New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-11
THE WAITS OF THE LA PLATA.
STATEMENTS OF THE BOATSWAIN AND
- .r QUARTERMASTER.

Ih6 London Ddty NeUS OF Dec. - 'oh'"i"'
graphic account given by q special reporter OF Inc
sufferings OF Henry Lamont boatswain, ana John
Uooper quarternaster, OF the steamer La Plata from
midday on Sunday Nov &C. when the vessel foundered'
until the morning Wednesday. Dec. p when they were
rescued nv the Dutch schooner Wilhelm Benkezoon'
The following is a condensation OF this account;
The principal narrator Lamont alike because Oh
bi snnerio poston his better education, his greater
luency Of language. and the less engrossing asoh It'll,
his main lie declined and properly to express WIN
total OF reserve his TO the causes or the
shpwreck; these at least IN detail rs u scen I ,rmn
as well as to me- should be reserved Tor the Iormal
Inquiry at which, from his position as boatswan OF Ine
unfortunate vessel, he viii he the most Important VIII
LAMONT came on deck at midnight OF SATURDAY
Nov 2s had last eaten at o'clock mat night went
on the bridge to superntend the steering The snip
would not keep her head the Wind but kept cOntnu
ally falling OF eight points aud lurching into the trough
OF the sea stopped the bridge until o'clock, When
the mate, Mr.. Rush. relieved me, ana toll me 10 20
down the main deck and secure the jolly-Ooat IL
was then blowing q whole gale IRON west-nor-west
Tue ship was 1aboring heavily, and caught II
fearfu.ly when she fell of into the trough OF
b be e es Were s e n her harmng
so far as Soon after a. No. after had secured
the ioilyboat, great sea came III right aDeam-sne
bad fallen off into the trough OF the sea again. you see
and tp the jolly boat clean away, swapping OF !ug
davits as If they had been carrots Ihs wave carrier
a man overheard. lie might have been saved Tor ne
kept ufOat full seven minutes; Out cOuiu get ~
assistance from the crew to help the poor felo" on
board, and I swOre at them for "A set OF iuO
berry dogs. They wanted spirit; not Dad SCI ~. VI
men, but hadn't much heart inside them TWO nouIs
after this another sea washed the starboard waist
boat away-a life boat. Then as she kept falling away
So and shipping 50 heavy seas we SET tne IoCs VI bad
been carrying canvas before, only steamlhg at iul
power Almost as soon as we ha set the san Tue IoV
out Uhc shee carried away, and we left the rysa
ipping 20 the mercy the wind Soon after the loose
Boating 50 that the captain desired 10 oe
Between 10 and II was asked BY Mr. kIcke'', me
chief OF the telegraph stan TO take gang o hlcn 10"
1t clear it paid ont: by little after II We nan patt
80 miles when the cable was cut, because u
had peu de
which the cable hanging from the bow, wouu nave pre-
ycn.cdshe would nj paid off with 1t The tele
graph tank not forward, but Apart tue deck-
house, further aft than amidshlp', between the
main and miZzen masts. she was very much down by
the stern but pay out the cable did not fetch her
head any further out OF the water IL was clear "
everybody that she doomed 10 60 30 tho bottom.
had gathered lot Of hands-fourteen or hfee9n,-o1
the slrhoard side and they got me stHro3aIu goa.
