Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-02
DISASTER AT SEA.

DISASTER AT SEA.
One hundred and hirfy-fve Lire. lo,f.-On
the 10th of January last, the packet-ship John
| Rutledge, Capt. Kelly, of New York, left I.iv-
erpool for New York, having on board ono
hundred and twenty passengers, and crew of
officers and men numbering sixteen-making
in all 136-an of whom perished excepting
one, Thomas W. Nye, Of New Bedford. Du-
ring her passage she encountered severe wea-
! ther. On the 18th of February, she passed
several icebergs, and on the 10th she entered
field Of ice, from which she couM not re-
lease herself. At about 10 o'clock on the
Goth, the John Rutledge struck an ieeburg,
and at about O'Clock she went down. There
were FIVE boats on board, in which one hun
dred and thirty four persons were to be saved,
two having already perished. Four boats
pushed off before the one in which Mr.. Nyo
was. The last boat contained only 13 persons,
Of which four were women, and one little
girl. Mr.. Atkinson, the mate, put his wife in
to this boat and while he and the carpenter
went to sound the pumps, heavy sea struck
the boat, which broke her from her moorings
and drifted her from the ship, which was rap
idly sinking, leaving the mate, carpenter and
tress and suffering of those in the boat is de,-
cribed as most heart-rending. Cast upon the
open seas without compass. among the fogs
and mists of the banks of New Foundland,
surrounded by drift and berg ice, their pros
poets were gloomy indeed. Day after day
passed with springing hopes, which the dTea-
ry nights turned to bitterness and despair
On the third day one man died-ther & woman
both were dropped into the sea. The fourth
day came and no ray OF hope, but the same
angry sea, the same ieaden sky--no water, bu.
a small quantity of food, and the cold SO in
tense that it almost froze the marrow. This
day their despair was increased when brig
which hove in sight, diSa0pee-c7 szz.a wlta-
out having seen them. 3 5u-r ~ .a-s- zco-,
fell upon all, and needless CT yoGug Nyss ~
peals, they fell to drinking salt water-vil5
delirium ensued. They grew mad and madder
and besought each other TO kill them thea
they dreamed of sitting at sumptuous feasts
and spoke of the rare dain:ies which Knocked
their grasp of the delicious beverages which
they in vain essayei to quas.
At length worn out with the intensity OF
their physical and mental suferings, they grew
more subdued, their baggard faces became
rigid their wild eyes assumed CLASSY look,
and their shrunken forms seemed gradually to
subside-the next lurch of the boat tumbled
which young Nye witnessed daily. As thew
died, he threw their bodies into the sea as
long as his strength lasted. On the sixth day
there were only himself, a small woman wrap
ped up in two blankets, and the little girl alive
In the boat. Before sunset the child died, and
on the day following the woman breathed her
last. He had strength enough to throw the
body of the child overheard but that of tho
woman, together with the bodies of three 9TH
ers, was so coiled up under the thwarts that
he was unable to extricate them. Feeling a
strong sense of drowsiness creeping over him,
he fastened red shirt and white shirt to an
oar, and hosting it to attract any passing yes
sci, nc coiled himself up in the stern Of the
boat and dozed away the hours, dreaming of
being at home in New Bedford with his family.
Fearing that he too might be delirious, he
fought against these influences, and kept HIM
self awake by various means. On the 2slh of
February ship hove in sight ofthe lonely boy.
He says that he saw her before those on board
discovered him, and he was sure from the first
that they would pick him up. That vessel
was the packet ship Germania, Capt. Wood,
from Havre bound to New York. When Can't
Wood deserted the solitary boat. he ordered
one of his own quarter-boats TO he lowered.
and sent an officer to see what it contained.
As they approached him poor Nye groaned
.'For Jesus Christ's sake, take me out of this
boat" They did take him out, with worsn,v
tenderness, and with the boat and its fearfu,
load IN tow, rowed back to the ship. The
young sailor was quickly transferred 10 the
comfortable cabin of the Germania, and his
late companions, already far gone in decompo-
sitlon, were thrown into the sea. The boat
vas nan !uh OF water, and the bodies washing
about IN il had covered the seats and & se, vi,h
blood. -