Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-10-09


my feet around the rope, and 80 held on
very securely, although I had fears that
the rope might chafe on deck, when I
would inevitably have been drowned =
They finally hauled US half way up, let
down another line, and some of my men
catching hold, we we're soon safely land
ed on deck. eaN e-oisazGt % Il
"We had hardly touched deck. ere I
heard dull sound, felt the vessel shake,
and knew we were aground-all this
while the vessel was rolling fearfully, the
crew of the America was crazy with IL
quor and clamoring for more, in. fact both
vessel and crew were unmanageable. The
Captain had been drowned few moments
before I came on board. and the First
Lieutenant could not make his voice heard
above the roar Of the waves and the wall
ing and crying of bis crew. until be final
ly gave it up in despair and wept. Hav-
ing recovered my breath, l descended
from the poop to the spar deck on the
starboard (right hand side), but wave
sweeping the ship, took me first against
the ship-bulwarks, barely escaping port.
then against the cabin bulkhead, with
such violence that l could hardly stand
for some time after " .ff-e-1 4
The ship was very much canted to port,
so we all crowded together to starboard.
She rightcd, however, and being steady
for few minutes, I noticed that her rig
ging was wire, and so strong that it would
be sure to hold, SO / concluded we had
better 60 below again. Our lives. were
not worth farthing at this time. s The
cries of the crew were dreadful. The
lights of the Wateree we're in sight, and
the yells with which she was hailed by
the drunken crew Of the America were
such that even now they ring in my ears,
filing me with madness, for I knew that
they were useless that all the Wateree's
boats had been swept away. and. even had
she had boats, the sea would have swal-
lowed them up. Soon after, the foremast
went by the board, and the maintopmast
followed. Fearing that the mizzen would
60 also, the boats crew and huddlcd on
the poop deck, holding on TO the back
stsys, fortunately found small piece
of rope, wl1ehA is called rafting stuff. with
which IIashsd myself to the royal back
stay s D. = port: aa'-'W We *sFsr l5W
hard aground. yet the sea continually
swept as fore and aft. I now began to
feel pretty secure, as unless the sea rose
again, which I did not think. the ship
would remain where she was all right, be-
ing an extraordinarily strong one.
Suddenly the sea receded, and we
were left without an inch of water under
US. After discovering that the sand was
hard, all of the boats crew but two left
the ship with me- We formed in two
ranks, grasped hands. so as to haul up
stumblers aud help the weak, and then
ran for dear life, for the sea was coming
inaagain, fortunately not with velocity, so
that we reached dry land after run of
about halfa mile. A tramp of about
four miles brought US to africa, where, on
the bills, I found Captains Gibbs and
Doty, and several others Of our officers
were there, waiting for news Of their ships
and aiding the wounded. Mrs. Johnson
the wife Of Lieutenant Commander NJ. L.
johnson. was killed by the first shock
Her death was instantaneous. She was
very much liked by US, and had intended
to 90 home in month or two. The next
morning I returned to the Wateree, and
found her about Eve hundred yards from
high water mark and twelve feet above
the level of the sea. The tidal wave, by
measurement, was forty-two feet high"