Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-07-15
A Remarkable shipwreck.


Nn1OrraO case OShuUerSnss- starr ses
ton az al sDactis.
The following ID Tier is written BY Mr..
Jacobs, United 81 ties CONSUL General at
: galcutta. It's strY mcnts would be incrcd-
ible were they lcs3 authoritatiyclv vouehcd
for
e. cUrTA, April 20. 1851
The followingts the statement of " iIlam
Palmer, late 81 Eond officer on the ili-fatcd
Elvina which IT Calcutta, December 2.si.
bound for Hston. Fair and prosperous
winds attending, moved them across the
equator in ttcnty four days after loosing
S-sight of tlk land-hcads. The southeast
Sades sprat1up in six south and all weat
pleasantly El the afternoon Of the 18th.
at thd morning of the Goth, the spare
ssssfnaintop last broke LOGS from its lashings,
and rollfg back and birth over the deck.
stove in he cabin doo}s, the lazarettc. the
water Tasks amidshts, broke down the
stancl$oas and bulwfks, and finally went
overheard, poundingI heavily against the
sidefA Every thing wi hin reach Of the fatal
stldk was made u perl assssa torrents of
watey2n nom TIE huge casks into the
cap{0 NJ haown upot the lover tlcck-lic
L.. 93A6 done inn moment
ThotMp now listtd suddenly to to STAY
Do&rd, and would ilpt right either to the
shifting Of the cargo or from the wake al
ready rushing mt1 the hold through the
opened beams. I!f hull was slowly sink.
1ng, but steadily, aiti the crew sprang over
board five minutes Before She went down,
leaving the mastcrland his brother alone,
standing together. Together they sank and
were not again scfh. Gaining the floating
spars. the poor iclpws rested ior a iew mo-
ments, until the bin root was driven with
in reach, upon wl1c they clainbcled. to the
number of eleven{ The rest had disappcr
ed. Here, tied toitlie spars, they laid down
upon the sails alll the seas washed over
them. At I the Jind died away, and tear
ing a shirt in twd they raised signal of
distress. Two pranpkins, sole relic of the
ships stores, werd soon floating nigh, bit
not within reach, and they looked longinclv
upon them As they passed by.
At noon the gale sprang up, blowing fur
iously as before. The Waves swept tunu-
tnously over thsfaft, cafrying away two of
their NUM- One, George Chase, swan
back, and was assisted upon Il, but soon.
turning bla& in the face from swallowing
sea water, died.
All through-that day and night the storm
continued, moderatins towards morning
The sky was overcast the second day. but
the wind went down and the sea became
more cali AThc sun rose bright and clear
in clondlcss the morning Of the third
day, and his beams post fiercely Upon
their unsheltered Il daddened with
thirst, in their agony yhc qfnthem drank
the sea water and died - nwtI day
dawned with sun, thong hot Is Nitrous
and ardent as before. Another d \The
survivors cut cifhis legs and -te f8rs krst
time since leaving the ship-theS dsank
their own urine. Not morsel bad*thcy
eaten, not a drop Of fresh watcr,had they
drank for four days The clouds gathered.
overhead on the fifth day, but ire sun burnt
them oft and shone more scofchinclxi3ian,
ever. That evening one ofthcir COM
slipped over the side, saying: IL an
home, ! can stay here no lsngcr-I IN
see my mother-come with Ape We sfaI MOI
be long away and soon returnr TheyWarc
too weak to prevent it, and he Swam away.
Far as their dim eyes could range, did they
wisttuliy watch him swimming on. the
sharks FLASHING their white fins bvhis side
till he was lost in the distance. The sixth
day came and went, ii another died.
Ihe seventh morning found them shope-
less and despairing; too weak TO stand spir-
itiess and exhausted, they lay fecbly hing.
ing to the spars, and another died. But
three were left now Of the eieyen-andI still
through the long forenoon did the burning
rays Of that terrible sun fall hotiy Gpon
them. At the last moment relief cahe -
The French bark Claire, Robert. mister
discoFered the rait-their signal fortu6atelv
flying Ind dispatched boat to tilei3 ass;s
tanc(. cnderly were they lifted Into j,
and fros{ thence trspsferred to the ih;n.
TN Survivors AZ William pal6er Geo
D. Bllkehnd famed Anderson. /The. wer.
picked Wp at noo8 January 67th. having
6ssa ssySQ dsxs "a IL hcdrs on The ,. rsat /
The uvinfua - eheGe 1t. IS south, lon,
"a east. ffm5Sss *s4xfs 49, - ~ faSN