The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-02

of the whaling schooner Susan N Smith, of Bos-
OF the foreign papers have given more than brlei
account of the disaster. Captain JOB 7. ltounse-
ville master OF the vessel, has arrived in this city,
and is now stopping with his brother-in-law, James
l.. Chapman Esq, NO. 251 Asylum avenue. from
terrible occurrence, which is one of the most re-
markabe cases OF shipwreck on record Ine
rHary, 1865, on general whaling voyage in the At
iantic Ocean. She stanch, thorough-buit craft
capable of encountering the toughest weather.
MRS. ROUNsEvILLE AND CHILDREN.
Mrs Rounseville, with her two children, bright
little girl of eight years and promising boy of SIX,
had frequently visited in Hartford, during the alb
sence of her husband, at Mr.. Chapmans, and very
many people upon the hill made her acquaintance
and formed most favorable impression OF her char
acter She was here during last spring. and on the
2Oth Of April left on a vessel belonging to Elisha Y.
Smith n Co., for Barbados where she was to meet
her husband and join him in his voyage. She
reached there on the 18th of May, and that very
day, only two hours after her arrival her husbands
vessel came into port and soon the family was
united. Setting sail from Barbados, with officers
eknd to the number of twenty-four, Mrs Rounse
Nlle and children making twenty-seven persons in
dominique; but nothing of special account trans
pred Gntil the hour OF the dreadful catastrophe
came.
on the 2S.h of August the wind had been blowing
fresh and continued into the night; but 1t was
notRinglike gale of wind At O'clock the next
night so was the tempest that all hands were
called to close reef the sails, which was done
speediy Half an hour later the wind blew perfect
hurricane yet under close sail the vessel was kept
on before it, and plunged madly through the heavy
sea, the hgh-rolling waves making clear over her
decks and sweeping every portable thing away. At
O'Clock the gale, still growing more furious tore the
sails from their fastenngs as If they were paper bal
looms, and, at the same time, heavy sea washed the
decks from stem to stern again, and every small
boat was carried into the ocean, The vessel then
ran under bare poles until about O'Clock, when she
''broached to"-that is, came to the wind-the man
at the wheel evidently losing all control of the helm.
He had been no Obliged to to steer by the wind as the
whatever, but constantly whrled around and
around. This was the critical time Could the
original course have been taken the struggling
vessel might have rode ont the storm in safety but
the fatal turn of the wheel had lost control of
struggle to save in the face OF overwhelming dis
advantages.
THE CAPTAINS EFFORTS.
Captain Rounseve had left his wife and children
in the cabin when first his services were required
upon deck, but he had fear then that the vessel
Storm but had confidence in his vessel and so long
she kept steady with the wind he apprehended
no danger. The 'brOachlng to- was not looked for;
it came suddenly, and then there was desperate
work to do just as soon as this took place the high
sea buried the vessels rail some TWO or three
feet under water Captain Rounseville Immediately
seized axe and went forward to cut away the
foremast, in order that the vessel might right up.
mast would not fall and commenced cutting that,
but had not given more than two or three blows
before the schooner began 10 go over gradually,
and in half a minute, at the longest, the masts
were lying upon the water, the vessel was clear
over At this time the wind was blowing like
hurricane and roares like heavy thunder. The sea
was choppng ugly and dashng in wildly from all
quarters. The going over and all was so quickly
done that the captain could not change his position
to get aft where his wife and children and most of
his crew were; for, as soon as the masts touched
the water, the vessel settled down bodily and he
was washed away from the foremast. After being
in the water two or three minutesmost of the time
under-he washed against the rigging of the main
mast and caught there, getting badly hurt on the
breast as he brought up heavily against the spar
lie got on to the g9ng at the top Of the mast by
nearly the whole crew and the officers collected, and
holding on to ropes and chains. While there he
secured himself with rope, and the first mate did
the same
TWENTY FEET UNDER WATER.
Here were twenty or more men in the rigging
Just the captain and mate had got secured very
heavy sea swept over the Inflated schooner and
buried the mast hfteen or twenty feet under water
Captain Rounseville says that he thinks he was
under water at least minute; he came up strangled
and gasping, and when he could look about him he
found that all were gone except himself and the
mate. Another furious sea swept over and broke
their fastenngs and both went under water. The
captain does not know how long he was buried, but
he never expected to rise again, though his head
struck against something, and he found he was in
the rigging at the end OF the mast, and by cnching
in between the crosstrees he secured himself again.
Here he the maze trying to GET mold of some por
ton OF the rigg'n" hnthc 'oldnt succeed aud the
poor .eifow dropped away and was never seen
MORE MEN DISCOVERED.
Captain Rounesvie also found here one OF the
crew who had been washed away, holding on to the
rigging, and an hour later another man swan up
and got hold of the mast When daylight came two
men were discovered sitting on the vessels bow
These men had been in the forecastle and when the
schooner went over got out, and as the mast broke
secured place TO hold on until the hull partially
righted. At about half past O'Clock OF the
officers came in swimming and got on the deck, but
after speaking few words to those on the bow laid
down and Immediately died from exhaustion. He
had been in the water about three hours and was
naked and chilled. At about the same time one Of
the men found on the mast left and succeeded in
getting on board the vessel, the only portion of
which out of water was part OF the port bow. The
other man in the rigging. was washed away and
drowned
THE CAPTAIN GETS ON BOARD.
Now left alone on the mast, Captain Rounsevlle
found it exceedingly difficult to sustain himself
Every sea that washed the PROSTATE spar buried
him from two to ten feet under water barely giving
him time to catch breath as each rolling wave in
turn covered MIN. SO often were these seas upon
him that three four times minute he was under
water and the waves dashed against him with terri
hc force. At O'Clock in the afternoon the mast
slowed around and the men on the vessel got rome
to him. and by its aid he drawn on board to keop
company with the other survivors there awaiting
their fate
THIRTY HOURS MORE.
Nothing OF specials interest occurred during the
following thirty hours; all this time, through the
dismal watches OF the night, the rescued, but not
help on the coming day. On Monday afternoon
anOtecT 0f the crew swan towards the vessel and
joined the vessel, now five in all He was seen for
two hours before he came up, and was floating on a
cabin door, on which he had been for thirty-siX
hours. All that these men had to hold them was a
inches wide Here they sat, with their feet on the
sides, making fast to each other.
GOING TO THE CABIN.
ON Wednesday, the condition OF the weather and
the vessel was such that the captain was able to
q, 10 the cabin He had hoped that lie might learn
Something OF the fate OF his loved ones and it was
also desirable that something 10 eat drink should
be found, II anything remained, but the cabin had
been washed completely out, and neither tile bodies
were discovered nor could anything be got 60 APP
peace hunger or thirst This was bitter dsapPoint-