New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-11-23
Three Months ON "a vvreCk-A
Marvellous Escape.


On the 22d of June last, the American BRIG
Shelehof, 2l3 tuns, was dispatched bv Messrs1'
Gildemeister, Mpecke IL Co., from this mort To
Callao, with cargo Of about 200, coo feet of
lumber, valued at about So OCO. Her crew,
| and passengers numbered in all IL She had
rough voyage down, and on the night of the
| sd OF July was caught in q cyclone. For
tunately the steamship Moses Taylor. on her
downward trip from this city to Honolulu. en-
countered heavy weather, run off her course
Tor several hundred miles, aud at 9 O'clock on
the morning of the l9th of October. in latitude
20 deg. 40 min. north, longitude I4S deg. So
min. west, fell in with and boarded the wreck
OF the brig, and found one man. the cantain
alive on the forcastle deck in an exhausted con
dition. All others, crew and passengers, had
cleo from starvation. The captain. who had
oeen man of 206 pounds, when discovered IN
! the torecastle of his wrecked shin weighed Iess
than 10 pounds. The sufFerngs he endured
Tor over three months cannot be told be
literally subsisted on his own fat. as he had
nothing to eat. His proyidential rescue came
at the last moment, for it is believed it was his
intention to end his sulferings the same day by
taking vitriol and ink
From the Hawaiian Gazette, of October d. we
CLEAN the following particulars Of the disaster
On Thursday, October 49, at A. NJ, a sail
was discovered by the wheelman on the steamer
Moses Taylor. The vessel Law 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
sast wind Tn approaching her it proved to
be brig, apparently deserted, no nersons an
pearing in sight on board. A sail spread over
the forecastie, and a tent rugged in the foretop
cross-trees, showed that the crew had occupied
these places for some time AT every lnrcb
the sea made clean breach over the vessel
from stem TO stern. To all appearances it was
wreck which had long been water.logged.
and her crew taken off by some passing vessel.
Her stern was broken away. the bulwarks on
both sides gone, and her sails flying from the
foremaSt III rags
On reaching the wreck the steamer stopped,
and Captain Bennett sent Of a boat to ascer-
tain whether any persons were on board. and
whether any record could be found respecting
her. The sea being quite rough the brig
iurched heavily, and the boat approached her
With some difficulty. She was boarded. how
ever, by the third officer and seaman from
the steamer, who Immediately went aloft into
the foretop, and finding no one. went into the
toreeastle, where they discovered weak, ema-
Grated man, who exclaimed, as he saw them
Great God Almighty am | saved ?' He
was lifted into the boat and taken 10 tb,
steamer, the only article brought with him
| being small! canvas bag containing q nauti-
| cal almanac, and vial inclosing a sheet of
paper, with the date OF the wreck and names of
the crew and passengers. 1t proved to be the
American brig SheehOf, two hundred and thir-
teen tons register, of San Francisco, bound TO
Ca'lao with cargo of lumber. The survivor
was captain Luder HopkeU, the last OF twelve
persons at the time of the disaster.
The brig was caught in cycIone on the
night of JAY ,, the same date of the solar
ecllpse. Soon after midnight when the CIV
clone was at its height, she was thrown on her
oeam, ends, and found to be rapidly filling. and
In order TO prevent total loss of the vessel and
her company, her maintopmas was cut away.
and she righted up. No time was allowed 10
save any provisions or clothing from the cabin.
ana the crew were obliged to retreat to the very
toretop to prevent being washed overheard.
The mate, Mr. johnson. died first. six davs
alter the disaster. Two half barrels of salmon.
hait-barrel of tongues, and box of China
starcn were hshed up out of the hold, but the
drinking water was all found to be brackish
Inc salmon, tongues, starch, and a few fish
caught with q hook from time to time. and Oc
caslonally little rain-water caught in sail.
and always little more or less brackish from
the salt spray, were all that the ships company
had to subsst on.
Capt. hopken's account of the suiferings OF
his men and passengers is q most heart-rendinr
one. After the death of the mate. on the 9th OF
July, none occurred till September 6. when
they began to become delirious and weak from
hunger and thirst and several died or jumped
overheard IN their delirium Boils and disease
induced by hunger and salt water, aided to the
intensity of their sufferings. Nine or ten DAYS
before the steamer rescued him, Capt. Hopken
states that bark ran down to the wreck, hove
to Tor a lew minutes, then squared away with
out sending off boat or making any effort to
rnEcun Of fHn5a e, L..
there were eight then living. The bark came
80 near that persons could be seen moving about
on her deck. Those on the brig were so weak
as TO be unable to stand, but got on their knees
and waved pieces of sailcloth hoping to attract
attention. Their feelings, as they saw the
bark square away when so near them. may bet
ter be imagined than described. Their last
hope being gone, they lay down. and one after
another died or leaped overheard. The bark
displayed no flag and all that Capt. Hopken
can recollect of her appearance was that she
had new, bright spanker set.