Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-14
a Lost Shin.

One OF those shocking csamities, such as are
read OF in "Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea-
took place on the English coast du ring the great
gale of November q and a. An emigrant
snip. the Royal Adelaide, had sailed from Lon
don just before bound for Sydney Australia.
Her passengers consisted chiefly OF families,
Including many women and Young children.
These people were OF the better class of arti-
sans and agricultural laborers, were going to
Australia to find permanent homes there, and
9sd All their little property on board the chip.
sailed out OF the Thames. The wind began to
blow on the east coast of England with tre-
mendous force on Saturday, November .. The
loyal Adelaide was caught by the gale in West
Bay, near Weymouth, on sunday. As often
happens in that Beighb0rhood, the wind and
rain were accompanied by dense gray mist.
made determined efforts to keep away from the
coast. Nothing, however. could resist the fury
Of the storm. and on Sunday, late at night, the
unfortunate ship was lsnd-lOcked and driving
Straight on shore. She fired guns and tn rev up
blue lights, and thus the coast guard and fish
eTmen, whose huts fringe the bay, knew OF her
approach. Rockets were sent mp at Portland
and ether signals were made. with the object
since IL was inevitable that the vessel must go
a. hore-of showing her crew the most suitable
place to beach her. The Royal Adelaide was,
every effort, she struck the ground about mid
night Directly after. she pitched broadside on
the beach, and began to roll fearfully, back
ward and forward, with the tremendous waves.
on shore. some of the coast guard kept burn
ing red and blre lights, so that they and the
crew might see to work, while others pre- pared
the rocket apparatus to shoot q line across the
doomed vessel. Before this could be done,
some intrepid fishermen contrived to get a rope
to her stern, where it was made fast. and. amid
intense excitement some sort of cradle was
crew ashore. Meanwhile, a rocket was thrown
right across the wreck anit ships, and a similar
cradle was attached to that. These things we're
not done too soon, for gigantic seas were every
minute striking the vessel frightful blows, and
covering her from stem to stern with foam and
spray. Everything that could be torn away was
swept from her decks; Some Of the people
who trusted to their hands, we're wrenched
from their hold as the doomed ship
rolled and pitched in the boiling sea.
Amid the red glare of the fires, which lit up the
mist and the white rushing waves. the brave
sailors bent to the task Of sending the women
and children safe to the shore. This was ex-
uemely difficult, because it was necessary to
watch chance, in each case, between the rolls
Of the ship from one side to the other. Tho
work went manfully on, however. and. In most
instances, with success. But there were some
beartrendering exceptions. woman, with her
child, WAS put in the cradle, and the little one
wasswept by the sea from its mothers arms.
Two men trusted themselves to q rope, as the
ship swung shoreward, dropping with the hope
OF swimming through the surf. Both were
drowned. So was another poor woman with a
baby, who refused to leave the vessel.
The Royal Adelaide was now fast going to
pieces: and toward the end there was an Incl
dent, beautiful and touching, even amid so
many acts of terror and of heroism. a sailor
was the last 10 leave the wreck, and he carried
with HIM, dashed to his back a little boy. He
reached the shore in safety, and his charge was
at once in the arms of the fshermen's wives,
who were awaiting him. The noble tar there
upon insisted upon returning to the vessel to
save those who still remained. Some poor
souls. paralyzed with fright, had refused to
trust themselves to the cradle, and this man
now pro to go and bring them as he had
brought the boy. The coast-guards men actu-
ally prevented his going by force; and the event
showed that they were right For, long before
lie could have got back again, vast sea came
roaring in rom the maiu far overlapping all
that had preceded it, and completely engul6ng
the fased ship with its Niagara of waters: and
when it fell back again, the Royal Adelaide was
.rnAnr