, 1870-04-26
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
Burning at Sea OF tho ship Thomns
Erceu1nn-Tctu nud Thundcr-
boYss-A Night OF iEorrors-The Crew
and Officers with the Captains
Wife md Daughter, Rescued iron1
n N.&rribIc Exuir.

!
bola@-A Night OF fiEorrors-Thc Crew
and Officers. with the Captains
wife nnd Daughters, Rescued iron1
n Terrible Fate.
From tAt Nt.r lIort Itrold. -aprl ~
It was the fate Of the slip Thomas Freeman,
a noble craft, built in Dath, Me-, but sailing
from the port Of New Orleans, bound to Cron-
edge in nid-ocean, on the 18th inst, being
struck by lightning. whlch perforated her side
~ II it were constructed OF tissue paper. Tho
horrors OF night on board burning ship
hundreds Of miles from shore, with u hu111-
cane blowing, and nAught else but tho ships
boats 70 Base crew OF twenty-thrce inclua-
ing wife and daughter. may be told feebly in
words, but the anguish and misery Of theit
souls viii never be known. Fottuuately, by |
the kinl hand Of Providence, as they we're |
committing their lives to tho tiny crafts Of |
their vessel, not fully prorisioneL, they were |
sav ed BY tue lrig Omegs, bound from port
in Cubs to New York.
The ThomM Freeman, laden with 1900 |
bales Of cotton, left New Orle1hs bound to
CEonstadt. Russia. on the 9Th Of April. Cap
tain Charles Oven, Of Rath, Me-, wa4 in COM
mond, having his vito and daughter on board
hiA son, Charles r. Owen. first oftcor: James
Amen, second officer, ard Ar, Perkins. third
officer, together With seventeen sesmeu, max
ing in all tHents-thE rcrbons. The voyage |
promised to be delightful one. On tho 9Th !
Inst. anchor Was cast at the Southwest FAss.
and, waiting for favorable weatllcr, remained
there until the 9Th inst, when, with joyous
eongs, anchor was weighed and al ssh bent |
towards the port Of their destination Light /
winds and variable but pleasant weather, en- |
sued until the 18th inst, al on boara mean
while working contentetily and anticipating a
happy termination Of the cruise.
Monday, the 18th inst, when in latitude 81
north. longitude 70 vest, tho wind came out
strong from the south-southeast. and the
weather was very e1uAlly. At o'clock r. m,
-I1L IT, 1f-1i i
ard double reef the topeails, which was done
speedily. Fifteen minutes aftcEward it be-
came terribly dark and threatening in the
ives. most OF the lower sails were then furled.
Half ii, hour later the Wind changed suddenly
to the west-nortlwese, aud it blew petfe:t
hurricane, get under close sail tho vessel was
kept before it and plunged madly through the
heavy seas, tho ligl-rolliug waves making
clear breaches over her decks and sweeping
every portable thing away.
Steering by the wind, as tho compass gava
no directions whAtevcr, but constsntIy whrl-
ing around, and the officers expecting every
minute to be engulfed, another terror
came upon thcm. Thnnderbolts tore tho
hlaekenea ", aud shcet,lightning ever and
in tho afternoon, 6ut the darkness was equal
to night. Flash after Hash came and disap
rearea until. when hoping that their craft
might be spared this Last iu1liction, a brighter
| flash than Ill rent vide the hexyel,s, aud IN III
1t was. critical nomcnt- Rslng from
stunned condition. the officers, yet half crazed,
| Looked about. and found to their Joy that the
| maEts were all standing and the clip, By aI,-
| peazance, wan safe. Obi what Poor cousols-
ton. So Eoon as the crew could command
strength enough, the pump ecnttles we're
| taken oil, and then came the terrible co!lvic-
| tion-as the hold WAS full Of smoke-that the
| ship Was on firet From fore aud aft came tho
smoke, and blapcled cheeks knew that the
l $1to ri frt,Y IL
| deckA from bteni to stern. was nauGbt to the
| foe beneath them--fifo It was nov life or
death-an ca1nest struggle to conquer in the
face Of overwhelming disadvantages.
| Captain Owen left his wife and daughter In
the cabin when his services we're first required
| upon deck, and, until the chip was found to
be On fire, h1d no fears That his vessel would
be wrecked, because he know tho ataunch
craft, Yet when the smoke came ooziuS thinly
and quietly from beneath the beams, and his
worst fears were fully realized, he ordered the
! ehip to head uorth-uorthWesf, TO reach If pos
sible further to tho notthward. At p. N. it
| WAS moderate and clear, hnd in tho lull an e1-
animation was made; but then no perforation
| Of the ship by the lightning could 10 found,
although subsequently it was discovered that
tho "thundar1.oIt " Lai gone through the port
eide and made hole fully two feet square.
