Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-30

THE LONELY MAN OF THE OCEAN.


The steamship Moses Taylor, recently
arrived in San Francisco. from Honolulu.
having among her passengers Captain
Lnder Hopken, of the American brig
Shelehoff, which was wrecked during the
oyclone on July Sd last. The story of
the wreck aud the terrible suffsrings Of
the C.ptsin, the sole survivor of the dis
asrer, ia of pecuiar interest.
On the 23d Of June last the Shelehoff, a
brig, ll3 tons, WAS dispatched bv Messrs.
Gildemei-ter. Muecke 81 Co. from San
Francisco. bound to Callao, with a cargo
of abont 200.000 feet of lumber, valued at
about ~ 600. Her crew and passengers
numbered In all ! Velve. She had rough
voyage down, and on the night OF the ID
of July was caught in a cyclone. For
tunately the steamship Moses Taylor, on
her downward trip from San Francisco
to Honolulu, encountered heavy weather,
ran off her course for several hundred
miles. and at 0 o'clock on the morning of
the 18Th of October, in latitude 20 de-
grees 40 minutes north, longitude 14S de-
grees 90 minutes west, a sail was discov-
cred by the wheelman on the steamer.
The vessel, which proved to be the Shele-
hoff, lay directly in the steamers track,
and appeared to be disabled, having but
one mast standing, and only her lower
topsail set, running before fresh south
east wind. On approaching her it proved
to be brig, waterlogged, with her main
mast carried away, apparently deserted,
no persons appearing in sight on board.
A sail spread over the forecastle and a
tent rugged in the foretop crosstree show
ed that the crew had occupied these
places for some time. At every lurch the
sea
MADE AICLEAN BREACH
over the vesrel from stem to stern. To
all Appearances it was a wreck which had
long been water logged, and her crew TAX
en- off by some passing vessel. Her stern
was broken a way. the bulwarks on both
sides gone, and her sails flying from the
foremost in rags. On reaching the wreck
the steamer stopped, and Captain Bennett
sent off boat to ascertain whether any
persons were on board, and if none,
whether any record could be found re-
speeting her. The sea being quite rough,
THE BRIG LURcHED HEAVILY,
and the boat approached her with some
diff ,ulty. She was boarded, however, by
the third fiji ser and seaman from the
steamer, who Immediately went aloft into
the foretop. and finding no one went into
the foreosstle, where they discovered a
weak, emaciated man, who exclaimed as
he saw them. "Great God Almighty, am
saved p He was lifted into the boat
and to the STEINER, the only article
brought with him being a small canvas
bag containing a nautical almanac, and q
vial inclosing sheet of paper. with the
date of the wreck and names of the crew
and passengers.
The survivor was Captain Luder Hop
ken, the last Of twelve persons on board
at the time of the disaster. The brig was
caught in a cyclone on the night of the
Sd July-the same date as the solar
eolipae. Soon after midnight. when the
cyelene was at its height, she was thrown
on her beam ends. and found TO be rapid
ly filing, and in order to prevent totsl
loss OF the vessel and her company, tb-
mainmsst was cut away and she rishted
up.
NO TIME WAS ALLOWED
to ave any provisions or clothing from
the cabin, and the crew were obliged 10
retreat 10 the foretop to prevent being
washed overheard, az every wave made =
clean breach over her. The mate, Mr.
Johnson, died fr-t, six days after the di'-
barrel Of tongues, and a box of Chin
starch were f-hed out of the hold. hut the
drinking water was all found TO be brack
ish. The salmon, topgues, starch and n
few in osu1ht with hook from time to
time. and occasionally little rain water
o,upht in sail and always more or les-
br.cki-h from the sAlr spray, were all
that the ships con p, my had to subsist on.
THE sUFFERINGs OF THE CREW.
Captain HSuken's account of the snff.r-
inRs of bis men and passengers VS. ,
most be-rtrer ding owe. After the death
of the mate. on the Oh of July, none oc'
CURED till September 9, when theg began
to become delirious and weak from hum
ger md thirst, and several died or jump
ed overheard in their d4lirium. Bois and
disease, induced by hunger and salt wa
ter, added to the intensity of their suffer
ings. r.< lss , q,
A pEADLY DIsArPoINTMENT
Nine or ten DAYS before the steamer
re-oued him, Captain Hopken states that
q bark ran down to the wreck. hove to for
few minutes, and then squared away
without sending off u boat or making any
effort to T. snue the lives of those on hoard
of whom there were eight then living
The bark came an pear that persons could
be seen moviux about on her deck. Those
on The brig we're 40 ues k IA TO be unable
to stand, but got on their knees and wsv-
ed pieces Of ssifrtsth, hoping to attract
attention. Their feelings "a tbey-saw the
bark square away when 50 near them may
be better mapined ,than described The
bark displayed no flag, and all that Capt
Hopken can recollect Of Der appearance
was that she had a new bright span ker
set. -
STRUGGLES FOR LIFE.
Soon after the disaster occurred Capt.
II. set the foressil and jib, the only sails
used, and rugged the rudder 80 "a TO steer
the wreck from the foretop. This WAS
accomplished by running the rudder
ropes through block aft. and then car
ryipg them forward to the foretop. In
this way the briggs course was shaped to-
wards the Hawaiian Islands tolerahly
correct, without compass or chart. The
accident occurred in N. lat. 10 and III
w. long. about $50 miles southwest OF
Cape Luoss. The wreck wss fallen in
with in N. lat. 90 40, w. long. 14S 90,
about 400 miles northeast of Hawaii,
showing that they had run nearly 2,g00
miles in 100 days.
HOW 1T OCCURRED.
AS above stated the brig started from
San Francisco June 22d With 200 600 feet
of lumber on board. The deck load was
swept off by heavy sea, 5000 after she
became water logged, and portion Of
the lumber in the hold worked out Of the
stern which was carried awsy. What
remains is probably rendered worthless
by the worms. The foremost is loose and
will be carried away in the first gale; 60
that the vessel and cargo may be set down
IS total loss.
TOO MUCH PRAISE
cannot be given to Captain Bennett, Of
the Moses Taylor, for sending a boat from
the steamer to examine the wreck, which
to all appearance was abandoned, and
when nine ont of ten shipmastors uouI6