The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-11-19
DANGERS THE DEEP.
story of a Castaway-Terrible Picture o
Suffering and Starvation.

story of a Castaway-Terrible Picture
Suffering and Starvation.
The story of the sufferings Of Auto.
Mo Maxine, the only survivor OF the
crew of the bark Toronto, recently
wrecked in the West Indies. is almost
too horrible for belief. Maxine was
picked up by the brig Centaur and
brought to New York. He states
that the Toronto was bark which sailed
from Glasgow, Scotland, about four
months ago with cargo OF coal. There
were fourteen men on board The name
of the first mate was Smith. This was
the only name Maxine could remember.
From Glasgow they sailed 10 Madeira,
the voyage taking month and half.
From Madeira they proceeded TO Ma
vassa, an island in the West Indies,
where they took on board cargo. Soon
after leaving Navassa, a furious storm
arose, and they buoyed TO anchor. At
about IL o'clock at night the foremost
broke off quite close to the deck.
They cut away the mast, and, an
hour after, the mid-mast gave way, leav-
ing only the mizzen-mast. The Captain
was below sleeping, at the time, and one
of the men, discovering land close by,
called out to the first mate Smith,
Look There's the land :" What land
this was, Maxine did not know. The
Captain was then called and ordered q
boat to be lowered. There were three
boats, but one was sufficient 10 carry all
the crew. The sea was running high at
the time and the storm ragged furiously.
One of the boats was put out and the
Captain and crew all got into it. 1t was,
however, Immediately filed with water,
and seven of the men were washed
into the sea, and the violence of the
waves soon carried the boat out of the
sight of them. There were then seven
men in the boat, but no provisions.
Maxine could give no intelligent account
of how they Jared in the boat but, as
far as could be ascertained, they drifted
| for days without food and without water.
Water was obtained by spreading a sail
during rains and heavy dews at night.
The boat, which is on the Centaur, shows
where it has been scratched by the men,
as one of the sailors on board suggested,
for the purpose of eating the dirt that
chung to the sides. The sufferings of the
men must have been intense. Maxine
describes the men as walking about look
ing out at the sea and sky. Some, driven
to desperation by the sutferings they en-
dured, jumped into the sea. Some lay
ON their backs, with their longing faces
turned to Heaven, and 50 died. One
by one they threw themselves in
to the sea, or We're thrown by
their companions, until all had been
lost but himself. From this mans ac-
count, it is clear that the men lost their
reason. He ate seaweed to sustain life.
He caught a sea bird occasionally and
sometimes a fish, but here his reason
seems to have wandered Ee says he
was twenty-five days in TIE boat, but
cannot tell how he measured the time.
When found by the Centaur, the boat
was drifting helplessly along, with Maxi
mo reclining against the side. his head
leaning over his bosom. He could not
speak nor move. They hoisted him
into the vessel by means of rope, and
by slow degrees he recovered. Some
birds were found on board the boat,
which was also taken Oh board Maxine
is now well enough in health, and does
not seem unintelligent. He tells his
story with an evident desire for truthful
ness, but on important questions he is
! very deficient