The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-31
4 ROMANCE OF THE SEA.
PlGeky and Pretty Little Woman Eighteen Days
in small Boat Amid Tempests. Snow and Rocky
Isles.

one a babe-who have had a most re
/ markable escape from the never satisfie,
| jaws of old ocean. All that human be
ings could suffer, endure, and live, fel
to their unfortunate lot The captain
and his wife are both comparativel,
young, and look sufficiently careworn t.
have borne the burdens of many NOR
years than have yet rolled over thei
heads. The lady is small, delicatel!
formed, and yet plucky and courageous
and full of animation, when detailing
the thrilling adventures through whiel
she and her husband have passed. Or
April 29th they left Antwerp for CallaC
in the ship Albert Gallatin. They had
a prosperous voyage for three months
But August I'd, off Cape Horn, Sc de
grees south and 20 degrees west, a heavy
sea struck the ship and carried away the
rudder at about ten o'clock, p. NJ. Then
for fourteen days every effort was made
to replace it; but the weather continued
severe and the rough winds and waves
tossed the rudderless ship to and fro
like a cork. And all this time, as the
heavy seas rolled over the vessel, every
soul on board was continually drenched,
so that not one of them wore a dry gar
ment for two weeks. At tlength, August
18th, the over-washed ship was found
to be within two miles of the Ildefonso
Islands, and drifting on the rocks. I'M
mediately all on board were compelled
to abandon her, which they did in life
boats, about A. NJ. The captain, his
wife, two children and five seamen took
one boat and the remainder of the crew
took the other, and the latter have not
been heard from since. After all were
in the boat, the captains brave little
wife rushed on to the ship and snatehed
the chronometersa and charts and brought
them away safely. The life-boat soon
filled with water, and was well nigh
swamped beside the ship. The boat got
away with so pounds of bread, but this
was saturated with water when it filled.
They brought away no fresh water, and
for two days were without a drop while
driven about by boisterous waves, and
seeking a landing place. August 18th
they got on shore on Hermit island, but
the six days they remained there it thun-
dered and lightened, and showed, and
was so cold that they were little better
off than on the ocean. The rocky isle
was barren, uninhabited and desolate.
August oath they left this island hoping
to make Staten Land, some hundreds of
miles distant, but near the Straits of
Damar, through which vessels often
pass. They were out but single day,
however, when the sea became too
heavy for them to proceed, and drove
them back into Scourfied bay, on Her
schell island, but the sea was so rough
they could not land, and had to stay in
the boat all night. Everything was wet
and they had to bail constantly to keep
the boat from going down with them.
That night was very cold and the can
vass over their heads froze stiff They
could not lie down nor sleep, and had to
sit in STOPPING position, which Mrs.
Groves did with her babe on her lap,
while the snow on the awning pressed it
down so low and hard upon her head
that her attitude was anything but COM
Portable. Next day they navigated
around this island and landed on VOL
barren and rocky islands, they often
found it difficult to get fire, and suf
feIed intolerably from The cold. Here
they found n little wild celery, which
they mixed with their salt sea soaked
bread, and some preserved meats, which
they had served in small quantities.
The daily allowance of each was but a
couple of ounces of this coarse fare,
which was warmed altogether, and each
one took a spoonful. There were nine
souls of them in all. They remained in
This distressed condition until the follow
ing Tuesday, when they again started
for Staten Land with light wind from
the southwest. At midnight they were
becalmed an hour or two, after which
the wind freshened from the northward.
Next day it blew gale from the north
west, and i'll the evening the tempest
became so fierce they were obliged to
make a raft of their oars an6 lash the
boat to them and let her drag, while
they were kept constantly bailiDg. They
again lost all the fresh water on board;
the boat filled and destroyed all their
provisions, and Mrs. Groves looked up
to her husband and said sadly, II guess
we are gone this time" That night
they drifted back about forty miles from
the land they were approaching. Next
day was more moderate, Some of the
men fell asleep OH their oars, and lost
three of them. But in the heavy seas,
whenever a wave came, they were all
obliged to pull for life. After week of
such voyaging the captains wife one day
saw a ship, They pulled for her, but
were not observed. The day following,
about P. NJ, they sighted a vessel and
made for her. She proved to be the ship
Syren, from Boston to Honolulu. The
wanderers had now been
afioat or on frozen lands for eighteen
days, in all of which time they never
had a change of garments, having lost
everything when they abandoned the
ship. When they were takel on board
the men were almost blinded. All were
nearly starved, and one sailor was out
of his mind. They had to be raised OH
board the snip, and not one of them
could stand or walk, their knees being
almost stiff and their strength being
nearly exhausted. Yet, during all those
eighteen days of dreadful suffering, Mrs.
Groves had managed TO nurse her babe
and preserve both its life and her own-
Captain Newell, of the Syren, was ex
tremely kind to the sufferers, and they
say words can neither portray his good
ness uor express their gratitude. When
they reached Honolulu some of the good
people there cared for'the sufferers, and
the Mikado brought them to our city.
The captain and his wife appear to be
very nice people, and it would seem as