The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-11-11
SAVED FROM THE SEA-
Exciting Adventure of a Young
+ ~ MidshiDman.

deaG seems hardly 8 greater miracle
than that in some cases it should
give up its alive. Stories of escape
from angry waves upon desolate
coasts have filed chapter after chap
ter of works offiction, and the pow
er and immensity of the ocean have
made it the chosen symbol of the
cruelty and relentlessness of fate.
One would scarcely expect that at.
ter the exhaustion of the .imagina-
ton of writer's ike Captain Maryatt
and Victor Hugo that it was reserv'
ed for plain matter of fact to unraY-
Eel the invention of the novelist and
yet there is at present stopping at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in this city,
a young man whose adventures and
escapes pass to the very verge of
the marvellous. Like so many other
instances of human peril, own set
ting of romance. The first vessel
that ever entered q Chinese port was
the Seabird, when in 1854 the gates
of the Far East were first opened to
Western commerce. She was COM
manded by an Ohioan named P. HI.
De Vol. Originally of French de-
scents he was himself, thoroughly an
American in physique, nervous en-
ergy, love OF, adventure. and self re-
lance in the moment of danger. In
statue, he was six and a half feet.
He had left in his home in what was
then the far West. O. young wife, and
a baby boy about one year old. His
own exploits in the Orient added
not, a little to the credit of his coun-
trymen in that part Of the globe. In
asmuch as they relate only Indirect
ly to the matter in hand, they should
be rapidly sketched. Attracting the
attention of the King of Siam he
was placed in command of an expe-
1ition, his son relates, against the
Japanese pirates who infested the
coast, and in reward for several de-
cisive victories he was made the re-
cipient of distinguished marks of the
royal favor. among them being the
gift of white elephant. Not long
afterward he, led another expeditions
against the pirates, and this time
drove them out of Siamese waters.
He was again encountered with q
Gift of the same kind, and, what he
deemed, of much greater value, a
privilege to enter the mountain, re-
gion of Siam to mine for gold. On
his way thither he died of . jungle
fever. ........,t ..,x
His strange fortunes in the East
had their effect on his son. Nothing
but a life of adventure would satisfy
his boyish spirit, and at the earliest
age possible his mother, by aid Of
friends, secured him an appoint
ment in the United States Naval
School at Annapolis. He graduated
with honor, and last August, after a
brief vacation, he was ordered to re-
port for duty at Queenstown. Upon
his arrival there he was ordered to
report at Nice, where the American
in European waters was
then lying. At Nice he was ordered
on board the frigate Omaha, which
was transferred to Queenstown.
About the goth of September, while
less than two days sail from South
a violent storm arose, and
dufing its continuance, he was or
dered to convey an order to the of
fcer stationed on the BRIDGE AS
he was going forward a huge sea
came over the side, and the frigate,
With its monstrous burden lurched
heavily to leeward. The taffrail was
low, and being between masts, the
young midshipman was hurled with
the wash over the side. The officer.
on the bridge saw him and done. all
he could to save him, He seized a
large cork life-buoy and hurled it
with all his strength toward the
county where the young man was
with the waves, To the
buoy was fixed a line about ten yards
long, and as the buoy passed over
him beyond his reach this line fell
across his back.
~ He caught the end. and while. the
vessel drove helplessiy on,
iH the storm, he drew the buoy to
him and placed 1t over his head. He
" as now safe for the moment, but
he says that death itself would have
been a pleasing sensation compared
to his feelings, as he saw the Omaha
behfud SUCCESSIVE hills Of
angry waters. His knowledge Of
seamanship told him at once thattno
captain would dare to put his vessel
about or attempt to lower a boat in
the violent wind and sea- that weres
raging faa 1no aoqD sssft4 14a8n8ssG r,
E'In little while,''' he reiatess 'FT
could only see the mastssaand cord
age. whipping against the sky and L.
gave up all hope. / tried to. swim
toward it instinctively, though l.
knew it was OF no use,i and that my
only, hope was to- outride the lsquall
on my buoy, if possible, and be
picked up after floating a few hours.'
The violence of the storm did not
last, as he estimates. but two or
three hours. although it seemed days
to him. but no vessels s.cane near
enough to diseover-him. .The-watery
stirred from beneath by the wind y
was cold, and he began to grow
numb and weak. Fortunately, the
cork life, preseryers which atllrst was
so loose that he had ssome difficulty
in keeping it in its place under his
arms, began to tighten as the cork
sRelled with the moisture. Sabse-
qnently ii held itself we'll in place.
It was about A. o'clock when he was
washed overheard. At midnight he
had grown very weak and his limbs
were very numb. of '''.ss a--.a
''Asthe darkness beganto gather,''
he narrates, = felt that I would have
to drown. Before this / knew that
my chances were desperate, but some
how wliiIelit was light I had hope. !.
ThenI began to pray iIdon'tknowl
how long a time eIapsed. At times