crew took to the catamara.-
They took the barrel Of flour with them,
but were obliged to launch it over shortly
afterward.
They soon lost sight of the brig, and in
about twenty four hours afterward they
began TO give themselves up in despair,
Two Of them having died delirious from
drinking salt water; their names were
Greshom Cunning and Hosea Goodspeed.
\ fine dog was killed, and his blood saved
in bucket, and served out, to each about
a table spoonful, a smal'tablc bell answer
ing the place of glass. The body Of
the dog was then shared among them, about
q quarter Of pound 10 each, and when
fallen in with, half Of it was devoured-
Mir. Clark says that nothing ever tasted
sweeter. The sharks were swimming al!
around them.
On the 18th day. when every hope had
vanished, the small raft, that had drifted
about ten miles from the small one, was
discovered by the lookout man at the mast
head Of the whale ship Triton, which i'm
mediately bore down and took them off
They informed Capt. Bowen Of the other
raft, which, however, they had been sep,
araled from them two days; but knowing
the direction in which they saw it last, the
Triton beat up and in few hours had the
satisfaction OF coming up with them. They
found the men in a pitable condition.
Capt. Bowen Immediately gave each Of
them half tumbler of swee,ened water,
with little vinegar, which, notwithstand-
ing their urgent calls, was repeated only
about 20 or 30 minutes. In few hours
they were allowed little bread soaked in
the liquid, and every thing was done to
make them comfortable.