Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-09-25
A ATRAGEDY OF THE SEA.
The story Of a Mero's Death


The London Daily Telegraph, in its
issue of September 9Th, says: Noble as
is the tale Of the Birkenhead, it finds its
parallel in the account of the death OF
Paul Elson, English pilot, in charge OF
the ship Rothesay. On the 29th of July,
this vessel. which had three days before
east off the Calcutta tug and steamed
safely out Of the horrible jungles and
swamps of the Sunderbunds, was caught
by cyclone. On the Both she lay a
wreck, all hope Of saving her long past.
Then the pilot, Paul Elson, the one man
who seems to have had his wits about
him, collected few volunteers and
rugged raft. Thirteen only Of the crew
got on her; the rest were frantic with
terror-some praying, others drunk,
others raving others lashed inextricably
to the sinking vessel. Elson was the
last to leave the ship. Leaping over
board, he swan to the raft, cut the haw-
ser that held her, and constituted himself
by inherent right her sole officer. Within
an hour the doomed vessel heeled,
lurched heavily, and went down head
first. All that day and all night the raft
dr;ftad baauv saae hrea hing ovar har
wv 49, ae' =. onr nacLs n svo,er o,n sayo
,ho 80 w." nbo 3 - tailo tba tals = sfnr ~
aoa,ad eh I loo N 4 II tba, n;Sbt naMvartba ave-
Iaas EIeon wbo mos !, nowarfrI sw; NJ mar
swan sS9, % ronn5 and ronnd The raft iasb;ng
her together and strengthening her as
best he conld. Ever and anon the furious
breakers washed man off. And then
H. baart hnt ,ba s;reng,b of o;an;
s.s;La S ON, toward him and carry tbe
5rown;ng wrstch hack Rut At lost Il
Saonn onnaran, ,bo, ,ba rort n,nat .ha
SroLan nppand that . second and
smalIar raa nast ba constrnc,ad 10 70.
I;a',o ~. n,ba,. trb;s too III n;lot af
cso,oS ai,no.t s;nala'bsn5ed INC larga
roft % soataJ | awav INTO the n;obt. EIsen
and three other men took 10 the smaller
wb;ls i su' ou the Ss other drifted i awev1 @ na,
i've Son Poul Elson's ! servant of whom
%;,Sarto %,I ~ II The m;dst of ali 5;s ,srr;hia
,,n;I T ~ w. trasa 49, @ n;Iot had navar 80 Once NJ, ios, @
s;gbt G fHa Lent nasr HIM. he % tenJeJ
I'm 90 q nnotber wonld tend her child.
ba asvo him onr las, sunnlv of dr;nka,
hia yoter Tho vessei had spnk IN tba
9atb nf Jnlv. II WAS now The 9d of An.
gnst Tho raft was drift;nu under a
saT% as;r = tron;coi snne for three davs tbera
had been M food no water. worse than
tb;s tho fra;I snr,nort itself began N
SsnI t, s- ~, nand spwf;,nr,;ng ahous
IasvH 0nrf f PanI EIson became mucb ex-
bo',staJ E a. : The and of course conId NOT
ha for oa Fitst one of the men was
wosbeS Uv awavr and then another untiI
E1san EaonsI h;mself go and ,be scotcbman Who
toIIs E tbe storv were The sole survivors
I p;1ot' w said So the Narrative rms
.na n ns. Sgbt Il tbronchT s0b Fraserr
NJ nswareJ Z he T csnf bold ont any longer
I" Then n beavv sea broke
80 ord trocked him ofF found
!. aPUn ,,oss;hie cS % to hang IN and was forced
~ ~ i,n Int pE;O H;1, ro Ana 60 he storv ends
Tbo NJ ~ bodv IF pilot Elson worn ont by
he % ;ncsssant Iabors fIoats away into tbe
nreat nrS Jesn there to lie till the sea shall
e;uo : cay nm Tef \. dead For hour after honr
give UP Abo NSoN' " NONA "tsSA nCNi