Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-04-02
Thrilling Adventure!

Thrilling Adventures!
MEN ATTEMPT THE RESCUE
OF AN ICE-BoUND BRIG-THIRTEEN
FROZEN TO DEATH-THE RESCUE OF
THE REST.
Tiirty-four men belonging to the fishing
village Of st. Mary's, New Foundland, IN
their attempt to rescue an ice-bound brig
on the End of March, were carried out to
sea on floating ice. Ten of them were res
cued by the n urnberg OF the Bremen Line
and brought to Baltimore. egiye below
their thrilling story of death, suffering and
rescue:
On the 22nd of March, at 10 A. M, off
the banks of Newfoundland, the Num-
berg sighted schooner with ensign at half
mast The steamship bore down to her
and was hailed by t e master, who asked
Capt. Jaeger to take ten men Oh board
whom he had saved. A boat was sent to
the schooner, which turned out to be the
Geo. S. Fogg, Capt. Spence, from st. Ed
wards Island, bound to Bermuda, with a
cargo of fish.
NARRATIVE OF THE MEN SAVED.
The story of these men was as follows:
'tWe belong to st. Mary's, Newfoundland.
Our trade is fishermen, in shore boats. On
themorning of the second of March we saw
a brig ice-bound about two and half miles
from the shore. We went out to her on
the ice-a party of thirty-four men, all
from st. Mary's. The wind was from the
Westward and weather moderate. Before
we reached the brig we met her captain in
charge of another party from Hollow Road,
hap,lot moor ST Marv'c WhO tr4nSnOrfI1
him on shore, us he was sick. AS far us
we could understand him, the crew had
left the brig the day before. We reached
the brig at p. M. The cargo consisted
OF salt, in casks, and molasSes, and appear
ed to be broken already. AS night came
we made for the land after searching the
brig, hut we found that the ice had opened
towards the land. We were forced to
spend the night, ard had seven of our party
frozen to death by the terrible cold. The
next day ia March) we left nine OF our
number on a field Of floating ice SO badly
frozen as to be unable to walk, and the re-
mainder of us (eighteen) returned to the
brig. Three of those nine were picked up
by the schooner Geo. S. Fogg on the 9th of
March, they be ing the only survivors OF the
nine, the other six having persisted. We
found nothing to eat or drink on board the
brig besides the molasseS. The brig drifted
out with the ice, but we were in sight OF
the coast six or seven days, but not able to
make the land. We stopped until the 18th
of March in the brig, when we saw
schooner about four miles to eastward of
us. AS the ice was in some parts too weak
to bear a man, we took small boat from
the brig and made for the schooner. The
name Of the brig we could not make out,
but believe it was French vessel. We,
~; loff tho h,.iC noIlV tho
morning. and got on b0ard the schooner
George s. Fogg about P. M, where we
were received with great kindness 10y the
master and his crew. On board the Schoon-
er we had, of course, to live on short ra-
tions. Do not remember the date on which
Capt. Spa nee went on board another YES
sci to treat for our transferral. Captain
Spence returned with the captain OF that
vessel, and after the captain had seen us
he declined to take any more than eight
men of us ON board. stating that he was
short of both water and fuel. This vessel
was brigantine, whose captains name
was ''Joe Kicks" from st. johns. Wedo
not remember the brigantines name, but
she was bound to st. Johns with d cargo
of flour and pork. We begged that he
would only allow us place on deck and
we would take ice with us for water, but
he declined on the plea OF scarcity OF fuel.
He took eight men, leaving thirteen OH the
schooner. Three OF our party were trans
ferred to Il brig commanded by Capt. Hell
messy. bound for Harbor Grace, N. f. The
captain would have taken us all but his own
men were on short rations already. On the
I'D of March, those of us still Oh board the
schooner, ten i'll number, We're taken on
board the Nurnberg, where We were most
kindly received by Captain Jaeger Capt.
Jaeger states that when these nen leacled
his steamship they were terribly emaciated
and careworn. OF course in the small
schooner they had no place to sleep except
upon some sails, and had no fresh water.
They had to wear their clothes all the time,
and had not even heavy jackets OF coats to
cover them from the rigorous weather.
NAMES OF THOSE WHO PERIsHED.
The names of the men who persisted on
the ice were John Poole, Michael Poole,
James Vale. Michael Wale, Thomas
Boone, Patrick Dobbin and George Rouser,
all married; John Rouser, Patrick Waile,
Joseph Grace, Patrick leatham, Michael
Barre and William Boone, unmarried-13
in all Michael and Patrick Waile, and
George and John Rouser, were fathers and
SONS.
NAMES OF THOSE BROUGHT TO BALTI-
MORE.
The ten men on the Nurnberg are An
drew Mooney and Thomas Mooney,
brothers: VIM. Ruben; Patrick and Michael
Tobin. brothers; John Fuer, James Grace,
aged IA, whose brother, Joseph Grace, per
isled; james Peddle, Thomas Barre, whose
brother, Michael Barre, persisted, and
Benjamin Sancrow. They are all Irishmen.
or Of Irish descent, untutored, and their
party comprised nearly the entire ablebod-
led male population Of their little town.
ANDREW MONEYS NARRATIVE.
Andrew Mooney, a man of thirty six
years, with an intelligent, honest counten-
ance. who is among those on the Nurnberg,
said yesterday that they were all neighbors
to each other, and nearly all were born in
st. Mary's. He and a number Of others
have large families, which they support by
fishing in the summer. The ice had been
firm all winter, and some of the villagers
had frequently gone out upon it, to hunt
sea birds 1t had shown no signs of NOV
ing before that fatal day. Reports had
been received for week from the head
lands that vesselwas seen drifting about,
aid on the I'd of March the brig was dis
covered two and a half miles from the
shore, fast in the ice. The party of thirty
four Tall men but James Grace1 was quick
ly gathered. and they started out on the
ice to her and spent the day on board.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES.
Towards evening they started homeward,
but had not proceeded fal when the ter
rible fact was presented to them that the
ice had parted between them and the shore,
and the opening was increasing every mo-
ment. CONSERVATION seized upon thets as
they fastened forward, and each threw
away his heavy outer clothing, as he ran,
to be encountered as little as possible. /
When the brink of the ice was reached the |
space of water between them and the land
was half a mile wide. the ice having bro
ken one mile out from the shore, and the
immense field on which they stood floating |
out TO sea. It was now quite dark,
the party exhausted and but half clad and
they prepared for the terrible cold which |