The pumps were sounded, but no water u1s
found Al tllis time. an hasches md opening,
we're battened down to keep out tho air and al
BAil made to reach the land.
At 10 p. m. the Wind again ahrieked from tho
north.nonhwess, and tho hope Of the few saals
impellin8 the burning ship tnWarl land was
Ettle while thereafter tho upper deck began to
beat, and tho le.l in the ncuppcle to melt.
Two hours more and the lesuouiac flames
hissed and sent their forkel tongues from ey-
cry part OF the verrel Miss Oven, ayouug
lady OF ~. stood the Ordeal nobly, Wllo the
crew listened respectfully 10 the orders from
theiz EupeHora. smoke al around Binding,
6uf1ocatlng, with tempest raging, aud the
seas DOW and then breaking over N Inflated
sss. sssss ces o1d G9a &c sasd : 10 ~ nas m , a
hands were called to get ready the boats.
THIS was speedily done and all prosisioned-
Courageously all ptepar.tiont were uadc to
lesve the chip, and At o'clock a. NJ. witi the
fnGEttnl expectation Of the fire burning
through tic deck or being swamped by the
turbulent sea, few articles OF ltess and pro-
visions for the ladies' were secured, and little
hard tack for the ncn. Daylight was earnest
Is looked for, and it came At last with in
creased seas. At s a. H., 19tl inst, tho wind
Abated, and aH the deck etil held firmly
against the fire the boats yet remained along
J side, hoping aGainss hope for some favorable
cLsnge.
| 1e given to ''4hore or into the bitter Eea
and tsust TO mc.riful God for protection and
, safety, Captain Owen discovered aau to the
J southwest OF his craft steering noEthwatd. and
Immediately jumped On deck again At the peril
J ct his life and set his ensigns. union down, At
, the peak. and also It the main-mAsthesd At
J halfpast 10 =. NJ, deliverance WAS At band. IL
! the vessel IN sight, eeeing tho signals OF dis.
, t1ese, bore down 70 the burning craft and saved
them. The vessel proved to be the brig Omega,
J from Cicnfuegor, Captain KerT, and yesterday
) evening arrived in this port, her destination
sish the czew and officers, all well, Of the Ill
: fAted elIp.
I One hour after their rescue tho fire, smoul
defing 20 long in ita vengeance, burst throagl
the deck on The port side abaft the min rig
d g1ng, and in the t~inkling Of eye the ship
. foro and att, vas in dauea. The fire cropt n
: tie rigging, and edged its WAY along the mast
stea1thsly md deathly- Thirty-nine hunlre
!; bales Of cotton in fun blaze. sent their wlcke
8 mizxeuuast, then came the fore and uhinmzs
q and then the hull waa ehcet Of flame, and =
y n. m Of the 1ath inst. latitude IS II, long
y tude II o.. the Omega, with their zescue
u crew, failed away get not without regretfr
sieh for the loss Of one Of the bess,shipr adoa
= Captain Jamea Laird, Of the steamship D,
y ! clan, Of the Anchor inc, hence from the Mex
q iteltaneE1, and consigned to Nessrs- HentteI
3 after the .eecue. in latitude 81 q north an
= longitude 10 Is vest, 240 miles southesst {
q Sandy Hook, he ferl In With = burning u1eci
e , BE nm down to her and went around her /
y this bein. At han-past 9p. m-,-and not d.
% covering any one on the wreck steamed Away
10 !. ulust hare been the last Of the ship Tho,ns
: Freeman
= Bath, He., IN 1860 She Was OF oak. xnd ia.
g tened with copper aud irop- Her length O
I, decI vsa 1s7 feet, p feet breadth Of beam,
q feet depth Of hold, and, when loaded, was {
" 1.250 tons, md ehe was owned By Msssz1
{, WilhAm Moses d Sons, OF Bath It is unde
81 etood that the vessel Is msured IN New Tor
2 md Boston, and the cs1go, which belonged I