Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-03


gress. But for this circumstance tn
Gen. Grant would have sunk tina
night and none lived 10 tell the story
"The mizzen-mast remained un
hurt outside the cavern, and all hand
gathered on the after cabin out o
danger from the shower of stone ant
broken spars, to await the dawn. l
was useless to attempt launching tn,
boats in the dark and we prayed tina
the good craft might hold togethe
till morning. The captain all tn,
while was encouraging the timid anC
exhorting the idle. Hour after houl
passed in anxious suspense-the mast.
chatting restlessly above, the seams
opening below with every sea, anC
the hull gradually settling.
"At last the first streaks of daylight
warned us to set about launching the
boats. A spar and tackle were rugged
over the stern, and one of the quarter
boats launched with infinite care. A
crew of three was put in her, and
ordered to pull outside the cave anc
seek a landing place on the coast
The heavy sea forbade this attempt
and the boat, by some misunderstand-
ing, anchored with a kedge a short
distance outside of the cave. In
about twenty minutes a second boat
was got into the water with eight
men, under charge of the mate.
1T was intended to put the women
and children aboard of her, but only
one, the stewardess, could he induced
to make the attempt. Shewas thrown
overheard with a rope about heI
waist, and kept on the surface till the
boat picked her up. This boat then
joined the first outside.
Meanwhile the ship was sinking,
and the long-boat was made ready to
float off the deck. The scene at the
moment was one of such utter mis-
cry as few men ever see, and fewer
still survive to tell of. Every sea
washed over the stern and swept the
deck.
"The Iong-boat was crammed with
all who could gain foothold. 1t was
partly filled with water, and several
poor creatures lying in the bilge were
crowded down and drowned before
she was clear of the ship. Women
clinging to their children, and crazy
men to their gold, were seen washing
to and fro as the water invaded the
upper deck.
lone wretch saw his wife and two
children driven by him in this way
withoutmaking an effort to save them,
while the last man who got aboard
nearly lost his life trying to persuade
the mother to be saved without her
children.
"At about seven o'clock the long
boat hoated clear of the deck, and
before we had got fifty yards away
from her the General Grant sank.
All left on board were lost. The last
we saw was the captain in the mizzen
topmast cross-trees waving his hand
kerchief. From the first moment of
danger to the last of his life he had
devoted himself to the task of saving
his passengers and crew. He made
no effort to leave the ship, and his
last act, with death staring him in
the face, was to make a sign of an
couragement and adieu to those who
have a chance forlife.
SUFFERING OF THE SURVIVORS.
mot more than five minutes after,
the long-boat suddenly capsiZed, and
/ found myself struggling in thewater
for my life. Diving underneath the
struggling crowd, l SWAN as far as /
could under water, and on coming to
the surface found myself free to make
nv way to the other boats. Only
three out of forty odd were able to
reach them. The rest struggled few
moments, and all was over. We now
found ourselves fifteen in number, in
two boats, three in one and twelve i'll
the other.
1--WE first equalized the crews. We
then held a council as to our future
course, and decided topull under the lee
of Disappointment Island, which lay
about six miles off, and wait for The
weather to moderate. Our provisions
were a few tins of preserved meats
and some salt pork, in the mates
boat.
''But we had no water. We had a
hard pull of it. The wind was ahead
with heavy sea. We lost sight of
each other many times, and it took US
more than twelve hours to row the
distance. We lay off Disappointment
all night, and next morning IN trying
to land capsized the mates boat; but
all succeeded in reaching the shore.
There we found water, and caught
two albatrosses, which we could not
cook or eat. We had lost all our pro-
visions but one piece of pork and
nine tins of meat. On opening the
tins we found it impossible to retain
the contents of our stOmachs. We
then decided to pull over to the main
island again; but after several hours
of useless labor had to put back and
lie under the lee of Disappointment
again all night.
ON SHORE.
"Our sufferings from cold, hunger
and thirst during these two days and
nights were indescribable. McClel-
lan's despair became so discouraging
to his crew that he was shifted to the
mates boat. By pulling all the next
day we succeeded in reaching a safe
haven in a bay we afterward called
North Harbor, ON the main island of
Auckland. We found no landing
place that night; but the next morn
ing we pulled to the northeast part of
the harbor and discovered one at a
place called Sarah's Bosom.
"Our first care was to build fire.
Tier had six matches. Brushwood
and fuel were gathered and the result
watched with anxious eyes. The first
match ignited but went out immedi-
ately. OF the next four the heads fell
off useless. This was the most critical
moment of our lives. If that last
match failed, starvation and perhaps
eannibalism were TO be our lot. The
men were already talking of the prob
ability of having to cast lots for a
victim. Being the smallest of the
party, determined to keep out of the
way until the question had been de-
cided.
81 stole unperceived away and hid
among the rocks, with a trembling
heart, until the welcome sight of
smoke relieved me of anxiety. The
last match had been nursed with the
most desperate care, and the fire was
started. This fire was never allowed
to go out during the eighteen months
of our stay.
MUsGRAvE's HUT.
= ''Most of us had heard of
Musgrave's wreck, and we all knew
that he had left hut, and we believed
a stock of provisions and implements.
On the 23d of May picked crew of
six was sent in search of this hut.
They returned unsuccessful after ten
days, and found us so emaciated by
dysentery that they did not know one
from the other. They recommended
H.. III l.. l.