Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-25
VOL. V.

one hundred persons Night came on. and
put stop to any further operations. Ithad
been agreed that the barque should lie by
us till all on board the steamer were disem-
barked, but it came on to blow heavily in
the night, and in the morning she had disap-
peared, and we saw her no more. Thus all
the hopes Of escape we based upon the Kil5y
were doomed to disappointment and when,
in the morning, we could trace no vestige
Of her on the remotest verge of the horizon,
we experienced the sickness of heart from
hope deferred.
Once more we we're alone on the bound
less expanse of waters. Our ship lay as help
less as log uponth waves. She was COM
pletely crippled.
We had now Thursday, the 29th) reach
ed the sixth day since the storm commenced.
We we're about to encounter death in a new
form.
A disease broke out on board which
assumed the form of Asiatic cholera-com-
mencing with diarrhoea and terminating in a
few hours. The mortality was great. For
several days it averaged ten deaths day.
Men, women and children fell indiscrimi-
nately before it, and whole families perished
in twenty-four hours 1t was a scene of
awful suffering over which should rather
wish to draw veil, the like of which | trust
a merciful God will spare me ever witness
ing again.
During Thursday and Friday our eyes
were not gladdened by single sail. The
hours dragged on most heavily. We had
abundance of provisions on board, but it
was almost impossible to get them cooked.
The roll of the ship was so heavy that the
provisions we're thrown from the galley.
During the night of Friday, or the morn
ing of Saturday, the 31st, the cheering
sound raE through the vessel that ship was
at hand. A light was discovered on the bow.
We Immediately commenced firing signal
guns. They were answered by blue ghts
from a strange vessel. When the morning
dawned we discovered vessel with English
, colors She came near enough to speak to
us but the wind was so high as to render ac-
, cess impossible. We resorted to kind of
telegraphic communication, by writing on
a boards in chalk with large letters. We sue
/, ceeded in making her understand our situa-
/; ton, which, indeed, was sufficiently obvious.
!. She promised to lie by us. This intelligence
!. cheered every heart. On Monday, the I'd
3 of January, the sea calmed so much that to-
1 words evening the English ship lowered her
n yawl boat, and our second mate, Mr.. Graf
!. tan, went on board Of her.
I On Tuesday, the 81 January, our hearts
r were gladdened by another sail, under Amer
lean coo;s She came near enough to speak
/ her, and we learned that she was the Antarc-
tic, three days out from New York bound
:. for Liverpool. She had FIVE good boats, and
e after enduring the agony of suspense for so
o many days, it seemed that the hour of our
2 deliverance had at last arrived With the
n aid of the Antarctic's boats we could all be
conveyed on board the English ship, now
ascerta!ned to be the Three Bells, Capt
/ Creighton, Of Glasgow, bound for New York
,e The Bells had experienced much rough wea
q ther and was leaky.
II On Tuesday evening we succeeded in put
II ting a sergeant and file of soldiers on boar(
r to work the pumps. On Wednesday morn
Il ing, the 4th January, the work Of disem
40 barking commenced in earnest The sick
/ of whom there was large number, anC
cs some in dying condition, were wrapped il
N blankets, brought on deck, and lowered care
= fully into the boats. Casks Of water wer
10 lowered down and towed on board the Bells
ot Bread and bacon, and other provisions wer
1e sent off. BY evening much Of the work ha
or been accomplished 1t was found necessar
n however, in consequence of the shortness {
of provisions on board the Bells, to divide ou
n. numbers between the two ships.
ID Leuts G. S. Winder and Chandler, wit
about 140 soldiers, embarked on the Antart
nj tic for Liverpool. Captain Watkins ais
mt determined to accompany that portion
rs, our number. Thursday morning, the 5t
Int rose upon US bright and beautiful. The Sc
All was calm, the wind gentle. 1t is aday whic
,iN will ever live in my memory. BY noon tt
+ work of disseminating and re-embarking WI
on complete. Every man, woman and chill
mo had left the ship.
70 About P NJ. the Three Bells hault
,bt sail, and moved slowly away from the wrec
, | stood on the deck and gazed at the ill-fatC
roe vessel with mingled emotions. She hs
~ been our prison-house for fourteen anxiou
til agonizing days and nights. She was 6;
81. liant ship, and stauncher hull was nev
,lv launched, else she would have been o
am grave. She had ridden out in safety twel
or fourteen days of almost incessant storl
bnt Now she lay stretched in all her vast leng
inc upon the deep, one hundred fathoms lon
nod battered and mutiatcd, like some huge mo
,alo ster of the deep, which, in contest with
oht deadly foe, had been conquered and sla
ted Farewell to you, ill-starred vessel!
our ceive your doom, and sink down like le
! Of into the mighty waters. The blacklist CHI
the ter in my experience is comprised in
me, fourteen days passed within your bosom
On Friday dawned bright and fair.
10 sigcaled for a pilot, and then steam t.
,ort and at 5 P NJ. We were at anchor off
self Battery.
nwn grant an emotion of gratitude fill
nos. every heart when we thought of the terri
ear danger through which we had, by Go
the mercy safely passed.
lew / cannot close communication aires
laws too long, without two or three remarks
and And in the first place, to Captain Roh
for Creighton, of the good ship Three Bells
the feel that every one of US who were rescl
, too by his instrumentality owe debt of gr
and tude which can never be repaid. For
lates part, shall ever love and honor him a
Col. noble specimen of generous and tt
with hearted British sailor. He merits, an
with trust he will receive, rich reward
cted. In the next place, Major Wyse and his
ilbv. nior officers, Messrs. Winder and Chand