Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-26
A LOST SHIP.
gers-Sad Scenes and
EncfdeRts.
FROM the New York Times, Dec. l2tn.


One of those shocking calamities,
such as are read Of in "Shipwrecks and
Disasters at Sea-" took place on The
English coast during the great gale of
November % and "A. An ernigrant
ship, the Royal ADELAIDE, had sailed
from London Just before, hound for
Sydney, Australia. Her passengers
consisted chiefly of families, including
many women and young children
These people were of the better class Of
artisans and agricultural laborers, were
going to Australia to find permanent
homes there, and had all their little
property on board the ship. Some had
never seen salt water before they sailed
out OF the Thames. The wind began
to blow on the east coast of England
with tremendous force on Saturday,
November %. The Royal ADELAIDE
was caught by the gale in West Bay,
near Weymouth, on Sunday. As often
happens in that Deighborhood, the
wind and rain were accompanied by a
dense gray mist. The Captain was
well aware Of his danger, and made
determined efforts to keep away from
the coast, Nothing, however, could re-
sist the fury of the storm. and on Sum
day, late at night, the unfortunate ship
was land-locked and driving straight
on shore. She fired guns and threw
up blue lights. and thus the eoast-guard
and fishermen, whose huts fringe the
bay, knew of her approach. Rockets
were sent up at Portland, and other
signals were made with the object
since it was inevitable that the vessel
must so ashoTe-Of showing her crew
the most suitable place to beach her,
The Royal ADELAIDE was, however, be-
yond human control, and, despite
every effort, she struck the ground
about midnight. Directly after, she
pitched broadside on the beach, and
began to roll fearfully, backward and
forward, with the tremendous waves.
On shore, some of the coast guard
kept burning red and blue lights, so
that they and the crew might see to
work, while others prepared the rocket
apparatus to shoot a line across the
doomed vessel. Before this could Re
done, some intrepid fishermen contriv-
ed to get rope to her stern, where it
was made fast, and, amidst intense ex-
element, some sort of. cradle was
slung, with the hope of getting pas
sengers and crew ashore. Meanwhile,
a rocket was thrown right across the
wreck amidships, aud similar cradle
was attached to that. These things
were not done too soon, for gigantic
seas were every minute striking the
vessel frightful blows, and covering her
from stem to stern with fSam and
spray. Everything that could be torn
away was swept from her decks. Some
of the people on board were securely
lashed, but others, who trusted to their
hands, were wrenched from their hold,
as the ship rolled and pitched into 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 ofseuding the women
and children safe to the shore. This
was extremely difficult, because it was
necessary to watch a chance in each
case, between the rolls of the ship from
one side to the other. The sTork went
manfully on, however, and, in most in-
stances, with success. But there were
some heartrending exceptions. A wo-
man, with her child, was put in the
cradle, and the little one was swept
by the sea- from its mothers arms. Two
men trusted themselves to rope, ;ls
the ship swung shoreward, dropping
with the hope of swimming through
the surf. Both were drowned. So was
another poor woman with baby who
refused to leave the vessel.
The Royal Adelaide was now fast GO
ing to pieces; and toward the end there
was an incident, beautiful and touch
ing, even amid so many acts of terror
and heroism. A sailor WAS the last to
leave the wreck, and he carried with
him, lashed to his back, little boy
He reached the shore in safety, and his
charge was at once in the arms of the
fishermen's wives, who were awaiting
him. The noble tar thereupon insisted
upon returning to the vessel to save
those who still remained. Some poor
souls, paralyzed with fright, had refus-
ed to trust themselves to the cradle,
and this man proposed now TO go on
and bring them as he had brought the
boy. The coast guardsmen actually
prevented his going by force; and the
event showed that they were right
For, long before he could have got back
again, a vast sea came roaring in from
the main, far overtopping all that had
preceded it, and completely enguling
the fated ship with its Niagara of wa
tiers; and when 1t fell back again. the
Royal ADELAIDE was seen no more.