The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-11-25
A HORRIBLE STORY OF sH1pwREcK.

A HORRIBLE STORY OF SHIPWRECK.
In another column will be fonnd an &C.
count from the Philadelphia papers, of the
arrival there Of the survivors from the wreck
ofthe schr. Caroline, Capt. VIM. Smith, bound
from Savannah for Bath. Capt. Smith ar
rived in this city on Thursday, from Phila-
delphia, in the brig Sun, and from his lips we
have gathered the following account of this
horrible affair.
Capt. Smith states that he left Tybee
Light, mouth of the Savannah River. Oct. "a.
On the 26th, took a heavy gale of wind from
N. &. and sprung a leak, in lat. 80 43, long.
n. Laid to all that day. At 7 p. M. was
thrown on her beam ends, but on cutting
away the weather lanyards she righted.
On the 31st, spoke barquc Isaac Mead,
Brown, from Savannah for New York the
barque laid by us from Z A. M. to 4 =. NJ,
but a tremendous sea prevented them from
rendering us any assistance. Our provisions
and water were all stored in the trunk cabin
on deck, save one barrel of water in the run.
By the disaster both provisions and water
were carried overheard, save that below,
which it was impossible to get at. Thus we
were without either food or drink.
Our only shelter was one berth, which re-
manned of the cabin OH deck, the hold being
full of water. Three days after, Henry
Hughes, one of the crew, went on deck, and
was never seen aftcrWard.
On the Sd inst. we caught water enough
from raiA to last twenty-four hours. From
that time to the 10th, were totally without
water or food, and began to feel as if death
was very near lis, The gale had lasted s
days. We had had nothing to eat for ten, or
drink for six days. We then began to dis
cuss the question Of drawing lots to see who
should suffer death to save the lives of the
others. 1t was agreed that we should use
sticks. We drew, and it fell to the lot of an
lrishman named Charles Brown, who had S.
D. marked on his arm. lie was a large ath-
letic man,, weighing about 175 or 1870, had
shipped at Savannah, and was unknown to
the rest of the crew. lie alone was armed
with a sheath knife, which he drew, and de-
clared he would plunge it into the heart of
the first one who approached to carry out the
fatal chance. Upon this the Captain retired
to the cabin, saying he would have nothing
more to do with the affair, thinking that they
were all near their end.
At this moment, aboy named Hughie Rose,
of Bangor, Wales, aged 10, spoke up and said
that the youngest should die first; this free
will offering was about to be accepted by
Brown, as the captain with the boy went into
the cabin. Captain Smith states that rs he
threw himself upon the berth, his eye was at
tractcd to a handle sticking up near, which he
thought belonged to an adze. He told the
boy to fetch it, and it proved to be an adze.
Thinking something wrong WIS about to be
enacted on deck, he followed the boy when he
returned, and saw the boy seized round the
waist by the now desperate Brown, with the
intention of making him the victim. AT this
moment, the Captain states that he felt gifted
with extraordinary strength, stepped forward
and drove the adze twice into the head of
Brown, and he fell dead upon deck.
1t is supposed by Captain Smith, from the
fact that S. ID. was marked upon the arm of
Brown, that he shipped under a feigned
name. He was about 50 years old.
After he was dead the Captain bled and
dressed him. His flesh was partly cut up
into thin strip and laid upon the deck to dry.
But the crew did not hunger for food, water
for drink until the morning that they were
taken off, when about a pint remained, which
had turned black.
vessels hove in sight, one of which, the brig
IdIhpltO' SdpI' biONil, DOuIil from NEW
Haven for the West Indies, took off the three
survivors, viz WH. Smith, of Biddeford, Me.
the Captain, Horace Smith, of do, the mate,
Hughie Rose, of Bangor, the boy preserved
from death by the action Of the captain. The
two former were transferred to the Br. sch.
Splendid, and arrived at Philadelphia, as
stated in the other article. The boy was re-
tanned on board the Tampico, the Captain
promising to take care of him. Capt. Smith
states that if Brown had submitted quietly to
his fate, they would not have had the heart to
have killed him but he did not think it right
that the boy, after running one chance for
his life, should after all become the victim,
and he appears to think that re was suddenly
gifted with strength to save him.
An idea may be formed of the nearness of
death to this unfortunate crew, from the fact
that the captains feet and nails both turned
black, and his nails have not, as yet, obtained
their natural color. The blood Of Brown,
probably, saved their lives, as they subSisted
on it two whole days.
The Caroline is a total loss. She is insur-
cd at the Neptune office in this city, for
$4,000 american 1iareiler.
AQUEER AsE OF SoMNAMBULIsM.-Mr.
jesse Coombs, of COS Water street, was dis
- IL - q Il ~. S-A,,r.