Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-26
A TALE OF THE SEA-
a Manlac Captain Sete Fire TO his
Cunpowder Laden ship.

p fG1He0C Zap tatV SCtS FIG ~ ttt~ /
CunpoWder Laden ship.
Bravery, Humanity, and atracu- |
Ions Escape Of tho Crew.
The Eden, ship Of over fivs hun
dred tons burden, sailed from London |
on the 18th Of October last bound Tor |
Valparaiso. She was loaded with one !
hundred and fifty tons of gunpowder,
and-following the statement OF the |
crew, as given in the Liverpool 1aliy
Post-with O general cargo, IN which
a quantity of matches conveniently
figured. The ship was making gooG
passage, and all was going well till she
had been about twenty days out, when
symptoms OF insanity began to appear
in the conduct of the captain. The
SYMPTOMS rapidly increased in inten-
sity. and presently manifested them
selves in an exceedingly nn-nistakable
manner. At midnight on the 9TH OF
the present mouth the crew, sleeping
in their berths, were aroused by shout
ing and shutting of feet, and rushing
on deck they found their captain with
loaded firearms in his hand, 6ostlcuia-
ting. raving, and threatening to shoot
the watch. This was not pleasant
situation, to be at sea with q captain
prone to turn out OF his cabin IN the
dead of the night with loaded pistols,
and an evident reckiessness as to where
their contents might go. But the salf>
ors seemed 10 have taken the matter
very coolly. and soothing the maoman
IN their kind but very clumsy manner,
they induced him to turn in again, he
promising, like child who had been
naughty, to Ego to eep" and not
rooEe anv fresh Disturbance
Half an hour passed away, the ship
meanwhile pursuing her course over
the darkened sea. and the sailors all
asleep again save the watch. Sudden
IL there was another alarm, and the
crew crowded again On deck to
| fiud sight more startling even than
| that of q mad man armed with loaded
pistols. The captain had. in accord
| ance with his promise, gone down into
| his cabin and fastened his door, but SO
far from "going to Sleep he had set
the place on fire, and looking down
| through the sky-lght, the Mortified
| crew could see the fumes through the
| lurid cloud of smoke that filled the
room. With 80 tons of g1lnpowder
in the hold the case was plainly one
that demanded instant treatment. The
! cabin door was shut, and SO the men
dashed in the skylignt and tried to get
| down that. But this course was found
to be impracticable, and the second
mate and the carpenter volunteered to
go down, break open the cabin door,
and secure the rlhd man, who, still
| armed to the teeth, was pacing ,ound
the cabin uttering shouts OF glec. Tho
Two men succeeded in breaking down
the door, and the second mate enter
ing was shot in the head by the cap
tain, and retreated, followed by the
carpenter. The flames were spreading
with rapidity which presently led to
the discovery that the captain hal
carefully prepared for the fearful
scene by soaking parts Of the vessel in
paraf1ine oil. When the sailors learned
this they gave up all hope Ct saving
the sh p, and q move was made for the
boats.
As the long boat was swung round
ready to drop from the davits the In
furiate captain, having now added q
bayonet to hia armory,, appeared on
the deck, and seeing the preparations
and stabbed another in the shoulder
with a bayonet. A sailor, p cking W
a handsplke, sInote down the mad
, man's arm, and the rest rushing upon
! him he was overpoweredan and dlsarmed
The crew then got into tle boat, ano
, rowing round to the stern imploreG
the captain TO leap over and join them
But he was not going to leave spec
taclc which lie had prepared with such
, forethought and trouble, AID waving
the boat away he continued To walk NJ
,, and down the deck, above which tht
,, flames we're already beginning TO leap
Should they leave him TO the fate M
! ! had designed for them and gloried il
for himself? He WAS & violent maniac
perhaps best out o. the way, and
moreover, the gentle, wind that drvv.
the almost deserted ship through tn,
| waves WIS slowly hut surely blowing
sheets Of fire over the hold III whici
were slowed one hundred and fit,
tons of gunpowder and the couvenien
"Guantity OF matches" It WAS :, Sit
. uatiOn IL which ,nen might we'll hes!
. tate, ana it scena from the story. tina
at first the doubt WAS decided agalns
the captain. and the boat s crew turnc,
! their back upon the ship, tlriftin!
= toward the Line" with It's fearful
cargo and its solitary p eseeug-r.
But on second thoughts the sailor
Il decided. as IS the general habit o
IIUSIStl EhliOTS. 10 40 the tnlnS ana
WAS right and manly, at whatever cost
and 50 they pulled buck, got the raw
ing !nadman safely into the boat, ant
rowed away III time TO view frCn
/ safe distance the sudden up si,ywars
t; of the good ship Eden by the expIo
l sion of one hundred and fifty tons o
d gunpowder. At Gaybreak the boat ha,
: the good fortune to be sighted by th
j Scarborough, bound for Bahai, and al
0 wero gotten safely on board. Th
! captain of the Eden, being still ravin
t mad, was put in irons, where he re
I manned for four days, after whjc
l. period he '.got an anchor loose" an,
e running to the side of the vessel leap
:. ed overheard, and, weighted by hi
t irons, went straight down into the Sc
: and never mole was seen. AS for tn
crew, they went to Bahai, whenc
g they were sent home in one of tn
!, Pacific Company's boats, and arrivin,
!, in Liverpool on Wednesday were com
;, fortably housed iii the Sailors Home