The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-11-11
WRECK OF a WHALER.
Eight Days Without Food -22
Lives i y0Sf

| 1Af g LOSC.
he Hartford Comoat published de-
talled account OF tht wreck OF the whaling
schoonet SasaL -. Smlti OF Boston, In
August last. and the suffering OF the crew
tor eight days without food or water The
story Is ted by Capt. Job Il. Housewife,
| master OF the vessel, who has just arrived
IN Hartford. The schooner sailed from
Boston on the 10Th OF Bebruary. 1868, on a
general whaling voyage In the Atlantic
/ Ocean, @iih crew Of eighteen seamen be-
slues the captain his wife and two children
On the 2otn OF August the wind had been
blowing fresh, and continued into the
hlght put 1t was nothing like gale OF wind
AT clock the uext night 81 severe was
tue teApes that all hands were called to
close reel the sails Halt an hour later the
wind blew a perfect hurricane, yet under
ciase sail the vessel was kept off before 1t
aud plunged uadly through the heavy sea,
the high, rolling waves making clear over
her decks and sweeping every portable
TIL away, Al 3 0 clock, the gale still
growing more furious, tore tie sails from
the!r iastenIngs a. if they we're paper
balloons, auj, az the same time, heavy
sea washed the decks from stem TO stern
again, and every small boat was carried
lGto the ocean The vessel then ran under
Dare poles until about four clock, when
she preached to thai l., came to The
wind the mas at he wheel evidently losing
al control OF the heIem. This was the
critical time; the hlgh seas buried the
yeSoei : sail ScBIs trO or three feet under
water. Capt Reunscvliie Immediately
/ selz an axe and went for,ard to eur away
the tuIemast.li order that she vessel might
right ~. After cutt'ng the rigging all
Gear, ne found tGal the mast wUuidp tall
and commenced cutting that; but had rot
I gwen more than ttso OF three blows before
the -cho.Her began 70 90 gradually, and IN
hat minute. al the lowest, the nasts
"erc lying upon the water, the vessel was
+ clear over. At that time the wind was
blowing ike "A hurricane, and roared like
heavy thunder The sea WAS chopping
ugly and dashing IN wildly from all quar>
terS ihg goluE 0veT.snd all, vas so quick
iy done, thai the apiain could not change
his position. TO get att where his wife and
children and most o. his crew were for
as soon a. the masts touched the water Tie
veS-e settled down bodily and he was
washed away from the forcmast After
being IN the water two or three minutes
most of the iiGe under he washed against
the rigging Of .be mainmast, and caught
=
he brought up heavily against the spar
lie got Oh 10 the rigging al the top of the
mast - crawiu. through the ratings and
there found nearly the whole crew and the
CficevS collected ard holding on 10 the
ropes and chains. v hile there be secured
himself with rope, and the first mate did
the same. Here were tweAty or more men
In che rigging. | be vessel righted on
/ Wednesday, auG four of the crew, beside
the Captain, remained upon- her The
Captain ) wife and children persisted in
the cabin during the STERN, and their
bodies We're washed away Everything
edible had also been washed out OF the
vessel. All through the week the CAPTAIN
and bis iour companions chung 10 the wreck
+ Eight days without food or water There
Is hardy such another case 90 record The
testimony Of all j. that the th0ughl # food
scarcr.r entered their minds hut their
burning thIrsf nearly drove them 30 dis
traction Eight day- without a drop of
( ater! il came 10 toe. through this dread
i fnl parchluE. that uaither one could talk.
I Each tongue was swollen, and hung with
out he mouth. Is it touched the roof Of
the mou h. 1t glued there. and -caea of
in large fakes. On Sunday morning, the
frs sa, hat had been in sight since the
oH-,oo ar of 20 be attracted. The little
/ hope tina. was excited suddenly departed
as the whuened sails were lost tn view in
| the distance. But TWO hours later aH0th-
( er vessel came Ia sight, about three miles
/ off, aDG there wa, new hope for the wretch.
ed men, Eut tine VeSsei PASSED on unattract
ed by tho low lines OF the wreck. These
two last sad ol-arpoiufments led 10 the
raising of NgHa! Of distress, and an old
blue coat TaS hal>aed At about clock
In the afternoon another vessel approached
abou- four mi,e, 10 the win iYard, aud be
fore dark the captain Of Sins vessel Capt
OXiey It the shIl IiatWorth, en- route from
China to Londoal discovered the wreck, .
aud By dark had got within 100 ward, of It. /
He got boat out, ana sent ii alongside I
Capt. housewife and his companinn~, were
so weak that they c0uHa not stand and by
I another day at the longest anus; have per
| ished. aud as tue boat came up they slid |
into il he!piessiS and were taken TO the
tlatwurfh. where every attention was paid /
them by the kind hearted EBglishman in
| command. When taken off, two of the /
sali0.s were entirely naked, as they had
been during the whole week. The sun had
ohsteled them, as II had the captain and
others. All were the merpst skeletons |
Oat'"In iNHuH~"N't6- Nap "tlghed utiuie
sbe wreck, 1870 pou ds, has lost nearly
ninety pounds n eIeh5 days Of suffering.
a teaSpooatuI of brandy was given each
one 70 start with, but even this was too
much for their shattered systems, and very
s0oa after reaching the ship oil were un>
conscious, and remained III that state for
two days. On reaching london the sur
vlsor> were removed 20 the Sailor, Home,
~ u ell street, where they met with every
attention. As soon as he was able, Capt
Rounsvliie published card Of thanks TO
Capt OXIey, and took measures to com,
nunlcate his gallant conduct to the Amer
lean Consul, through whom the governs
ment VIII be advised, and viii undoubtedly
H4aAeSome suitable acknowledgement.
T. cTrDrorr, t,onr,r~,r IT,