Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-04-16
Loss of the Whaling Barque Grape.

4 i
The following particulars of the lose Of
the bsrque Crapo, of New Bedford. are
copied from the Mercantile Aapsrfissr. pub
lished at Cape Town, Cape Of Good Hope:
Among the passengers by the England
are Capt. a. Baker. Of the late American
whaler H;n:y u. Crapo. and Pslla, Sand
wich Islander, one Of the crew. who were
picked up by the st.ams. on Wednesday
last at sea on q snail raft. From the STATE
ments made by Capt Baker ii appears that
on Monday night, the I9th inss., the ship
having all sail set, about Q o'clock Capt.
Baker perceived sqaall rising 10 the North
West, and gave immediste ordere for all he
| light "a ils to be taken in. The ship wss
then made snug, but The sqaall passed over.
and the weather was almost calm. Shortly
after the wind cams round fresh from ths
South East, ant increased soon 10 a.a'e.-
All hands turned up to shorten sail; the
.bunts of the fore and main sails wee hasl-
ed up and the ioPssls lowered on the caps.
Orders we're then given By Capt. Baker -
double reef forstopsail,s ,snd, while ths usa
wrre aloft csssying sas his oriers.E sqssli
struck the barqus aud shs imaediasiy went
over on her beam ends. mas:s !ytus % ne
surface of the sea.
The unfortunass men ca the fsFsso1sau
yard wers no more seen. The gale was iR-
crea.ing, with dark squaliy weather and
drizzly rain; the mss,-leads Of the ship
were gradually doping and the ship sriasa,-
! Ia, r Tha ind nf fha L.,
ing reached the weather bulwsrks, Capt.
Baker ordsred the weather lsnyards to b
cut. and the quarter-best, which .t;u burg
on the dsvits, to be cleared away. Tas
boat was stove. A heavy sea Row swses
over the vessel and washed away the captain.
who, aiser several unsuccessful efforts to r.
gain me wreck, found the distance incrsas-
ing between biz usfJriansee ,shipmdss and
himself When last sess BY Capt. Baker
the wreck was abSut two hundrs1 yards froa
him. A small pianS, which Capt. Baker
secured, and subsequently two cars. vers lAs
frail supports to which he eiung thrOushost
hat terrific night for life. Os Tusaday The
gale still continued. A couple more pieces
of plsnking hoated By the captain. and ~srs
laid hold of by him. The captain was not
alone in this wilderness of waters; he heard
or thought be heard a cry, and, listening.
it was repeated, when, borne upon ths sss-
nit Of wave. he saw the head of ons Of
his crew, Pells, the Sandwich Islapser-
Pells soon joined his captain, and. having
Two oars for his support. their Eitls raft w.s
strengthened. When asked at what hoas
- L L.
the captain about O'Clock, and all hanis
had gono down; 'Csp,ain. no more nea.'
During the day two snail stats, with Tags
attached. used By whslers as signals whsna
whale is struck, and part Of . bow Of b,al
were added to the ra't. PSoviden;ialiy ia
the bow Of the boa, was locker in wklsh
a ha;chet was found. Sharks soon attached
the hardy mariners, and hoysred srouna
:heir rait. One Of these monsters, salia;si
no doubt by others of the crew, made no at
tempt to molest Capt. Baker and bis aon-
pa.ion; others did, but were kept of By he
ca plains hatchet, with which one was basiy
cut, and Pella using a piece sf vesd as
club. which hitherto had served him Ter
paddle. Another night shrouded in dark
ness the frsi' raft and its desolate crew
the gale continued all eight, ana the sen
washed continu ally over them. With The
next day came more moderate weathsr; bst
Pella's strength began to fail and his rs,.
son to give way. His powers Of endur,ass
were no. equal TO his American brother In
distress. The horrors OF thirst were, how.
ever, invading the frame Of Cap.. Baker,
Those symptoms SO terribly known to sAi,
wrecked sailors, a swollen tongue, with
pricking pains in ihe throat and chshias
were felt By him.
A pumpkin which had beer washed ifsx
the wreck csrae to hand. A slice of tbi,
a!layed their thirst asd revived then. Intent
on securing themselves on the raft, III,
England was close upon tn. r,.t before she
was seen by Capt Baker. With the sigma,
he had serure4 he made repested st,epp,s
stlnd up and arrest Tho aitsntiea Of the
steamer. Five minutes aAer he had waved
the signal t:sp;. Baksr had the issxpres.
sble delight of seeing the ErgIand take II
her roysls and the B-i,ish ersfsa hoistsd ~
the mas, head. The steiner, witch uss to
the leea rrd, quickly eane up, lowered her
bo1t. and rescued nom their psr:loss sisas.
tion Captain Baker and the solitary survivor
IF his ,rex OF 81 men. Capt.. pun5u.
learning the painful story of Gspt. esk~,
like true British tar. put about and steam.
I'd to where ste wreck night probss, ks
found. Although lo"kou.s we're placed a.
The mast heads os the steamer rot q vessiep
Of the ill-fa,ed II. II. Grape could Be- seen.
The raft and the remsins If tss vu.nskia
we're on the England.
The Crspo was fine barqne Of see ,eas,
.hirty-one months out, and Sumewsrd boxud
with full cargo OF sperm oil. Capt Baker
the cargo 20 have been well stow.
I'd and beyond any possibility Of shifting.
1t is gratifying to know that Capt Baker is
no; suffering from the effects of the painfoi
rosition in which he has been placed. .bsyosI
severe bIiitering OF the arm, from ths;,
naked exposure to the westher, his shir.
having been washed TO ribands shortly atsr
&c left the wreck.
The PERsIAs WAR EsuEp.-The l,r
European arrival brings intelIiyenes. th.t