The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-03-26
SUFFERING at Sea.

New Bedford, who was picked up at sea
a sole survivor of q boats load of thir-
teen, who left the ship Rntledge, in a
sinking condition from collision with an
iceburg, is q thrilling one
There we.e five boats attached to the
ship, which1think would not haEe-car-
ried all on board. AS it was, some
twenty-five or Thirty were left to go
down with the wreck, of whom all but
the mate and carpenter were passengers.
The boat that / was IN was the last to
shove off. It was the intention of the
mate and car, enter to have Joined US,
but they went to sound the pumps, and
while so doing, our boat broke adrift.
Indeed, had we lain along side a few
minutes longer, We should have been
swamped.
We soon lost sight of The ship, and
found ourselves-thirteen in number
upon the wide ocean, with but about a
gallon of water, and six or eight pounds
of bread. The party in the boat con-
sisted of the boatswain, a Scotch sailor,
five men, four women and o little girl,
passengers. and myself. Que of the
women was the mates wife. The wealth
or was intensely cold the boat shipped
a great deal of water, and from the eff
fects of both, the suferiDgs that We were
to encounter we're not long delayed.
The two other sailors, Mrs. Atkinson,
and myself were warmly clothed but
the passengers, with the exception of
one LADY, were not. That lady was
wrapped up in two blankets. We had
a compass in the boat, but Mrs. Akin
son, in jumping in, broke it. It would
have been of little use, the BOAT was so
unsteady. We made no effort to reach
any particular point-our only hope
being that we should be seen and picked
up by some passing vessel. Mrs. At
kinson took charge of the bread and
water, and would give but little out.
She and the boatswain drank most of the
water. Both were soon exhausted, and
then the bitter cold began to tell upon
US. 1t is my opinion that if we had
been well supplied with food and water,
most of US could have withstood the cold.
On the third day in the boat a male
passenger died. He was very thinly
dressed-a light coat being his only one.
He was followed the next day by q wo-
man, whose husband survived her but a
day or two. We this day saw a brig
running free, with u light wind. Our
hearts we're cheered with a prospect OF
speedy relief We raised a signal on an
oar, and pulled for her with all our
strength. We gained on her for some
time, and l had begun to picture to my
self the hearty welcome that would be
extended to the shipwrecked by her c:p-
tain and crew. But a breeze soon sprung
up, and our hopes were crushed. She
gradually left US. l thought We were
near enough to be seen from her deck,
but DO notice was takenfof US. Not
w~ithstanding this great disappointment,
1 endeavored to keep up my spirits.
en- the 9Th day, all those in the boat
with ME began>to drink sea water. |
warned them against it but they persist
ed. I got very little of the water taken
from the ship, but Idrauk no sea water.
When my mouth became very parched
and dry l rinsed it out with sea water,
but swallowed none. Snow fell one day
which l found a great relief. After
the others began TO drink sea water they
died in quick succession. Onsthe 9Th
day the last one died, and left me the
only living being in the boat. The dead
who first succumbed were thrown over
board; but the four last were beyond
my little remaining strength and for
more than two days l was forced to sit
with their distorted bodies before me,
and with but little hope that a better
fate would be mine. The last who died
was a passenger-an English lady, OF
slight form-the mother Of the little
girl. Her daughter preceded her a few
hours. canno. remember the order in
which the others died. The boatswain,
the night before his death, became de-
~lcrious and furious. He assaulted Mrs.
Atkinson, bit her severely on the arm,
and scratched her. lie threw the buck
ct overheard, and attempted to throw
the oars overheard also. Ee assaulted
me with the canteen, and struck me a
blow on the face, the marks of which l
still bear. He died about Loon, some
hours before which he became ~listless
aud stupid. Nearly all the others be-
came delirious. Mrs. Atkinson called
in the most agonizing tones for water
stretching out her hands to receive it.
They all died like the boatswain, and in
many instances the first notice / had
that another victim had fallen, was by
his pitching over when the boat lurched
heavily.
When all my companions were dead,
I fixed an oar upright, with a white
wooden shirt and a red silk handkerchief
waving from the top, as a signal. This
was the first permanent signal that had
been erected. My feet and legs had be-
come very badly frozen, and 1 was hard
ly able to move. l lay in the bow of
the boat. 1t would ship a sea occasion
ally, and 1 would rouse myself and bail
it out. I would then lie down again.
On the 2sth of February, when I had
been nine days in the boat, l saw a ship
bearing down towards me. / was now
confident that I would be rescued. l
was directly in her path. AS she near
ed me, she hove to, and sent a BOAT to
my relief. Myself and the boat which
had borre me so long in mid-ocean, were
hoisted on board. The bodies were con-
signed to the deep 1 found the ship
to be the Gernsnoia, Capt. Wood, from
Havre for New York.
KANsAs.-A gentleman of Intelligence
and probity in Kansas, in a recent let.
ter to a friend in Washington, writes as
follows:
tt ou ,bo D~ros;donl,, pro-