The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-06
The Wreck of Barque Volunteer.
SUFFERING AND DEATH AT SEA.

SUFFERING AND DEATH AT SEA.
The wreck of barquo Volunteer, Of
Boston, Captain Field which was recent
ly reported lost on the voyage from Nor
folk for Marsaa, foundered at sea on the
evening Of Nov. &c, in lat. 1926 n, Ion. |
52.1l W., in heavy gale. The crew
were on the wreck seventeen days, with
out anything to eat or drink, suffering in-
credible hardships during the weary days
that passed by without bringing succor
to their exhausted bodies, much emaciat-
ed by exposure and the privation Of
food. The cook and one boy died on the
wreck.
During the gale the barque sprang a
leak, and the pumps failing to keep her
free she continued to sink until her upper
decks were even with the water. The
barquo went down so quick that the
crew had barely time to get into the rig
ging where they we're compelled to re-
main all night, os the sea was making n
clean sweep over the decks. Everything
was washed overheard, including boats,
spars, &c. The crew remained in the
rigging forty.eight hours before they
could venture to reach the deck. The
mantopmast was cut away to keep her
from rolling over The first thought on
gaining the deck was to seek for food,
but they soon found that part of the
stern was gone and all the provisions
washed away. There were seven casks
of water and one barrel OF beef slowed
in between decks, but the sea had flowed
in so that they were covered to the depth
of foot. The position of affairs was
disheartcning-no water, nothing to eat
but raw salt beef, and the vessel water
logged. They were soon convinced they
could not live on deck, so they took the
foretopsail and made shelter in the tore
top, where all hands remained most of
tho time until taken off, Some rain fell
' on the fourth, fifth and six days, and by
!, tapping the topmast and sucking the wet
canvas the seamen got little moisture to
assuagc their thirst.
On the sixth day one Of the sailors, q
: colored boy, fell from the fore-yard and
was washed from the wreck a little
more water was obtained on the tenth day
by sucking the canvass. On this day
and on two other occasions, saw vessel:
pass at distance, but being 80 low IL
: the water the distressed mariners could
not be seen, and they endured the mex
pressible sorrow of seeing what nigh
afford them ad pass out Of sight. Or
, the twelfth day the cook died OF starva
i tion. Two days after there was pentl
tul fall of rain and they all enjoyed {
drink. During all these days the barqu'
was gradually washed to pieces. On thu
u sixteenth day more rain fell, but the sur
o vivors were so weak that they failed t.
u avail themselves of it. On the seven
c tecnth day they were finally rescued b,
/, . the Dutch brig Santa Rosa, being 81
l. much reduced that they could not stan
q without some support. They were kindl,
Z received by the captain Of the brig, an
under his care began to improve rapidly
u The crew were landed at Amsterdam
on the 9th Of December, having lost al
, their personal effects. Capt. Field los
u his charts, instruments &e. lie woul
leave for home in a few days. Whe
= the Volunteer was last seen she was
mere wreck, and would probably 60 t
: pieces in the next gale.