| ing for The end L and Hooper were DOth with this
crew. When this had been done. there came lou OF
other men who had been loGhng around idly, and
crowded her when they her ready. sara %
hcm What the devil do you all want here You will
have the why not 20 and get the DO ~
over therc-the port .bOat-ready Tor yourselves
Well man saw the sense OF ths-lt was OeleIe
the man VINO steered the boat that t01ted-dun nc
went and unlocked the dayt tackles. sac was on
board standing the skds said to the mate wee
tackles BECAUSE when sDe goes uOWH
the boat viii lit clean The mate said holi on
miuue;' and Just then came lifted the 0oat up
aud broke her right in two across the waist We were
driven all got hold OF the stern day tackle alohss
with the mate and then was washed ON TO the lZle S
rowp mn thnsyou NAV See the mark OF the brulsc on
my forehead now. Ipuled myself together ana ran up
the miZZen rigging fast as could Al tins time the
shin was setting down fast, and the deck abat was
under water TnoOther bOat-that on the port side
was by this time aOa left Oh the surface s the deck
| went under water. Sac Heated clear handsomely. /
hailed her from the mizzen rigging. but they called
No = back TO Down went tue mast under water
this tho ship sinking. and down went 100 hau
let 90 the rigging. but sucked down IN the vortex
but this know that was gaping aud owdllOwing sea
water saw somebody above me IN the wafer, ana
| tfsl
| eft lin alone and took my chance by myself. UP |
came again, alone. The first thing l saw was fe-
buoy floating about mold OF tnat aud put 1t on over
head, aud then caught grip OF Heating topgal-
lantmast and rode easy just then saw the quar-
| ermaster-HOOpeT, there-clingin2 to SPAR How
goes IT, quarternaster cried. on. don't kno~;
can't hold much longer. lie replied Just then saw
ing floating, and cried. 'Oh my GOl. quartermaster,
there's Of them rats coming toward youl Look out
behind You and catch 1t. aud then hold on, ana IN JOIN
YOU lie east loose and few yards to the raft,
and got hold OF 1t; and followed It TO hm az once
This brings down to the time reached the rant"
1t was not until then that Lamont ana Hooper had
| this time have to be chrOnicied.
Hooper, was at the wheel when close on - o'clock
the mate and said, You'd better leave the
wheel us every for himself now first went to
| the raft lying the bridge, which the doctor
| and one OF the telegraph men standing by;
| but | saw there was chance OF its going
| clear as 1t stood so gave them hand to launch
Chance Cd tSerc so left the bridge 2aa went att and
got into the boat which Lamont and his ere had got
ready"the starboard boat Just as got in sea broke
over her and smashed her wO and fell through the
middle Of her right into the sea had hard struggle
| 10 come to the surface and when did | found had
been carried down by the suction OF The laundering
| hull, and that the miZZen rigging was following
| the hull and coming right down atop OF me.
| ging' aud before | had time TO swim away the
| rigging caught the back aud TOOK me
down a second time. went down long way this time
TIL could hold my breath no longer, and then had to
swallow the salt water At last found myself drifting
clear OF the rigging and coming up TO the surface.
came right up under tOpgaant yard and my head
upon one Of the bolts OF it, chung TO the SPAR and
kinQr md ha hoat
said just what he has told YOU and that brings you
| down to our getting on the raft, When reached
II found that both the air tubes sound although
not fully inflated. We sat the best inflated one,
pressing our knees against the other with feet
air raft bottom up. We mad nothing to hold by,
continually under water up to the waist with
the breaking heads every now and then.
Once took my leg out OF the water aud stretched 1t
the air cone opposite to me but t soon got cold that
| I was glad to put 1t under again. so you see the
| water WAS like "a blanket after a sort OF way.
The boat cruised about they say, do theyi We know
two people out the water; but when I came to the
surface second time she was mile ana half away,
| round. and had good look out all ways but could
see nothing OF her. and to the conclusion had
got on the raft. l couldn't say who he was but he
had cork belt on. He sung out to us, Help! help
help! but could not aid him, for we drifting at
tue mercy OF the wind and sea- II he had got the
! raft he would have been saved 1 must tell you tnat
the air raft was Just like big cigars linked together
by a framework which canvas was stretched Only
the framework broken and we sat on one Of the
cigars, we had 10 mage jury irane"ork 10 keep the
two cigars asunder with our knees baced hard against
| the one opposite to that on which re SAT-
Lamont went on, discurslvey-' There was hencoop
full OF dead ducks floating about the surface and
the spars they and the chickens kept bob
| bling against our faces, and showing them
! away. LORD how used 10 talk about them dea q
ducks by the Tuesday the raft as we sat
cuddng each other for the sake OF heat head over
HOOpers shoulder and my arms round his neck Then
we'd drop off kind OF doze, and when we'd waken
with start had most always been dreaming about
food Hooper was always thinking about that cup OF
tea with his sweetheart and dreaming that somebody
was holding him out cup used to dream OF timed
Holsters Isuppose because OF the OF them smashed
10 light the donkey engine fire aud used ~ dream
that saw the steward serving them out"
rha al Rut