The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-24


pennon and plume the waves entomb
The proud hopes OF the free,
In thas&reat Slalve tnat Arthur gave
In 0seTdon to the ses.
Torch Hiu, Columbus Georgia
A SHIP BURNED 1T SEA.
Supposed Loss OF sixty-one Lives-suf-
serinss OF the Survivors-lnhumantty.
In March last thu British ship Blue Jacket
was burned at sea, while on her way from New
Zealand 70 England. Out. OF sixty nine per
sons on board only eight are known to have
been saJed. The London Herald publishes
The following letter from ons Of the survivors,
addressed TO his motner, and dated at Port
Stanley, Falkland Islands, April %:
Twill tell you what has happened on board
tho Blue Jacket since she left Lyttleton up to
the tune she was baSDed. We left that port
Eebru-ry IS. We had seven sa.oon ,passen;
-Rers grown up,s- twelve second cabin, and
seven children. II young, snd stewardess OF
the saloon. Or the passengers there were Blk
women: two Of the children wer' at the breast.
Der Of people on board, mxty-tw6, and seven
children. There was little sea sickness at
starting; tha. coon passed away. We made a
very gotd passage TO the Horn In twenty days.
On the 7th Of March We passed The Falkland
Isiands IN sight, Little dreaming at that time
that this pace would be- our refuSe before
long. ~.
But on the Tuesday following there was 3
scene that I never WISH to view az lin. About
half past one In the afternoon smoke was seen
fsung out Of the fore hatchway. We well
knew what vas the matter, and In about ten
minutes ime there was good supply Of water
being played upon 1t. There were no flames
but very Iense smoke arisipg. As soon as the
captain saw that !; was likely to prove serious,
he told Nr. Williams to get the yacht slune
and provisloned and ready for go,ng oyer tue
side; them the two lie boats we're got fesay
tonioyering abd 'provlsioned. In the mean
-ti.Sa bad q few hands shortening sail. While
this WAS proceeding tie p1nps were stlh Kept
Eoipg, every one working for his life.
eyerythlng WAS beng done to extinguis4 the
fire, and sout Six o'clock We thought We would
yet the up er hand Of it. BALI an hour after
wards il broke out ten ttnneS worse than ever.
We still kept hard At it until little after nine
that night, ut which time the Goals that were
tn the forepa,t had caught Ere, and in ten
minutes after the whole OF the forecastle was
In Q blaze. Then our fate appeared sealed
~, e CAST ADa15r.
The order was gwen to get the yacht over
The sioe, which was done with great r!sk OF
limbs. a there was nasty sea running, but
she Tss ar eot over all safe. Before lowering her
into the water We got the women and children
INTO her all safe, then lowered her; afteT which
the remaining passenRefs got in. the mo In
the meantime working at very rapidly. IN the
port life-boat there were Mr.. Williams and his
watch. In the starboard boat, hr: Bell and
~. \ uaa IN, uANht The other
BOATS left the sntp little before Us, for We
could not prevail upon the captain for some
time to leave the ship, and do not think ne
would have lett her II he had MT promised the
fsdieb thst he would take charge OF them. He
said he did not like to leave tho old ship.
About an hour after ne left the foremast fel.
over the side; bali an hour afterwards the
main and mlzsen followed its example, with
heavy aash: The vessel Mns then IN one mass
Of Asmes-it was Q splendid and fearful sight
% witness. We kept as near the shrp as pos
bear down to her; bat there was no such luck.
Ne1t day there was dead calm. and MIR. Will
hams came on board the yacht, 90 We straight
ened up the boat little and made things more
pomfoetshles In the evening the captain told
me TO 20 to the mates boat and MIR. Williams
tostay In theyacht. Soon stt@ dark breeze
sprung up and was inele.ans all n nlgns; ,., We
which We held up every now and then. Next
morning the other two boats we're well ahead;
the breeze was still Increasing, I'D in two
hours time We p; i;ked them up.
Hr. Williams did not make any sign to come
into his bost again, 90 when the captain gave
us the courss to the falkland Islands we won't
on to lee If We could pick the other boat up:
Before We could see her the yacht vas out OF
sight, When We came up to the second mates
boat We both lowered our SAILS and hove to, for
the yacht TO got up to us again. While we
we're waiting We had dinner, which consisted
OF about quarter Of q pound OF preserved
meat, very few bits OF biscuit (which had got
spoiled with salt water coming into the boat }
and not quite two gills Of water. We had
pretty good supply OF provisions and water.
but We knew not how long We would have to be
in the boat before We we're picked mp or reach
cd land. We wxited there some time, but no
yacht was TO be seen, and NE: were losing the
So vst any longer. He said NO With that
ansNer No hoisted CTR SAD tsnd started, but up
81 tie time We oS, sisati Of him he had n t
moved. We stilI went on, but during the night
the wind emitted round rig BIT asad against us, 60
We steered for the nam lahd, ss il was lmpos-
sible for US to reach the islands: We never
saw .eeither Of the boats after that.
DEATH N TIE BOAT. .a.-.
There were fifteen OF US in one boat; there
Hafa tHeull .SRYSO~ 2QQiLSS 6l0~ 0~SakS1c cnAoIoo
Il, Me yacht, and the rest with Mr.: Bell, sec;pd
mate. have 10 doubt tsther would recollect
the brown dog that Mr.. - had. 1t was IN
our boat. ,Sixy days ,afer. We left the ship'ws
killed It, drank the blood and ate the flesh.
Si1 DAYS st,er that vas the commencement o!
the horrors OF casrawsy crew. Ono 'ofthe
boIs out 4 two died through drinking salt
WSter. ,We managed to keep 1t from hmm dur
in&.fhe daytime, 6ub at might be Wouflu &C.. it.
he was ont Of bis rnlno about eleven hours be-
fore he d.ed. We buried the poor lad as well
as We. coud under the circumstances. We
fead the burial service for the dead at sea, but
WeJhsd nothing to sink him with. 1t was
painful task, but 1t was the will OF God. We
prayed to the almighty in that boat with morc
earnesiness than any OF Us had ever doue b.
fore. We O. u.d see death staring us 10 Tue
ACE. Day after day NJ land. 90 v. sseL Five
days AFTER the boy died we lest the carpenter
ard a seamsn. :. The latter, poor fellow, died
from ter debility and old age. The earpcn-
Ter, whe was fine, tail man over s.x ieet.
died from drinking SAT- water. They we're
both Romm Catholics. The carpenter has
lett wife, with ;oul fivo children, 10 mourn
then; loss. Two days after another iman died
rayieg mad through salt water; he Was the
hoalthlest looking man in the bos..
Tnore we're tSo others tthe ssllmaker and
one eesma.l out OF their mind. We expected
they wcu b gong off Mt any mon. cit. Next