The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-12-14

been prepared, and wo trust TO send 1t
adrift shortly, as we'll as using two life
buoys for the same purpose.
June 29.-Oommenced building large
barracks; abandoned ship; all hands
encamped on shore. ! have, etc, etc,
ARTHUR THRUPP, Captain.
p. S.--0th of July, 1s7l.-Encamped
at st. Paups, The divers have been at
work ever since the 9th of June they
could not get into the magazine, but
have recovered from the fore part of the
ship a great quantity of the cargo. In
one day they got up three coils of rope,
four wooden casks, twelve bales, two
rolls of lead, two tubes. fourteen casks of
oil, eleven casks of tar. This was the
most recovered in any one day. Some
of the wet bales contained hammocks.
Others canvas, flags, stockings, serge and
duck; these are all being opened, dried,
and sewn up in canvas. Nearly all the
marine clothing packed up in casks
could not be got at before the ship
grounded they are nearly all wet and
not fit for issue. Gases of mess traps
have been opened, oiled, and repacked,
more or less damaged. Ths new sails
for the Clio, Blanche, and Rosario, had
hoped to save from being used at all I;
but the weather is so cold, and the
Megera's sails so thin and worn, the
men getting wet at night, that L reluc-
family gave permission for these new
sails to be used to cover stores and tents,
with orders not to cut any of them but
1 am afraid they will get very much
damaged from exposure to tho weather.
1t is question of health or saving
of sails; / think the former most
important. Every bit of canvas, ex-
cept new in bolts, has been used to shell
ter men and officers. Probably they
will be h ere for many months. The
| thermometer is below forty-eight de-
grees at night, and the weather wet and
stormy. A leading stoker got wet in
his tent last night, and is suffering acute
! ly from rheumatism others have had
diarrhpa, and some slight attacks of
dysentery among the officers; but there
are only eight on the sick list at pres
ent, owing to the great care of the med
ical men attending, inspecting, and see
ing tents are kept clean and dry.
On Thursday, the 9th of July, large
old building, containing stores and cam
dies, was blown down by the violence of
the wind. The meu inside escaped with
out injury, crawling out from among
the ruins it was built of loose stones.
The same day 1 had to recall the
working party from the ship, because
the bar was so cold. Many of the roads
have been repaved and pieces of ground
leveled ready for building. One or two
small houses of stone have been erected,
as we'll as those for the officers. Parties
of men and officers are fishing in boats,
and fish caught are served out by the
ships steward, one pound to each man
as far as they will go. From 100 to $50
pounds are caught oy this means every
day. Still, having been here now three
weeks, and not having been able to
send word of our want of provisions, l
have thought it advisable to reduce the
allowance of provisions. The men have
now only four ounces of biscuit. half a
pound of salt or pre- served meat, half an
allowance of tea every other day, quar-
ter allowance only of sugar. Lime
juice, without sugar, is served up every
other day. No flour issued at ali but
having plenty of ocoa, they have that
instead of their tea every ~ther night.
| hc Luch ClOtuto very
from the hard work they have had, car
rying water barricoes, digging, cutting
turf, rolling casks, working in muJ
over their boots o. shoes. l have order.
ed canvas legsings to be made to save
their trowsers. The boats require con.
slant repair one cutter, a very old boat
is so damaged that she cannot be repair
ed. A great number of bottles, weight.
ed with lead, with tin flag above the
cork, containing an account of our posi-.
tion, have been thrown overheard from
our life-boat some miles out to sea, as
we'll us life buoy and barrlcoe; more
bottles are ready, and will be sent from
time to time.
A second tank has been strengthened
to use as boiler, another sunk below
high water mark for condensing, and an
additional quantity of piping laid down
by the engineers. The men are elso em
ployed in cutting, drying, and stacking
turf.
The blacksmiths are constantly EN-
ployed repairing spades nearly all VIZ
had have been broken. Our work il
much delayed by the few picks ant
spades we have.
IdTLleb nave DtGu oeuI OuJ 10 COlleC
different grasses: with herbs, dande
lions, and other substitutes for ordinary
vegetables that can be found, to preven
the men from suffering from scurvy, a
there is very little lime-juice left. They
have succeeded in cooking some tolera
BILE vegetables. The weather has beer
very cold indeed-below 40 degrees
with snow lying on the ground at th'
signal-station continued hail in squall
for nearly week, accompanied by wild
stormy weather. During the baC
weather very few fish have been caught
The crew remained On the island
looking anxiously for sail, until Jul.
l6, month after they had sighted land
when vessel was reported in sight.
proved to be the Aurora, a Dutch ship
and life boat, with Lieutenant Jone
on board, was sent to communicate witt
her. The life-boat returned, leaving
Lieutenant Jones on the Aurora, anC
brought word that the Aurora woulC
take 20 men. The Aurora, however
disappeared in the night, but Lieuten
ant Jones, on reaching land, sent yes
sci to the relief OF the Meg@ra's ill
fated crew.
A Man with Watch.Key in His Lungs
mi TT M 4