The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-07-12
THE SKELETON OF THE WRECK.

THE SKELETON OF THE WRECK.
While Sir Michael Seymour was in the
command q: the Amethyst irigate, and was
cruising in the Bay Of Bscay, the wreck of
a merchant ship drove past. Her deck wns
just nbovo water; her lower mast alone
standing. Not soul could DO seen On
boariI but there was clubhouse on dcck
which had the appearance Of having been
recently patched with old canvass aad tar.
pauIirg, ~ IL 10 afford shelter 20 come
forIorn remnant Of the crew, il blev ss
his time strong gale, but Sis Michael Lin.
tcnng only to the dictates Of huna si.v.
ordered the ship to 10 put about, and sent
oft a boat with instructions To board tho
wreck, md ascertain whether there was
any being still surviving, whom the hclp
oil his fellow men nigh, save from the grssp
nj death. Tho boat rowed towards the
drifting mass; and while struggling with
the difficulty Of getting through high run.
ming sen closo along side, tho crew shouting
all tho ,inc N loud ~ they could, an ohiect
resembling in appearance bundle Of clothes
were observed to roll out Of the Clubhouse
against the Ice shrouls Of tho mast. With
tho end Of boat-hook they managed u get
hold Of it, and hauled il into tho boat, when
II proved 10 DO the trunk ola man, bent head
and knees together, and 30 wasted awav
as scarcely 10 bo felt within the ample
clothes which had once fitted il sssss Of
life and strength. The boats crew hast
ened back TO the Amethyst with this mis-
cradle remnant Of mortality, and % smali
was i in bulk, that lad Of fourteen years
ofaRc was able with his own hands 10 ift is
into the ship. When placed on deck, i
showed for the first time, to tho astonish.
ment of all, signs Of remaining life, il tried
TO move, ahd next moment muttesed. In q
hollow scpulchral tone:
"Thcrc 10 another man." Tho instant
these words were heard, Sir Michncl sfdee.
ed tho boat 10 shove ofr ngain far tho wreck.
Tho sea having now became ssmewhst
smoother, they succeeded this time in boer.
ding tho wreck, and ON looking into tho
clubhouse, they found two other human
bodies, wasted like tho ono they had saved
to very bones, but without tho loast spark a
life remaining. They wcre sitting in .
shrunk up posture. the hand ol one rssliea
"n lin pot, in which there was about 3
gill of water; and the hand Of tho other
reaching to the deck. No Tito regain 4 b;. If
raw salt beef Of the size Of walnut, which
had dropped from his ncfvcless grasp. Tn.
fortunate men! Thew had starved On
their scsniy store till they had not strength
remaining 10 lift tho last morrel 10 their
mouths! The boat's crew having compile
ted their melancholy survey, returned on
lnard. where they ioond the attention IL
the ships company cngrossed b. the cfIasts
made TO preserve the generous skeletoo.
who seemed 10 have Just Iife enough 10
breathe the remembrance that there was
still "snothes man, = bis compa MON in suffer-.
ing, 10 DO saved. Capt. 8. committed
him 10 The special charge of the surgeon. WIN
spared no means which humanity o. skill
could suggest, to achieve tho uoilc sb;ece
OF creating anew, ns il were, fellow crea-
turc, whom famine had stripped Of
a'mos, every living energy. For three
weeks he scarcely ever left his patient. Civ
ing him nourishmcnt with his own hand
every five or ten minutes, and the end Of
three weeks moro, tho 'sskclcton m tbs
wreck" was secn walking on tho deck Of
Amethyst, and, TO the surprise Of ell Who
recollcctcd that he had been lifted isto tho
ship by cabin boy, presented the stalely
figure Of man nearly six feet high!