The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-11-25
Struggling with tic Ocean.
SCIENCE AND NER Z CONQUER TIL
WAVES AND WIND ON THE IRISH COAST

When it was announced in the
city this morning that an American
seaman had iu The gale Of Tuesday
night jumped overheard from a
transatlantic steamer, and, after
swimming for seven hours, had land.
ed on the skibbereen coast, people,
while quite prepared to give Ameri
cans credit for dung big thugs, were
yet unprepared for such demand
on their crcdulity as this. The
thing, however, was done, and the
hero of it was Capt. Paul Boyton, Of
the New Jersey Lifegnards, A:lantio
Cioy. This gentleman, profes
sloual diver of wcll-known daring,
Left New York about u fortnight ago
in the National Company Steamer,
Queen, taking with him pateut
swimming costume. 1t was Capt.
Boytun's intention when from two to
three hundred miles distant from
New York to jump overheard and
swim back, but the comm lnder of the
steamer Was man of little faith, and
vetoed the experiment.. Capt Boy
ton had, therefore, to remain all iu.
voluntary passenger until the vessel
approached the Irish coast, on Tues.
day evening, when the comm. nder,
having been repeatedly importunel =,
gave his permission. Capt Boytou
drew Oh his India rubber air-tight
s'it and Inflated the air chambers
in his air.,igbt sack he placed food
Tor three opys, compass, bulbs
eye lantern, some books d .st to be.
guile the time on the water), some
signal rockets, and United States
flag. lu his inside pocket he plac
Il mail which the passengers hau
gwen him to post; he strapped
his Bowie knife aud axe to his side,
aud, graspng his paddle, was lower
ed into tue Tee, amid the cheers oi
the, Passengers, ut hulf.past 8 y. III
L. was wild, dark nj shr, he was
close to the Fastuet rock, with Capr
Clear three miles from him, ami
B"lt more, toward which he Intended
~ maku, was in direct lae seven
milo, away. lie lay vu his b..h,
paduiing vigorously, aud now the
lights .. the vessel were lost in nish.
L. Il quarter of an hour re his
spirit almost q"uiled, when, to.sc.i
high Oh the crest If wave he conl!
no logger bee the coast llne or al,
lights. Tno wind olew, the rain
puure;! down, aud the tile set Il :.d
against hlm.
ile Was drifting ouc t. sea, and, t"
add u the Awtu. io.eun - Of 'hi
situation and to increase the drcai-
fui peril, IL violent gale commenced.
That n'gh for many hours 10 mail
boat crossed the Irish Channel, aud
great destruction was done on the
coast. Ant through these awful
hours of darkness he was t,s,ina
about at tho mercy Of the waves
some fifteen miles from land The
wind was 80 vio,ent that ho had t..
give over padding, and With one
hand to shade his face (the only par.
of his body expossd) from the cut,
ting blast. Once his paddle was
wreached away by heavy sea, but
it fortunately came into his hand
again. For several seconds wave
would completely submerge him,
then he would shoot on to the crest
and take breath before be again
was hurled down sloping MASS of
water which seemed 100 feet to the
bottom. Asa result Of this to,sirg he
became seasick, a thing, he says,
which never happened to him before.
His indomitab.e spirit, however,
conquered everything, and about one
O'Clock tho wind began to blow di.
roctly on shore, the paddle was piled
vigorously, and at two o'clock Oh
Wednesday morning ho perceived he
was near breakers, and the rocl
bound coast Of sk,bbert on loomed up
before him. His danger now was n
less than it was during tho height oI
tho gale, for a wave would raise him
almost on level with the clif.tops
he could discern nothing but a threat.
ening wall Of rock. He made his
way along parallel to the coast, and
fortuuately lighted upon almost the
only safe landing place for ten miles
around. He saw an opening in the
cliffs and propelled himself cautious
ly toward it. While hositatingly ex
aiming tho entrance q sea strucl
him, carrying him on another and
another followed in lick succession
and, in an almost senseloss state, h'
WIS hurled high and dry upon tn
beach. 1t was then four O'Clock i,
tho mOrning, aud ho had boon nearl,
stven hours on the water, traversin
q distance Of 80 miles. Tho apparat
us had bohaVol admirably, and hav
ing divostol himself Of it he stoo'
quito dry in his navy uniform, whicl
he wore 6ehoath. That having Doe,
done, no lot off ono Of his signal rock
-. aka Without affaat Il ahnwad hin,