The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-12-30
Perils of the Ocean.


Correspondence of the London Times.
Shortly after midnight Of the 18th
inst, as the White Star United States
mail steamship Baltic, which left New
York on the 18th inst, was under steam
and canvas, and going at about fourteen
knots an hour, the attention OF the ON
GERS OH watch was attracted by what ap-
peared to them to be the masthead light
of steamer some miles off. The proper
lookout was kept, and on passing the
light at some five miles to the starboard
of the Baltic, the officers to whom have
before referred observed the absence of
the regulation lights which are hoisted
by steamers at night when on a voyage.
They at once communicated with Cap
tain Gleadell, the commander of their
ship, who, thinking that something was
wrong, gave orders that his course should
be altered in the direction of the light.
AS the Baltic approached the object for
which she was now making it became
evident to all on board that the strange
sight was caused by blazing tar-barrel
on hull to which only one mast re-
NAMED attached. We had two hundred
and forty-three passengers and crew OF
considerably over one hundred hands on
board and / need hardly say that great
was the excitement among us. The
night was fine but very heavy sea was
running. Nearly every one was on deck,
as our engines were stopped at within a
quarter of mile of the wreck. Captain
Gleadell, with his officers, was on the
bridge, and he gave the order for Mr.:
Irving, the chief officer, to man one OF
the boats and proceed to the floating hull,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
there was any one on board of it. The
half hour during which the boat was
away was to us a time Of the deepest
anxiety and interest. Mr.. Irving and
his crew worked CALAMITY through the
great Atlantic waves, and did so, it need
scarcely be observed, at imminent peril
TO their own lives. Happily they re-
turned safely with the captain OF the
crew of the Oriental, for this the wreck
proved to be. She was sailing vessel OF
some one thousand eight hundred tons
burden, and had sailed from London to
st. John, N. B., about three weeks be-
fore. On the 10th of November she
sprapg aleak and gradually becoming
waterlogged, she settled on her port beam
ends during the forenoon of the lTth
inst. On that day the captain got out
his four boats. One OF them was
swamped, though without loss OF life
and another, with ten men, by some
means got parted from her companions,
which remained about the wreck until
IL was reached by the boat Of the Baltic
When Brought on board the Baltic, the
CAPTAIN Of the Oriental had no knOwl'
edge of the position of his boat with the
ten men; but Captain Gleadell being Of
opinion that there was still hope Of res
cuinp these seamen, resolved to move
about gently until daylight.
By between four and FIVE o'clock a. m.
the tar barrel to which / have before
referred communicated its flames to
number of others and to all the infiam
mable material of the chip, and awful,
grand was the sight of the huge fire, ris
ing as it were, from the depths Of TIT
ocean and illuminating the vast wave
for many miles around.
All through the small hours Of tn
morning Captain Glesdell caused blu
rockets to be sent up from the deck
the Aaltic. These were 5. EN- by the crev
of the missing boat, and at seven a. M
we saw them few miles of, and ha'
the pleasure of taking them on boar
: very soon after. Their boat was hoiste'
! on board also, and after delay OF abou
: eight hours from the time the Baltic ha
. steamed toward the wreck, we pursue
: our course to Queenstown, which "
reached on the evening of the 81. Th
crew of the Oriental had suffered severe
ly from the cold during their exposure
but owing to the attention paid them b
Mr.. Clarke, the purser of the mail steam
err. they were quite well before man
,, hours, and were all landed at Liverpot
!. in sufficiently good condition TO ensbl
!, them at once 10 proceed TO the Sailor
! Home.