Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-31


bark Dromahair. waterlogged at sea, has
been noticed. The New York papers contain
the following statement of John Elliott. one
Of the crew Of the Dromahair, of the suffer-
ing undergone by himself and bis compan-
ions:
/ The British bark Dromahair sailed from
Quebec on the 10th of November. 1858, for
GreeDock, Scotland, loaded with lumbcr. and
manned by thirteen persons, including the
captain and mate. She carried no passengers.
Her officers were-John Hutchinson. Captain;
John Elliot, first mate: and VIM. Henderson,
second mate. The following are the names
of the rest of the crew:--Hector McNaughtoii,
Hector Monroe. Dongald Campbell, James
Henderson, Henry Frost, Samuel Cochran.
George Mcintosh, John Murray, Jas. kcGrail
and John McInnes. The bark was built in
st. John. New Brunswick and carried $50
tons. The voyage was not characteriZ' d by
anything worthy of note until Saturday,
the 18th day Of December; then, as the sun
crossed the meridian. a storm commenced.
The Dromahair was then in about so deg.
and 80 minutes north latitude, and 30 deg.
west longitude. The captain order, sal to
be taken in and the deck clear d. AT three
O'Clock the ship was hove to. but the winds
crushed roaring on" tossing her like a
father on the foam. At seven o'clock she
shipped a sea, capsiZing the long boat, and
the life boat. which was inside of it. forcing
both from the lce'rail into the sea- The long
boat was stove TO pieces, and had TO be broken
up still more to save the lite boat. The ship
had already begun to make water. and all
hands but three were put at the pumps.
Thus the night passed; occasional showers
Of hail being driven furiOusly down upon the
bark. Between these showers the moon oc-
sionaly pierced the tissue of fleecy cloud and
tipped the west foam of the raging pillows
with wavy, tremul"us light.
About five O'Clock on Sunday morning the
10Th Of December. the little bark shipped
another tremendous sea, which carried away
the port bulwarks and stanchcons, split the
covering board, carried away the cook house,
tore the life boat from the deck, where it had
been dashed; carried away the companion
and the storage wheel. Mr.. Geo. Mcintosh,
the pilot at the wheel, was struck by the
mountain billow-
"Dashed from the helm and plunged headlong into
the main.
The little boat hanging at the starboard
davits was also swept away, with large por-
ton of the standing and running rigging
Nearly all the sails were at this time blown
from the yards. At the time the vessel struck
all the men were at the pumps. They jump
ed for their lives, and when the water clear
ed eff, they found themselves damned into
corners about the deck. One man was high
up in the rigging. The waves swept as high
as the maintop. The water ran into the
cabin, stove the bulkheads and flowed into
the breadroOm destroying nearly all the
bread in it. They had only one barrel of
bread left after this calamity; it happened to
be slowed away in a spare locker. The cabin
stairs were carried away, and everything torn
up that impeded the course Of the lHaddened
waves. Sea after sea swept over the laboring
ship, the men seeking merely to cling to her,
knowing that as she was loaded with lumber
she could not go down. Whenever they could
they worked at the pumps, trying. to keep
down the water as much az possible.
All day Sunday the storm continued. but
not quite so violently. About eight o'clock
Sunday night the pumps were utterly disabled
by sea. Then the storm began to moderate,
but the water gained on u.s.
At one o'clock on Monday morning there
were thirteen feet of water in the vessel.
Seeing there was no hope but in the pump.
we commenced to repair it, and as the wind
had somewhat abated, we got it TO work, and
the ship free from water by noon of Monday.
We clear,d away the wreck as much as posi-
BILE, and tried to get some canvass on her TO
steady her. We made tiller and got her so
we could work her pretty we'll. but at eight
O'Clock Monday night there arose a tremen-
dous gale-a wind even more furious than
we had heretofore had--dashing the sea over
the ship fore and aft. The storm was so vio-
lent we could not remain at the pumps. The
wind continued to blow all night fearlully.
The waves mountain high and steep.
At six o'clock Tuesday morning the water
was up over the cabin floor. We were all
obliged TO go into the cabin 10 save ourselves
from being washed overheard, as the bull
warks had been torn away. But as sea after
sea swept over us aud filled the cabin, we
were compelled to run from il and get into a
small forecastle house on deck, built in with
the rise of the keep, about three feet above
deck.
When the Dromahbir was ueed az passen-
ger ship this house was used AS second
cabin. When we were forced to leave the |
cabin, we got thirty or forty pounds of bread,
pat it into bag, and took it along with us
10 the little deck house. We had no water |
md no other food except some salt meat |
which we got afterwards The storm cOntin- |
Ied, and we remained in the house few days |
when the bulkheads of it were knocked down |
md the water got free access to it, passing |
through it at every lurch of the vessel The |
lark was completely water-logged. and would |
nave sunk had she not been loaded with lum-
Ior. The storm struck us on the 18th of De
'ember. and we remained in this condition
i'll the 9th Of January. On the 22d or 23d |
# December steamer passed within two or
hree miles of us; she was standing to the
appeared to be propelled by
crew; she could see us, but made no sign
whatever TO us. We lived on half biscuit
lay. A barrel of salt beef aud a barrel of
alt pork We're under the matches, and after
he storm somewhat abatcd we could get at
hem by watching our chances between the
cas-. This was all the food we had. We had
10 water except what we caught when il
aimed; there were several little showers, one
lmoSt every day; we could just get mouth
al OF water, not enough TO at all satisfy our
urning thirst. We got il 10y putting our
nouths to the masts and licking off the water
$ it trickled down them. Oar suiferings
we're most Intense. The salt meat eaten raw
reat d a fever and inflammation in the bow
l.. causing a burning thirst.
About the 18th of December. one of the
len, John Mclnnis, began to show symptoms
{ insanity; he had drank salt water, and It's
fleets could be seen upon him. He died on
he 3lst OF December, and WAS buried, or
brown overheard, on the lst of January.
Henry Frost had been deranged previous
D the death of McInnis. and on the I'd of
anuary he jumped overheard. not knowing
hat he was doing; though in the sea he at
rst chung to the side of the ship; two men
i'd hold of his hands to haul him in, but he
nally broke from them and was drowned.
Ga Tuesday, the 81 day Of January. the
oy James McGrail taged about seventeen)
as washed into the cabin and was drowned
lere. The rest OF US lived on as best we
Duld; tn, biscuit gave out on the 81 OF Jan
AIRY, and AFTER that we had nothing 10 eat
at raw salt meat.
On Saturday, the sth Of January, John
nrray and Samuel Cochran died. ufter hav-
e been crazy for come time. We buried
lem on Sunday morning, the 9th, just be-
fore being taken off the wreck.
To satisfy our thirst. we tore up the deck to
4 at a cask of fresh water which had been
II thar,a hat great waa our flisannuiu |