New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-08
SH1pWRECK on TIE ATLANTIC.


RESCUED AFTER TWO WEEKS OF sTARyA-
TION-GALLANT CONDUCT OF CAPTAIN
LEWAND AND THE CREW OF THE BARK W.
III. JENKINS.
The bark China sailed from Quebec, some
time in November last with full cargo of timber Tor
the port Of Cardiff, in Wales The China was ship OF
635 tuns official number 32sc0, and owned by Wat
sons & Co., large and wealthy Cardiff firm. Her crew
consisted Of sixteen men, viz: Capt Brannan'
native and resident Of Cardiff chief mate
John Fortune Of Shields, England; second mate
Boaz Of Cardiff, son Of Capt. Boaz Of the
bark Eleanor, also Of Cardiff steward carpenter and
IL British and Irish sailors She had favorable winds
during the early part Of the voyage but the gale was so
fierce and the ship seered widely that about o'clock
on the morning Of Dec -, she brought to the wind
and, within less then 20 minutes tremendous broke
her with such sudden fury snap the mizZen
mast Ike pipestem SILVER the stern TO fragments,
smash the rudder and Wheel and sweep away both tho
boats aud the house deck which served a cabin
and contained the ships store Of provisions At the
instant the wind tore the close erected mantop
sail into ribbons.
The Captain, who had just left the cabin, the
breaker coming and shouted to the forward
for their lives; but fearfuy swift and irresistible
the fatal wave that two Of the saorsthe man at the
wheel and tho chief mate, who was in the cabinwere
swept into their grave in the twnkng OF an eye
and before the rest Of the mon could save themselves
among the fore rigging, another terrible sea plunged
and carried the Captain and four more Of the sailors after
their unhappy companions. AS the cargo completely
filed the hold and the cabin and forecase house were
tossing In fragments the sea- the only shelter left for
these horrorstricken under little fore
castle deck beneath which they crept as soon as
they dared risk themselves the ceanswept main deck
over which the seas were rolling mountains high
Slowed away this little recess scarcely large enough
to hold them, and entirely open side to wind and
waves they suffered for IA days and nights all the agonies
Of cold hunger and thirst beside the unutterable mental
tortures nseparabIe from their frgbtful situation The
only provision left on the ship barrel Of salt pork
under Of the matches. From this, at the imminent
food and saked their thirst with halstones and such
precious drops as they could squeeze from ropes ends
and bits OF canvas when it rained Without moments
sleep, without spark of fire. or dry thread keep
drenched anew every now and then by the seas that
scarcely anything to quench the thirst that the salt
meat only aggravated, these men sneh misery
few mortas have ever endured; and yet positive
and shameful fact that during the days In which
tho wreck OF the China pitched and tossed upoR the
wintry Atlantic three ships passed within hang
distance and never tried to the wretched rem
of An officer on the deck OF one OF these
vessels to wave his hand but passed on with
In December 1861 exactly twelve months before this
| of Yarmouth Nova Scotia lay side by side in Cardiff
docks. The W. II Jenkins is a ship OF 72l tuns. com
She left tie port Sddles6orong IN the north OF I'm
gland with cargo OF iron for NewYork on Augusta,
1863 The seventh day out she encountered gale
shortly after passing between the Orkney and shetsa
Islands and pTa rang LEAK ana 2s gen use Of the
n- and by tyig sails soaked in tar and stuffed with
oakum, under tho bottom. After Thorough repairs at
Arrossan she pub to sea again. and encountered hur
threw her on her beam ends shifted the whole Of her
cargo out OF place. and compelled the captain 10 throw
and reach Ardossan again Here the cargo was resowed
and secured. and the undaunted captain put to sea
tbe China was wrecked The weather was fealfuy cold
and boserous, aud the barks progress westward e1-
temely slow az appears from the fact that the trip 10
New.York took days while the Jenkins made the same
voyage last Winter in 81 days About IL O'Clock on the
morning OF the 27h OF December the thick mist cleared
up little and the second mate whose watcn u Was OF
deck reported q vessel about seven miles 70 the
| Lewand made out that II was wreck,
apparently abandoned signal nag was III Ilheus1e
est watch did reveal signs Of fe aud the nag was
not hermit closer approach during this time, but about
o'clock Il yeered little 10 the southwest ana Capt
iewnnd unwilling 10 leave until absolutely sure that the
| wreck was really abandoned. ship and sailed
| toward the China. When the miserable men on the
wreck saw the signal flag ny from the masthead Of the
fourth vessel that had passed them since the fatal 18th
Of December they fell on their knees ana thanked dOd
The anguish OF the bitter moment when they saw 1t
can paint their Joy when tho bark nnay turned wild the
| CHANGING wind. and sailed toward them, and Capt.
Iewand spying the poor fellows crawling feebly from
under the foreoastle deck hailed them wltn All right
boysi | III take you of II It's possibew But how The
se9s were washing every moment the Inflated China
Tie tor sesSisd some eight Or n ten fer f2m
! wheel OF the pump, the two forward masts. and
| n few stanchOns was swept hMay' anu .no
bare yards swinging In every direction.
So HIGH did the that boat lowered from davis
would have been shiyered Ike an eggsheli ara was
only possible TO launch the yaw by carrying amdshps
Even then II locked like tempting Providence 10 under
take the rescue but four brave men volunteered IOr inc
service, and the yawl put on only 10 ma mat i, was nD
soutey impossible 10 board the CHINA! but the poor
wretces wreck spurred on Dy nope ara uespet-
ton mustered at last strength and courage enough 10
climb upon the orecastle deck crawl out on the 1l9
bOom and slip down cord into the water, from when
tey were speedily lifted into the boat The second mate
was usensbe, but even no was 1hany iet uoWn ~tth
| uvu1 md
seven were carried the bark The steward seemed 10
have the most strength Of OF them but even he had
TO be hauled up the barks side, ana cOuld only excaln
an niteous tones as he was lifted the RAIL- MY God,
Capt Lewandl fourteen days and nothing to eat! Ana
the mate died OF utter debility within Two hoIs ate. ms
roscue Notwithstanding the strenuous exertlons that
were made "a restore him 60 consciousness ana Dte
An the not only as thin us skeletons but were
covered with bOis caused by exposure TO the SAT- WAFER
and which added greatly the other mlseres OF their
hard lot. Every care taken OF them, ana by tue
time the bark reached Faya, on the 2Oth OF January
hey were strong enough 10 walk on shore after shower
ING thanks upon the captain. and with streaming eyes
blessing him for his humanity In rescung them ltls
probable that this some British bound craft mas
Touched al Faya and carried them all TO Cardiff TO tell
sad story ever was told since men began 10 30
/ down 10 hea In ships
Hook last Friday and mOored In the Atlantic Dock
uday afternoon. IL would be unjust not 10 say wor1
praise of Capt Iewand whose conduct Is IN snc hoDIe
contrast TO that Oi the other captains VINO douo9ss OK
cused their iuhuman indifference by the pea OF usa
10 themselves and to their own ships Capt Le"and Is
prussan by birth, selfmade man, ana one on thuse
unr0ht uhstcrs honor to the BRUSH InSr'
chant service His duty was fully done IN hOstnS , ,
signnlnaR aud, the shipwrecked sailors were M too
weak 10 show signal I'm return IL was only MS humanity
which would not let him leave even corpse Wtiout
Christian burial that saved SIX lyes, an III, ia r,
tercs which darken tho annals OF the 9coan Win n
CHASTITY inscription Wrecked at sea- and not soul was
| saved to tell the tale"
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