The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-03-04

life-boat, laying Mr. Sisley, the passenger
e1 who was more dead than alive, at the bot
8 tom Of the boat
We took the dingy in tow, and got ou
rudder shipped, threw the lnas,s overheard
for we had no sails) got the oars out int
their crutches, which we had cot been able
!, to find till then, and pulled away for the
burning ship, to try to save some more lives
, The fire gave US plenty of light, though III,
! moon was obscured by clouds. The wind
. however, had now increased 10 a sever.
gale, and before we had proceeded far or
our mission, heavy sea struck the dingy
} and capsized her, drove her on our stern
broke away our ruddcr, and nearly half Gil
} ed US with water.
4 was in the bow, and sang out to Gu,
away the dngy, and get her head TO wind
which Mr.. Vincent, who was in the stern
had already commenced doing, and scarce
lily was this accomplished ere the approach
ofa tremendous sea through the surf, nni
over the top Of which our boat gallantly
rode, gave US ground for hope that we still
might live through that awful night. Il
was however, vain 10 attempt the rescue
of those who were drowning around US
The slightest deviation from the winds oye
in such sea, would have swamped oul
boat. Behind US the burning ship shed a
light, which illuminated the sky and sea
for miles around. Before us the sky and
sea seemed to meet 10 one dark, undistin
guishabIe mass, the immediate approach ol
the waves being indicated by rushing
sound as their crests broke far above oul
heads in long white line Of foam, gIaring
ly rejecting The light Of the burning ship
behind US. 10 this position, without food
or water, (for we STAYED our only small
water cask TO bail the boat when nearly
swamped) without compass or rudder, and
several only half clothed, we remained for
about three hours. Vincent 10 the stern and
in the bow, watching the approach Of the
waves and giving the orders 10 the men to
pull starboard or pull port, so as to keep her
head dead to windward.
During this time we were drifting to-
ward the ship, which was burning broad.
side on to the wind. Her mainmast went
first, and then the foremost. and consd.
cradle time elapsed before her mizenmast
went; directly after which noticed Sigh,
explosion of gunpowder, Previous TO this
a barque hove in sight, and passed between
the stern Of our boat and the burning ship
We judged her to be outward bound, from
her being close -rcefed topssils As she pas
scd, between 800 aud 400 yards distant
VIC several times hailed her with our uni
ted voices strengthened by all the energy
Of despair. She answered US and braiIed
her fpanker, and we thought was prepar.
ing TO bear up to our rescue.
shall never forget the deep sob Of hope
with which noticed these preparations, OF
the bitterness of feeling with which saw
him spread his canvass to the wind and
we,r round past the burning vessel and be
lett US to our fate.
For some short time past had noticed a
boat short distance from our starboard
beam, which believe was the gig, with ap.
Iparen,ly about half dozen hands in her.
She now began to call for assis, a nee, which
also we could no, attempt to offer, the sca
was running so high.
This continued for some time, when the
hailing suddenly ceased, and as ] never
saw her afterward, though ] often looked
most anxiousiy in that direction, cannot
resist the sad conviction that she shared
the fate cf the other boats.
About o'clock il began 10 rain heavily,
which beat down the sea, and as the wind,
which had hitherto been 8. W., got round
to the ~, it blew more steadily and with
less violence.
We accordingly put the boats head down
The wind aud pulled away astern Of the
burning ship. Her chimneys were red hot,
and as we crossed her stern al the distance
Of half mile, her magazine exploded, dis
charging considerable number Of rockets,
aud in about half an hour after her tunnels
wen, over her side, she sank beneath the
waves, aud the red lurid light which had
for the last five hours illumined the dreary
expsnsc Of ocean. aud forming the strong
ground Of hope for the attraction Of succor,
was succeeded BY gloomy darkness.
Remembering Capt. Symon's observa-
lons, was enabled to form some concep-
,ion Of the position Of the coast Of France
aud the British Channel, and we pulled
away in that direction during the remain
der of,he night. !.
Tho morning broke bright and clear, anc
never was rising sun hailed by m east
ern devo,ee with more gratitude than that.
Wc blessed Almighty God for having pre-
served US from the complicated dangers Of
such night.
joined Vincent in the stern. and we pre-
ceeded TO con over our probable distance
from Ia nd, and us we knew that unless pick
ed up we could not make il for five or six
days, we arranged for division Of the men
into watches, taking one each.
The wind considerably abated, and we
pulled steadily on for about three hours lon
ger, when the man on the lookout cried
that he saw a sail. She was outward
bound, and we pulled hard to intercept her.
which we managed to accomplish, and
hailed her before she was awnre Of our mp
proacb. We had been speculating on the
chances Of getting on board Of her, and as
the wind had completely lulled, shouted
10 the men to give way, and We would
board her by force.
This was unnecessary, for the captain,
whom the gale had kept on deck all the
previous night. and had been asleep in his