The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-10-15

~ Ss Us Il ~ -
THE;HoRRoRs OF THE DEEP
A SHOCKING sIGHT-DIsCovERY OF A
WRECKED VESSEL AT sEA-sKELToNs
FOUND ON BoARD-EvIDENcEs OF sTAR-
vATIoN-A LETTER FROM THE CAPTAIN.
Mr.. James Dugan, who arrived in New
York from, Sidney, Cape Breton, on Thurs
day last, gives the following account Of a
wrecked brig, which the schooner Lancaster
Gin which Mr.. Dugan was passenger came
up with and boarded, on Thursday, the 10Th
of September.
On the night of the 18th ult, a strong
head wind prevailed. At different periods
the Captains attention was drawn to g
mysterious object, now off the port and now
off the starboard bow. The look-outs were
continually reporting the black hull that
kept in sight all the time, until the Captain
gave his opinion that The OBJ bject'seen ahead
was dismasted and deserted vessel. The
schooner Lancaster was bound tn Sydney,
Cape Breton, from Charlottetown, Prince
Edwards Island, with a cargo Of produce,
and the.wind increased so stongly before
daybreak that the Captain was compelled to
order q large deck load to BE thrown over.
board, to lighton the vessel. Just after
dawn tue unknown object hove in sight
again; but none Of those on watch could dis
tinctly make utwhat it was. The Captain,
however, satisfied himself that was an aban-
doned vessel trang eight bells, aud the
steward announced breakfast ready. While
at breakfast, the second mate, Mr.. Prior,
hurried into the cabin. and addressing hin!
self to the Captain, said "There's au sbah-
doneded hull adrift of the starboard quarter;
her spars are gone, and she looks To- have
been q brig or brigantine.% Soon after Cap
tain Martain went on deck, the hull Of large
craft was plainly diseernable off the starboatd
quarter, about two points TO the Northward.
That the dismasted vessel had been deserted
there was no question, as the heavy mast
was being tossed about like a log. The
Captain gave orders to. bear away for the
wreck, and at midday the schooner Lancas-
ter was broadside to the abandoned vessel.
It was we'll shaped, strongly-buik hull, but
the bulwarks and stanchions had been badly
dealt with by the elements, and the whole
was much weatlier-beaten. s3AElz
At one bell, or half an hour after noon,
the wind had so subsided as to admit of the
lowering of boat, in which Capt. Martin, Of
the Lancaster, aud Mr.. Rutledge, the mate,
(Mr. Prior second mate, renaing in charge
of the schooner, two seamen and Mr., James
Dugan put out for the wreck. On boarding
it, a dismal sight presented ITSELF Splintered
spass, entangsed in canvas, and rigging gear.
and tie niaiks 81 q bsas -
wind and sea, were scattered around in sad
confusion. More dismal stiIl were the scenes
which further investig gatlou arnught to light,
Below heap of motley rigging, broken BY
the weight Of spar which lay across it, were
the bones of a human being-a skeleton.--
The skull and ribs had been crushed almost
on level with the deck. Shrcds of canvas
trousers and Guernsey frock were found
among and near the bones. Further search
revealed FIVE other skeletons A slight cor-
oring of crispcd flesh remained on four of the
skeletons, showing that they had died more
recently than the other two. Many Of the
utensils of the galley were found, and Cap
tain Martin made strict search among
them to assure himself whether thero had
been any food on board at the time of the
death of these men. Not single remaining
pot or vessel of any nature in the cooking
department of the ill-fatcd craft contained
the least particle of food. This discovery
seemed to satisfy the Captain that all on
board had perished from hunger, having
failed, after months Of eager expectation
and short allowance, to meet any helping
hand. The spectacle on board the drcary
hull was at least appalling. The
hardy sailors themselves seemed to sicken at
the revolving disclosure, and an omnious 81
lence seemed to have been spontaneously de-
on by the living ones who stood
among the skeletons of the drifting hull. It
was nscertained that the vessel had been
rugged brig. The hull bore no name on
her sternpost. On the bowsprit the word
"Glenalvon" was barely legible. In the
forecastle, which was almost filed with wa
ter, a most unearthly light was discovered, and
only two men could be found to enter and
remain long enough inside to report what
they had seen there. There were two corpses
On the floor and one stretched across "bunk."
These sad relics were removed on deck, and
the nine bodies were arranged in line and
covered in canvas by the Captains order.
The wheel house had been carried away,
and the fastenings Of the rudder broken.
This, as the Captain remarked, was tho
work of some tremendous sea- The FORE
most mast had been cut away to save the
vessel from found dering-one Of the eItrem-
est emergencies in hurricane at sea. The
jibboom was gone, and the entire craft, as
she then appeared, was the most complete
wreck Captain Martain had seen or heard Of
in his nautical experience Of nearly forty
years.
Entering the cabin, foul odor was dis
covered, but not intense enough to forbid o
thorough investigation Toward the end Of
the steps leading down the cabin fetid pool
of wotnr vas seep and tho mon had tn wade