Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-05-02
COLLISION WTTHANI ICEBERG

he only survivor of the crew of the ship
John Rutledge, is terribly interesting.
The lad is a native of New Bedford, nine
teen years of age, of olive complexion,
thin and of wiry make, with black hair
and eyes, and rather tall. He had just
entered upon the career of a sailor. His
exposure in boat for nine days, almost
without water or food, is one of those ro-
mances of the sea which gives such hor-
ror to shipwrecks. The Rutledge struck
an iceberg near the banks of Newfound-
land. She was laden with iron, glass and
crockery, and bound to New York. We
copy the 7T76stns's narrative. The sell
fishness of Mrs. Atkinson in seizing upon
all the water in the little boat did not save
her life:
"Of the thirteen persons in the last
boat, there were four women, one little |
girl, FIVE male passengers. Mr.. Nye, a |
Scotch sailor, and boat-swain, an Irish
man, whose wife resides in New York. |
For the subsistence of these people there
was but one gallon of water, and six or
eight pounds of bread. The mate had
placed a compass in the boat, but his wife,
Mrs. Atkinson, in leaping from the ship,
had broken it. Cast thus helplessly upon
the open sea, among the fogs and mists of
the Bank of New Foundland, and sur
rounded by drifts and icebergs, their pros
poets could hardly have been more
gloomy.
Soon after the boat broke adrift, night
came on and how it passed can be i'm
agined. As soon as Mrs. Atkinson en-
tered the boat she seized the vessel con-
tanning the water, and, being large, ro-
bust woman, fought off all who attempted
to drink from it. Nye got only two or
three swallows; the rest was drank by
herself and the boatswain. What dispo-
sition was made of the bread does not ap-
pear. The probability is, that there was
no organization among this little party,
but every one looked out for himself
Having no compass or sign by which to
steer, they did not exert themselves, other
than to keep the boat before the sea. The
sailors were warmly clothed, as was also
Mrs. Atkinson ; but the passengers for the
most part were scantily attired and suf-
fered keenly from the cold. Day after
day dawned only to raise their hopes of
succor, which the long and dreary nights
turned to the bitterness of despair. Thus
! time passed until the third day, when one
of the little band, man whose clothes
were quite too thin to shield him from
the bleak weather, sank under the CON-
bined effects of cold and hunger, and his
body was committed to the deep. Then
a woman died in the arms of her husband
and little daughter, and her corpse was
also silently committed to the deep.
The fourth day came, and with it the
same angry sea, the same leaden sky; nc
| ray of hope anywhere visible. The cold
was so intense that it almost froze the mar.
row; and not drop of water could be
obtained, while only a small quantity o.
food remained. Human nature could
not bear up much longer against this ex
posure and privation, when just as they
/ were about to give up all hopes, the winc
, lulled, and 10 a brig hove in sight Sht
was not very far of, and they pulled 70
r her with might and main. Signals wer
also made. For some time they scenes
to gain upon her, but she did not Sc
; them, and the wind freshening, she wa
: soon out of sight. With her went al
: hope. A burning thirst fell upon all c
them, and needless of young Nye's earn
n est appeals they fell to drinking salt wa
ter This only increased their thirs
and they drank eagerly and repeatedly {
: the fatal fluid. What followed is the oil
l. story of delirium and death. One by on
e they grew mad and madder; besougt
g each other to kill them then they dream
ed sitting at sumptuous feasts, and spok
of the rare dainties which Knocked the
81 grasp; and the delicious beverages whic
Ii they in vain essayed to quaf. At lengtl
worn out by the intensity of their phys
cal and mental suferings, they gre
Is more subdued; and their haggard fe.
~ lures became rigid, their wild eyes a
sumed CLASSY look, and their shrunkt
forms seemed gradually to subside-tf
next lurch of the boat tumbled them G
the seats dead
a. Such were the sights which young N,
k witnessed daily. As they died he thre
their bodies into the sea, as long as b
strength lasted. He says that, althous
.e. his thirst was of the most agonizing cha
lie acter, he not only warned isfellow sufe
All ers against drinking salt water, but show
10 them how he obtained relief by rinsil