Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-04-04
BEDFORD, PA. FRIDAY, APRIL 4 1856

4 ken it. Cast thus helplessly upon the open
sea, among the fogs and nlists of the Banks.
Of Newfoundland, and surrounded by drift
and berg ice, their prospect could hardly
have been more gloomy. Soon after the
boat broke adFift, night came on--how it
passed may be inlaeined. From what We
could learn, but little was said By any one,
aud probably all of them soon came to
realizing sense of their dreadful situation
for M soan as Mrs. Atkinson entered the
boa; she seized Tbs. vessel containing the
wa ter, and being large robust woman,
fought off all whp attempted TO obtain
drink from it. Nye got only two or three
sw allows; The rest was drank by hcrselfand
the boatswain. What disposition was made
of the bread does not appear. The proba-
| bility is thar there was no organization
whatever among the little party, 5ut every
one looked out for himself. Having no
compass, nor sign By which to steer. they
did not exert themselves, otner than to keep
Z 4 l%
] the boat before the sea, The sailors wele
! warmly clothed, as was also MIR. Atkinson.
but the passengers, for the most part, we're
very scanti'y attired and suffered keenly
from the cold. Day after day only dawn
cd TO raise their spir its anew with hopes Of
succor, which the long and dreary nights
turned to the bitterness of despair Thus
time passed uutil the third Gay, when one
Of the little band, q man whose clothes
were quite too thin to shield him from the
bleak weather, sank under the combined
effects of cold and hunger, and his body
was committed to deep. Then woman
| in the arms of her husband and little idaugh-
| ter, and her corpse was also silently drop
i ped into the sea- The fourth day came.
and with it the same angry sna, the same
leaden sky no ray Of hope anywhere vis-
] ible. The cold was so intense that it al
| mos. froza the marrow, and not as6rop of
water could be obtained, while only Il sma II
/ quantity Of food remained. Human uatnre
coald not bear up much longer against this
exposure and priEation, when, jusssst they
we're about to give up all hope, the wind
lulled,. aud II. . BRIG hove In sslssss:a ssSshc
vas not very far of, and they pulled for
her with might and main. Signals were
also made. For some time they seemed TO
gain upon her, but size did not see them
and the wind fseahening, she was soon out
Of sight. With her went all hope. a
burning thirst soon fell upon all Of them,
and needless.of yopng Nse's earnest APP
peals, they fell to drinking salt water. This
only increased their thirst, and they drank
eagerly and repeatedly Of the fatal fuid.--
What followed is the old story of delirium
and death.
Ona hy one they grew mad and madder
beseught each other to Kill them; then they
dreamed of sitting at sumptuous feasts, and
spoke Of the rare dauties which moeked
their grasp, of tie delicious beverages
whr,h they in vain cssayed to qnaff. AT
length worn out with the intensity OF their
/ physical and mental suferiugsi they grew
more snbduod, their haggard features be-
came rigid, their wild eyes assumed CLASSY
look, aud their shrunksn forms seemed
gradually to subside--the next lurch of the
boat tumbled them off the seats dead! Such
were the sights which young Nye witnessed
daily. AS they died he threw their bodies
into the sea, as long as bis strength lasted.
he says that although his thirst was Of the
most agonizing character, he not only ware
ed his fellow sufferers against drinking salt
water, but showed them how he obtained re-
lief by simply rinsing ismoutn occasionally.
They were hopeless and desperate, and would
not listen 10 him. The hoatswain grew
dolirous, and died within twelve hours after
drinking it. In his delirum he was most
most violent. He attempted tothrow .he
oars over board, and did not succeed in
throwing over the bucket with which they
| bailed out of the boat. Nye did his best
to quiet him and stop him from drinking
more sea water; but he struck hima severe
blow upon the chin, inaicting wound which
has not yet healed up. Mrs. Atkinson was
also very violent, aud, beingo q strong
constitution, it was long time before she
expired. Our informant's recollection of
1 events which occurred about this time is
very indistincr. But, from what could gath
er, on the sixth day there were only him
self, small woman wrapped up in two
blankets, and the little girl alive in the
boad. Before eunset the child died, and
on the day following the woman brcathed
her last. He had strength enough to throw
the body Of the child overheard but that
Of the woman, together with the bodies OF
| three others, was so coiled up under the
thwarts that he Was unable 10 extricats
| them. Feeling . strong sense of tlrowsi-
| ness creeping oser him, he fastened a red