Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-11-30
THE LOSS OF THE WHALE SHIP
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THE LOSS OF THE WHALE SHIP
NARRATIVE OF THE SUFFER-
INGS AT SEA.
On Thursday last, says the N. Y
Commercial, we gave an account of the
loss Of the whale brig William g. 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 be gives is terri.
bic. He says that after they left Fayal
they had fine weather until the Goth of
October. when it began to blow heayiy,
and on the morning of the 2lst, while
scudding under bare poles, about 4 o'clock
in the morning, she was struck by yerv
heavy squall, and thrown on her beam
ends, carrying away both masts even with
the deck, boats, &C., in which situation
she remained about ten minutes, when
she righted, but the water coming up
even with the main deck, they all sue
ceeded 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 i'm.
medlately 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 a
catamaran, rigging flag staff with color
on 1t, which they intended sending adrift
when a vessel hove in sight, in hopes
their situation would be made known.
The next day the oil casks burst up
the main deck, aud the casks flouted up,
and among them were some of water, but
the salt water had got into the casks,
spelling the whole oft; barrel of flour
also drltted out of the cabin, which they
secured. The flour they mixed with the
water, and this was all they had TO sub
slsl 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 rahs, and in ten minutes
there was nothing to be seen but the
briggs tatirail, out of water. The large
ralt not being able to support all hands,
the mate and one of the crew took to the
catamaran. 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 twentyfour hours aflerward they
began to give themselves up 10 despair,
two of them having died delirious from
drinking salt water; their names were
Greshom Dunning and Hosea Goodspeed.
A fine dog was killed, and his blood
saved in bucket, and served out, to
each about a table spoon full, a small ta-
bic bell answering the place of a glsss.
The body of the dog was then shared
among them, aboui quarter of a pound
to each, and when fallen in with, half Of
it was devourod. Mr.. Clarke says that
nothing ever tasted sweeter The sharks
were swimming all around them.
On the 7th day, when every hope had
vanished, the small raft, that had drifed
about ten miles from the large one, was
discovered by the lookout man at the
mast of the whale ship Triton, which i'm
medately bore down and took them off.
They informed Capt Bowen of the other
raft, which, however, they had been sep.
arated from 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 it,
They found the men in a ptiable condi-
tion. Capt. Bowen Immediately gave
each of them half tumbler ofsweetenod
water, with a lutte vinegar, which, not.
withstanding their urgent calls, was re.
peated only about every 20 or so min
utes. In few hours they were allowed
a little bread soaked in tho liquid, and
every thing was done TO make them com.
Portable.
During the time they wero on the
wreck, several vessels passed them. On
the third day large ship passed within
a mile end halle them. So close was
the ship, that they could see the people
on her deck, but they appeared TO take
no notice of them. They had at the time
flag rugged to pole, and lashed TO the
which they all persist in saying
he people on board the ssship could not
void seeing. BY the course she was
teering, they suppose she was bound to
Iew Orleans.
Mr.. Clarke requests us to express, in
lis name, the gratitude he feels to The
onductor of The Providence and Boston
nj road, and TO Capt Comstock, of the
ieamer Massachusetts, for giving him
ee passage to the city.