The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-03
PERKS OF THE SEA.
Tie Loss of the ship j. g. De Wolfe and es-
cue of Her officers and Crew.

TIE LCss Of of f ss sI De WGs and Re.-
The following letter giving an account of the
loss of the ship j. s. De Wolfe, on her passage
from Liverpool to Philadelphia, and the rescue
OF her officers and crew, was written by Judge
Piirce, in reply to a letter from gentleman of
New York requesting an account of that
vent
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. IL, 1870.
DEAR SIR:-ln reply to your favor of the 18th
nst respecting the rescue of the officers and
crew of the ship ]. s. De Wolfe, make the fol-
lowing statement
l was passenger on the steamship Wiscon-
sin, which left Liverpool on the Goth of Septem-
Der last for New York. We had favoring
breezes and o smooth sea until Sunday, the I'd
inst, when a westerly wind began to blow,
which soon increased to gale. The sea was
violently agitated and the storm continued for a
week.
On the morning of Wednesday the 5th instant
we discovered ship on our starboard quarter
with the upper portion of her maiumast carried
away and hanging over her side. AS we ap-
preached her she appeared to be laboring in
the sea and showed signs of distress. In a few
minutes she ran up her signals informing us
that she was sinking. By this time the Wiscon-
sin had passed her at the distance of about half
mile from her on our starboard side. Captain
Williams, of the Wisconsin, promptly ordered
he ship to be rounded-to and the boats to be
prepared for launching. He then ran the Wis
consin within hailing diLtance of her and in
qlired why they did not use their boat, which
WIS plainly visible on the deck of the ship, and
was informed that it was stove. The Wisconsin
was then so near to her and the sea was running
so violently that many of the passengers appre-
hended that the two ships would be dashed
against each other.
The Wisconsin then steamed ahead, and,
think, rounded to again to place herself in a
favorable position to enable her boats to reach
the sinking ship. AS soon as one of the boats
was ready to be launched, Mr.. McDermott, the
second officer of the Wisconsin, stepped for
ward and said he would go in her, and asked for
volunteers to accompany him. Six of the crew
OF the Wisconsin at once stepped forward, volun-
teered to go, and prepared themselves for the
duty and peril by taking off their shoes and
was running so violently that it was with diff
Guilty the boat could be launched The Wiscon-
sin rolled as if she were cookie SHE'LL the gun
boats of the quarterback being frequently
stepped in the water. AT length the boat was
successfully got off from the Wisconsin, the
sinking ship at this time being a long distance
astern. With some difficulty passed along the
deck to the stern of the ship, and was holding
on by the railing, watching the boat tossed to
and fro on the billows when suddenly the
Wisconsin shipped q sea asten, and
instantly found myself Oft my feet and strug-
Cling in the water on the deck to hold on to a
part of the rail, which caught In my fall, and
which furnished me with finn grip. The
same wave washed the ships surgeon, Dr.
Bird, against the rudder chains, and seriously
injured his face, and carried the saloon steward
Henry Wood, against something which broke
his leg. Several of the passengers were thrown
down and submerged in it. | was compelled
to withdraw from the deck thoroughly drenched,
and apprehensiye of a repetition of the wave.
By the time was redressed and had returned
to the deck, part OF the of the sinking ship
had been taken on board the Wisconsin, and the
boat had returned to take off the captain and
the remainder of them. / was informed that
this was done by throwing life-buoy with a
rope attached on board the ship, which the men
in turn fastened around them and then jumped
into the eea, and were pulled on board the boat.
In the same manner they were taken on board
the Wisconsin.
The sea was running so violently that it was
impossible to take the boat alongside of either
ship without the danger of her being crushed or
swamped After all, nineteen in number, had
been rescued the boat with much trouble and
great delay was brought alongside of the Wis
consin and successfully swung TO the davits,
and hoisted with her crew on board the ship,
without accident to any one except that the
boatswain, one of the rescuers, fell overheard In
lifting man from the sea into the boat, but
was fortunately got on board again When the
rescuers reached the deck of the Wisconsin they
were received with cheers by the passengers and
crew. The success of the enterprise was nc
doubt due 10 the skill with which the boat was
launched and managed on the waves and
brought again on board IN the midst OF so Vlo
When Captain Spain came on board the Wis
consin he informed us that his ship was the j
8. De Wolfe, thirty-seven days from Liverpool
bound to Philadelphia, ladened with railroad
iron and other merchandise; that on the morn
ing of the day on which we met her the shiI
had lost her mainmast, and had shipped a Sc;
which stove in her deck, partly filed her will
water, and left her ia sinking condition, anC
would probably go down in few hours afte
we left her. He said that he had very little hop
that Captain Williams would send his boat =
their rescue, as the sea was running so Ylolent.
that he did not suppose that he would ASSUME
the responsibility of having men venture thei
lives in the effort to save them. One of his owi
crew was so alarmed at the peril of jumping
into the sea that he said he preferred to stay o.
board the sinking ship; and after the life buo
had been fastened to him, Captain Spain wa
compelled TO push him into the sea to make hiI
The heroism of Officer McDermott aud h
boats crew elected from the passengers th
highest encomiums, and purse was made u