The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-12-10
Alone on the ocean.


When it was announced in the city this
morning that an American seaman had in
the gale on Tuesday night jumped overheard
from II transatlantic liraT, and after swim
ming foT seven hours, hadrlsnded
Sklbbereen coast, people, qullS prepa
give Americans credit for doing big things
were yet unprepared for such demand on
their eredulity as this. The thing, how
ever was done, and the hero OF it was Capt
Paul Boynton, Of the New Jersey Life
Guards, Atlantic City. This gentleman, q
professional diver Of well-known daring, left
New York about q fortnight ago ip the
National Company's steamer Queen, taking
with him patent swimming costume, It
was Capt. Boynton's Intention, when from
two to three hundred miles distant from
New York, to jump overheard and swim
back, but the commander Of the steamer
was a man of little faith, and vetoed the
experiment. Capt. Boynton had, there
fore, to remain an involuntary passenger
until the vessel approached the Irish coast,
on Tuesday evening, when the commander,
having been repeatedly impottuned, gave
his permission, - s..,ii s,,sa. { y,
Capt. Boynton drew on bis India rubber
air-tight suit and inflated the air-chsHb bers;
IN his air-tight sack he placed food for
three days, compass, o bulps-eye lantern,
some books Gust to beguile the time on the
water), some signal rockets and United
States flag. In his inside pocket he placed
mail that had been given him by the pas
sengers to post; he strapped his bowie-knife
and axe to his side, and grasping his pad
die was lowered into the water, amid the
cheers of the passengers, at hslf-past Or. N.
It was q wild, dark night; be was close to
the Fastnet rock, with Cape Clear three
miles from him, and Baltimore, toward which
he intended to make, was, in direct line,,
seven miles away. He lay, on his back,
padding vigorously, and now the lights Of
the vessel were lost in the night. In q quar-
ter of an hour more his spirit almost quaiIod
when, tossed high on the crest of wave,
be could no longer see the coast line OF any
lights. The wind blew, the rain poured
down, and the tide set dead against him,
He was drifting out to sea, and to add to
the awful Loneliness of his situation, and to
increase the dreadful peril, = violent gale
commenced. That night for many hours
no mail boat crossed the Irish Channel, and
great destruction was done on the coast.
And through these awful hours Of darkness
this man was tossing about at the mercy Of
the waves, some fifteen miles from land.
The wind was so violent that he had to
give over padding, and with one had to
shade his face (the only part Of his body
exposed) from the cutting blast. 5 Once his
paddle was wrenched away by a heavy sea,
but it fortunately came into his hand sgain.
For several seconds wave would completely
submerge HIM, then be would shoot on TO
the crest and take breath before he again
was hurled down q sloplng mass Of water
which seemed one hundred feet to the bot
tom. AS result Of this tossing he became
seasiek, thing, he says, which never hap
pened to him before. His indomitAble
spirit, however, conquered everything, and
about o'clock the wind began to blow di-
rectly on shore lis paddle was piled
vigorously, and at O'elock ON Wendesday
morning ne percelved he was near breakers,
aud iherDck-bOund coast west Of 6kibbe-
reeu loomcd up before him. His danger
now was not less than It was during the
height of the gale, for as a wave would
raise him almost on level with the cliff
tops, he could discern nothing but a threat
ening wall Of rock. He made his way along
lighted upon almost the only safe land
an opening in the cliffs and pro-
II
While hesitatingly examining the entrance
a sea struck him. carving him on another
and another followed in quick succession,
and in almost senseless state, be was
hurled high and dry upon the beach. II
was then four o'clock in the morning, and
he had been nearly seven hours on the
water, iraverslng distance Of forty mica
The apparatus had behaved admirably, and
havine, divaofad h,naaif ~ Il ha afno1
quite dry in his navy uniform, which be
wore benestb. That having been done, he
let of one Of his signal rockets withput
effect; II showed him, however, . narrow
path in the rocks. esf ~
Up this he olambered, and get on to a
mountain road, which brought him 70 the
coa-t-Quard station. He was Hospitality re-
ceiycd there, and discovered that the place
ne l,i,l landed at was Trefaska Blight some
miles east and south of Baltimore. During
the. morning he reached Skibbefoen, end
posted the letters intrusted to him, afFIvink
N Cork on Wednesday night, where be e
nov the bero Of the hour. On Monday
fe infands 70 swim out Of Queenstown haE-
byr some distance. That will be followed,
the seek after, by q little swim acrosS the
Straits of Dover 70 Calais, toWcd By 3 kite.
and, 20 cap all, on BIS return 70 the Gfatee
be intends 70 earfy ont liis original idea 81
Jumping overheard at tHo hundred and
6fty miles from land, and swimming 70
New York Or Long Island. After hia
achievements IN the gale of Tuc6day night
these last named experiments, hfarfling a
they seem e first, cannot Be regarded a.
impossible --8fis York HfraEfe Cort leitsi,