The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-12-26
Another Victim of the Missouri,

Richard Smith. the fireman of the Inflated
Missouri, arrived at New York Saturday in the
steamship Columbia from Havana. He tells the
following story of his escape from the burning
ship, and his subsequent sutferings while drift
ing about upon the ocean for seven days with
out food or water:
When the fire in the ship had got beyond con-
troll the captain gave orders to stop the engines
and launch the boats. Smith jumped into
boat containing nine men, and nearly filled with
water. After drifting about for fifteen or tWen-
ty.nnutes they saw another boat, the occupants
of which gave them bucket. Smith and his
companions attempted TO bail their boat but
the sea ran so high that il was impossible TO
empty it. They kept rowing until or O'Clock
in the morning, and then saw another boat,
bottom up, with two men clinging to it. Smith
swan to the capsZed boat for the purpose OF
rightlng her. One of the men that was clinging
to her took Smiths place in the other boat. 1t
was dark, and the two boats soon drifted out of
sight of each other, leaving Smith and one
Stewart alone on the capsized boat. While
clnging to the boats keel the sea dashing over
them, they heard the wild screams of the
women and children who were still in the
burning ship, until the masts tottered and fell
and the vessel went down beneath the waves.
Smith and Stewart finally succeeded in righting
their boat, and dashed the oars across it to pre-
vent it again capszng. The boat was still full
of water and was washed from stem to stern
by every sea. Smith prayed to God to save
them, and while he was praying wave dash
ed over him. filling his eyes. mouth and nose
full of salt water almost binding him.
SURROUNDED BY SHARKS.
At daybreak they made paddles of the boats
seats, and padded all day. The sharks follow
ed the boat constantly, and Smith frequently
hit them with his paddle. On the third day
they succeeded in bailing the boat and then
made sail out of canvas from a life-preserver.
They had not morsel of food or Il drop of
,unfn and fhair RIM asriIl IN
the third night, while Smith was sitting at one
end of the boat. he was startled by voice cry
ing ''Help! hep!' 1t was the voice of his COM
panion. who had fallen into the ocean. Smith
jumped into the water and saved him. He was
lust in time. A shark had seen Stewart and
darted at the boat with OPEN Jaws just as Smith
drew him out of the water The shark remain
ed all night alongside of the boat. Smith drove
it away several times with his paddle, but the
hdeouS monster always returned. and the boat
was soon surrounded by huge sharks that SEEM
ed to be waiting for their prey. Stewart was
very much excited. He fell round Smiths
neck dozen times and thanked him for having
saved his life. He said he was not afraid to die,
but did not want to die 50 horrible IA death.
This night seemed an age.
SAIL! SAL!
At davbreak they saw a sail. They rowed
toward the ship, they shouted and sgnaed;
but it was all in vain; nobody could hear them,
outlines of the ship became fainter and fainter
their hearts sank and they gave up all hopes of
being saved. Smith says he felt no hunger,
although he had not tasted food for four days.
He prayed constantly for sight OF land. He
forgot the cold the binding spray, the thirst
the hunger. in that one thought. He would
look for land till his eyes became weary and
he could look no longer. At last 4 rain storm
came and the two men caught enough of fresh
water to moisten their parched lips The re-
1atf, ft,n,
torrents and the wind increased to a gale, I'M
til clouds and waves seemed to be one mass of
dashng foam. Still they were thankful for the
few drops OF water they caught on then lips, for
had II notsbeen for the storm they would prob
ably have died of thirst.
Seven days and nights of intense suffering
passed away. and on the morning of the eighth
day they caught sight of land. They embraced
each other and shed tears Of JOY. They had
struck on reef about Il mile and half from
Abaco. 1t was 3 O'Clock in the morning. At
o'clock they climbed the rocks. 1t was Il
wild, lonely spot. and there were no signs Of
vegetation. Smith crawled on his hands and
feet looking for something to eat. He found
some spider crabs and few prickly pears. He
ate some of the crabs, the first food he had
tasted for eight days. He took the pears to
Stewart, "Never in my life has anything tast-
ed to me so sweet" said Stewart. after he had
thought they We're delicious. 4 dozen of these
prickly pears lasted them three days. They
bull themselves small hut out of one oar and
a mass of weeds which Smith had found among
the rocks.
THE DEATH OF STEWART
Stewart had suffered terribly from hunger |
lie said, 81 know l shall starye TO death. |
have been saved from the sharks to die of
starvation" At night he raved. The hunger
had driven him to madness. lie ravcd about
his family, his wife. and his children, and
Rugged Smith to his heart in the belief that he
was his son. One night they were sleeping to-
gether in their tent, and all of sudden Stew
arts breath seemed to cease. Smith felt his
his pulse had stopped. Smith felt his friends
BODY again. 1t was cold. Smith quit the tent
and sat on the rocks all night. He could not
sleep in the tent with the corpse of his friend.
The next morning he dragged the body to the
rocks and covered it with sand and seaweed.
Smith spent fifteen days on the rocks. On the
sixteenth day schooner hove in sight He
made Il signal out of stewards rantaO0nS.
Twenty-four hours passed before the signal was
seen by any one on board Of the approaching
vessel. Meantime Smith, weak from suffering,
had sunk back upon the rocks, unable to move.
Suddenly he heard a voice; it seemed to him al
most like dream. "TIere is a man.. the voice
said, "bu don't know whether he is dead or
alive Smith heard another voice: 'No,
Captain, this man is not dead I see him move"
The words revived him. He jumped up and
tainted INTO the arms of the captain and the
mate, who took him on board the schooner.
Remarkable Engineering.