Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-01-06

south under topsails. AS the two vessels
gradually neared each other a
THICK COLUMN OF smoke
was seen to ascend from the deck Of the
A. b. Wyman, whose captain, bearing the
same name as the ship, afterwards stated
had been allowed to escape to attract at
tentiQn. 1t was, indeed, a melancholy
signal, but dangerous as it was, it ap-
peared to be the only one feasible for the
purpose. And 50 the two ships came close
together. Loud above the monotouous
roar of the rolling sea came forth.the shrill
and earnest cry,
MY SHIPS ON FIEE!
It was tie despairing appeal of the
captain OF the Wyman, and who could
heartlessly turn deaf ear to such call !?
Captain Lachere did not, a: all events
and quickly bore down upon the burning
ship. He cav the top of her mainroYal
mast had broken of and hanging down.
bu} with that exception 10 other eVide noes
OF damage Wero apparent. And yet TO
the eye Of tho !oaman there were pres mt
ed marked end decided tokens tho last
visible symptoms Cf The poor
SAILORS FoBLoKN HorE
tho lifeboa's - for they were suspended
from the davitS, filed with provisions, and
ready to be launched with human freight
amid ocean, aud in a raging sen. When
the Charles hove tn, boat waS pu: off
from the a. Il. Wyman with the mate and
two men, wiin though tossed about, moved
bTiskly over.
Come over aud see the ship, Fir. " sung
out the mate; "tho captain wants yen
The boat came aionEtidC the Charles.
and with q pluck that merits commcnda
tion, Captain LGcheie promptly respond
ed to the snmr1Ons and crossed ever to
the burning ship The object in asking
Captain Iachete on h.ard the (. p. Wy
man was doubtless to reveal to him t;e
true and terrible state of affairs. Cap
tain Lachero states that on coming close
to the starboard side OF the vcfsel the heat
was oppressive, while thick volumes of
smoke were ooHinG out through the seam
Captain Vymau welcomed his timely and
noble-henrted guest with ali the Cordiality
which the occasion permitted, and quickly
explained the condition Of the vessel.
The situation was dreadful TO contemplate.
The crew, IN imminent danger, were
naturally excited, while the cargo Of cot
ton, valued ct over $500, 900. was about
to become a more terrible foe than the
fercest hurricane that ever ragged. Capt.
Wyman stated that in the midst of dread
full storm two nights before the mainroyal
masthead had been
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING,
that the electric fluid had gone through
the coat of the mainmast and passed down
into the hold. At the time the casualty
but little notice was taken Of it,
and it was not until the smoke began to
ascend that the thought of fire suggested
itself. The captain of the ship immedi-
ately gave orders to make everything air
tight below, stuffing up all places of ven
I Ilofi nd oh
to reach the land in time or meet some
friendly vessel on the way. She had been
two days and nights in this condition
when she was sighted by Captain Rachere.
Arrived on board, after some difficulty,
that gentleman found everything very
much heated the cabin suffocating, and
the crew ready to take to the boats as the
last resort. The fire was raging in the
lower tween decks. Having tried her
main pumps. he discovered that the water
III the tanks, which contained over ten
thousand gallons, was almost boiling
" hot enough" said the captain yesterday,
" to boil an egg" Captain Lachere readi-
ly surmised that the ship must be full of
fire, and considering it unsafe to remain
much longer on board. generously invited
Captain Wyman and his crew to the
Charles. Thinking perhaps that there
was yet time to get something off the float
ing cauidron, Captain Wyman inquired
whether he should bring some provisions,
but Captain Lachere, deeming it
DANGEROUS TO OPEN ANY DOORS
before leaving the ship, declined the offer.
and taking only q few sails end ropes pre-
pared to quit the ship for over. Mean
while. crew of the Charles, consisting Of
Randolph Schultz, second mate, Edward
William Jasper and Cornelius
Glow, seamen, put forth in yawl to the
rescue of those of their brethren on the
A. 3. Wyman. There was heavy swell
at tho time, and the terribly suffocating
heat from the vessel rendered the expert
ment exceedingly difficult. Having ex-
amined everything, Captain Lachere, after
two hou-s' stay, prepared TO leave the ship.
But
The LAST SCENE
was frightful to behold. Tho ship lay
rocking on the deep, enveloped in a huge
cloud of smoke, and every instant a con-
hagration was anticipated. The entire
crew OF fourteen men having been taken
off, Captain Wyman went forward, and in
presence of Captain Lachorc and three of
his men, opened the main hatch. Out
belched the flames with a roar as if exult-
ing in freedom, and the work of confagra-
tion was begun. 1t was now
A RUSH FOR LIFE,
and hurrying down the sides of the Ill
starred ship the last batch of human beings
on board cleared her with rapid strokes.
1t was well 6hey did so. The bales of
cotton partly released, burned with terrible
rapidity. The smoke had full vent, and
in about ten minutes. after the last boat
left the A. Is. Wyman, the fire had ex-
tended TO every portion of her. The
cracking of the burning timbers, the fury
and noise of the confsgration and the
splashing of spars in the water, as they
tumbled down in quick succession, are
stated to have been something terrible. -
Tho two vessels were not more than
couple of cables length apart, and just so
soon as the rescued party scrambled on
board the Charles, that gallant ship
squared Eaway to the westward, the wind
being about southwest, aud the distance
from New York about nine hundred mlies.
1t was, perhaps, one of the baPp1est
voyages ever made by como of them, for II
ever there wss hairbreadth escape whose
terrors may be recalled with wonder, tins
was one of them. Captain Wyman and
his crew returned their grateful thanks TO
Captain IIachere, and most worthily did