The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-30
THE LATE GALES.
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TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS AT SEA.
Shipwreck and PrivatiOns Of the Captain and
Crew Of the Schooner Joel G. Sweet.
-Four Days on an Uninhabited Island
Without Food or Water.

&c. &c. I &C.
The following statement Of terrible sufIerngs, expo
and hardships endured at and an unnhabted
sand made by Captain Robert Witty OF the schooner
loci G. Sweet an account Of tho wreck OF which APP.
peared in TIE HERALD yesterday Captain Witty Is we'll
known in this city a'skfu navigator and thorough
seaman and 1t will be gratifying to his numerous friends
70 learn OF his safety. q
The schooner Joel G. Sweet le Charleston on the lstn
Of October for Apalachcola, under the command OF
Captain Charles Marks, Captain Witty being EN-
poyed navigate the vessel her port Of destination
Nothing occurred worthy OF outside or the ordinary
routine Of seafarng life until the 2lst Of October, when
they overtaken by the hurricane which, VIII DO
remembered Of the most terrific and disastrous
that visited The gale continued 70 In
and violence until the Esd when the few
remaining sails upon the vessel werc blown away, Win
the exception Of the maInsa, which was badly torn
Aboct that day they sighted the land little To-
the north OF Jupiter Inlet but shortly Afterwards lost
sight OF it. All through the night the gale continued 70
increase In force with the running mountains hgh
AFTERNOON observed the breakers 70 seward tried 70
keep on but could not Al this time they were Few
miles to the north OF Cape Canaverel heavy sea came
Witty overheard, and at the same time the mainmass
carried away Captain Marks chung to the mast and
hauled board but the sail that attached To
the mast when IL carried away fell over Captain
Witty Kept him beneath the He nstnctively
u
might come to the surface and breathe; but his knife
lost, and all the horrors Of death by drowning
under the water After he had swallowed great deal OF
salt water and just he upon the point OF giving
up all hope OF excatng himself from his perions posi-
ton the and sail lifted from over him by
wave and he to the surface again, and
hauled board the vessel dead than alive by
those who had given him up as lost Captain Witty
had his breast badly bruised and his right hand cafuy
cut by the mast and Captain Marks had one Of his RIBS
broken and sustained other injurcs After crossing the
brpak ers
waves in the meanwhile breaking clean over her. Ono
OF the men aer @ ~ .na
safely. They all completely exhausted that
they lay down beneath small palm tree and slept
soundly despite the fearful storm and roaring surf,
until o'clock that night, when they were awakened
by the washing AWAY the sandhl whereon they had
they had then been without for twelve
hours, and hungry, drenched and exhausted as they
were they could sleep that night owing TO tho
Inundated state OF tho island Cramped and chilled
they obliged 10 keep on their feet all night Tho
storm continued all that night and the next day with
unabaed fury In the morning the schooner had dssap-
peared; but upon searching for her, they discovered
that she had driftcd during the night about two miles
farther down the beach. The gale now began 70 mode
rate but they unable to reach the vessel Their
situation now indeed truly horrible They had had
nothing nearly three days and their
were swollen in their mouths for Of During
the of their second the Island barref
Of biscu was wished ashore and these all soaked
with the salt water They dug in the sand for fresh
water which they soon discovered when they fmmsdi-
atcy set TO work and regular order took turns in lap
ping up tho water with thor tongues The beach
strewn with fragments of wrecked vessels, and ut ono
place they found the bodies OF man and woman their
aht clasped around each other as they had met
their death One Of The mans legs was on Just below
the knee II had probably been eaten OF by the sharks
On the fourth day they had succeeded in gathering
enough lumber raft and this they launched
tho lagoon that separated tho loRg narrow island
from the mainland
Filling small Jug which had been washed ashore, with
fresh water and taking many OF tho biscuit with them
they could carry they left the island whero they had
suffered much and that afternoon just they were
nearing the mainland, they were picked up by . small
schooner and carried TO smyrna From here, with tho
Of the schooner Harriet b. Tyler which had also
been wrecked they tried TO reach the port Of b. Angus
tine, Florida but unable 70 over the bar
owing 10 the tremendous heavy surf. They then
compelled to land and had to make their way a. best
they could overland the village OF Enterprise Lake
Monroe They had scarcely shoes on their feet but very
little food and Il easily be imagined that tho hard
ships they endured that trip anything but light
When they camped night they were surrounded with
they really knew what rest From Enterprise they
proceeded TO Jacksonville where they were kindly fur
nshcd with transportation 70 Charleston by Captain
Croker OF the steamer Cosmopolitan, who did every
thing in his power 70 mako the unfortunate men - CON-
As Tine snd GROW o. do one COS 70
enable the sufferers TO reach their homes They nved
nothing but what they had upon their bAck9 and some
OF them will not be able TO work for some time yea 70
come.
The Loss OF Schooner Enigma, OF Bath.
Captain Morse Of schooner Enigma Of Bath, which
vosso capsircd tho 2ad ult, arrived Al sh,s
port yesterday, from Havana in the stssmshio MORO
Castle, and makes the following statement -
Left Bath October for Mobile via Charlsesen and
sailed from Charleston the 18th On the ~, OF
Abacon took q heavy blow from y. 70 Z 3. =, win .
high sea; at six obliged 70 hcave The veessl's
head too ON the Esd the wind and increased the
vessel lying 10 nndor three reefed foresaf ~ M p.
NJ took in oresaA and set peak OF balance rsef MAIN
sail the vessel lying very steady and dry Atslevsn
she struck By heavy cross sea- which sarnsd NE
vessel bottom up In thirty seconds All hands were be-
Low the cabin the time but succeeded N cutting
through the bukhead Of the cabin into the hod ryom
thence they through the bottom Of the vessel and
got on the outside Thursday morning, The 20Ch,
where all hands remained until the 4Lh insN whom they
taken on by the brig Peerless, Captain Bcnhon,
from Philadelphia for Matanzas where We landed on The
9th lnst One Of the scamcn, Joseph Anderson,
exhausted that he died in two hours afeS being taken on
the wreck although every exeTtion Wa made 70
his life
Captain Morse wishes 70 return thanks, on behalf Of
himself and crew. 70 Captains Bonhon and Adams, and
officers for thor kindness and attention. and also
10 Mr. Hail. American Consul Natansas for his gentle
manly treatment while la the hospital At Mstanxsa
49, Co. o. n -