Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-01-30
From the n. Y. Sun.

response Were fea0, Wlu you save
our ives9" The steamer then pro-
ceeded to within hailiug distance, and
the captain of the Allan said he had no
rudder, and had seven feet of water in
the hold, which no possible pumping
could reduce. Capt. Perry, of the
Adriatic answered that he would stand
by, and directed the loweringo of . boat.
With much difficulty, owing to rough
sea, q boat was launched from the
steamer, and was manned BY the sec:
ond officer and six men. They pnlled
close to the disabled ship, but found it
impossible to board her, on account of
her rolling and pitching. They went
back to the steamer, and % the wind
was rapidly subsiding, it was thought
best to wait for smoother seas.
About 10 O'Clock . second boat left
the steamer, the third officer in charge.
This succeeded in getting alongside the
Allan, and took of nine of her crew.
About the same time the only remain
ing boat of the Allan was successfully
lowered, and eleven men embarked in
it, leaving no person on board the
ship. When the twenty persons had
all safely reached the decks of the Ad-
riatic, the Allan was left to her fate.
She was twenty-three years old, of
about 900 tons burtheo, and belonged
to Messrs: Rankin & Gilmer, of Glas-
gov, Scotland. She left Bathurst laden
with deals and ballast, in the early
part of November. In q heavy gale her
rudder was lost, and she commenced to
leak. For three weeks she drifted in this
condition, the men working night and
day at the pumps. Five steamers were
sighted, none of which paid any atten-
tion to her signals of distress. Her
bulwarka, galleys, long boat-every-
thing on deck, in fact-were gone, and
the waves dashed over her continuously.
To tighten her, the anchors and chains
were dropped. 1t was impossible to
open the hatchways and throw out the
cargo; owing to the constant washings
of heavy seas. While drifting helpless
" before the wind, Capt. Locke caused
to lie rigged three jury rudderr, and
resorted to every other expedient which
his necessities suggested, but il vain,
and finally it became certain that the
ship, although not Immediately liable
to sink, owing to her cargo of lumber,
would go to pieces and swamp AZ soon
as the lumber was foated in
her hold by the rapidly running
water. First Officer Williams, of tho
Adriatic, reports that the crew of the
Allen, after they had been rescued and
properly cared for two or three days,
refused to lerd a hand in the working
of the steamer. giving rs an excuse that
they had no change Of clothing i'm case
they got wet. As the weather was dry
at the time, the Adriatic officers did
not think the excuse . good one,. and
they in consequence put the ungrateful
sailors upon short allowance Of grub.
The Allan's boatswain, carpenter, and
sail maker were named ~ exceptions,
aud they have the credit of making
themselves useful during the latter
part of the voyage. A subscription
was raised among the saloon passen-
gers for the berefit Of Capt. Locke,
which will enable him to reach his
home. The other officers and the men
have not yet determined what they will
do with themselves.
The following is the story Of Capt.
Locke of the Allan:
All went we'll till the 25th of Novem-
ber, when in heavy gale from north
east, with fearful cross sea running,
we lost the rudder, causing the ship 70
fall of in the trough of the sea, filing
her decks with water, Carrying away eli
her lee bulwarks, rails, &C., and burst
ing open all the water ways and cover.
ing boards, causing the ship to leal
faster than all hands, could pump out.
On the 28th of November, the gales
moderating, W. tried to steer the ship
with the main cable, but failed. On
the 3Oth We made = rudder with 4
mainyard, and it answered very
we'll until the night of Decem.
ber l, when, in a heavy gale from the
southeast, she split it, shipped . sea,
washed galley overheard, broke the
long boat in two, and gutted both
sides of the forecastle, 30 that all hands
had to live in the poop, with one watch
constantly at the pumps twelve hours
to keep the water down ~ much "a
possible, in the hope of living on hel
till We could be taken of. On the 5th
of December the ship was settling %
low in the water that We jettisoned the
anchors, cables and cabin cargo to
tighten her. On the 9Th the gale being
more moderate, We tried to steer the
ship with hawsers, but failed. On the
9Th we made another rudder of the
spanker-boom and deals, but broke it
in getting it in place. The men res
cued and taken off by the White Star
steamship Adriatic, II. H. Perry, COM
mander, to whom for the saving of oul
lives and kindness no tongue can ex.
press my gratitude.