The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-01-21

the crsst q ewsye, and then only visible
By the "a az telescope. The 80 VA
continuslly washiag over them, and un.
less they had been Of strong vitality and
sound physique they could hardly have
lived through the three days until their
final rescue. During the Sunday, the
first day Of their suffering, their anxious
eyes could only discover one passing
ship, and she passed much too far Of to
see them. On Monday there Was : strong
breeze and nasty sea, but the weather
was fine. Several ships passed at dis
lance. These they could plainly zee,
but by mono Of them could they hope
to be seen. Tuesday was calm dur
ing the greater part Of the day,
and their hopes of safety were
raised by seeing three-masted
schooner, which passed within half .
mile Of them. They shouted withall their
might, and thought they must be heard,
but the schooner sailed on. The cry OF
distress was not heard nor the dark speck
on the water observed. Toward Tuesday
evening the breeze freshencd and 1t con-
tinued to blow hard during the night.
The men were exhausted, and In the con-
flict between wearied nature and hopes
of life they sank into state between
sleeping and waking, DOING for min
ute or two, and then suddenly starting
again into consciousness. About four
o'clock on Wednesday morning the one
who was in his waking moment saw
through the darkness the loom OF YES
sci bearing down upon them, and imme-
diately reused his companion. The YES
sci rapidly approached and came within
100 yards of them. With all the strength
that was left to them they uttered their
cry for assistance, and after few Sec
onds' interval bright light told their cry
had been heard and was answered. For
two hours the light beamed like beacon
of safety before their eyes, but just be-
fore dawn it disappeared and when day
broke no ship was anywhere to be seen.
Hope was fast given way to despair
when, about two hours after daylight,
the missing vessel bore down toward
them This was the Dutch schooner
Wilhelm Bcnklczoon. The master, when
he heard the cry OF distress, had imme-
diately brought his ship to, and lay-to till
the morning In the meantime the
shipwrccked men on the air-raft had
drifted to leeward When the master
of the Wilhelm Benklezoon found at day
light that nothing could be seen, he con-
jectured from the force and direction of
the wind the point to which any floating
wreck or boat would have dritted and
bore down in that direction. But the
sea was running so high that the master
OF the little schooner dared neither to
lower boat nor bring his vessel along
side the raft. He feared in the first
case that he should uselessly sacrifice
his own men without rescuing the others
and in the latter case his vessel would
swamp the raft. He therefore beckoned
to the two men to quit the raft and swim
to the schooner. Thoroughly exhausted
by their three days exposure they mis-
trusted their powers Of swimming even
this short distance, but it was their only
hope. Lamont, the boatswain, first made
the attempt and succeeded in getting
alongside. Meantime the schooner and
raft had again separated and the schoon-
er made another tack to give Hooper a
chance. He was still more exhausted
than Lamont, but, thinking it was no
worse to be drowned between the raft
and the ship than be left to perish on
the raft, he made the desperate effort
and struck out for the schooner When
he got alongside his hands were too be-
numbed even to clutch the rope which
was held out to him and he took it be-
tween his teeth. The little schooner
was low in the water, and some of the
crew, leaning over and watching their
opportunity, caught him by the hands
and so pulled him on board.
They were unable TO stand and almost
dead from exposure and weakness from
want Of food, for it was then close upon
noon on Wednesday, and they had eaten
nothing since the previous Saturday
evening. But they were brought around
by the kindness OF Capt Dorp and his
crew, which could not be exceeded. The
sailors gave up their berths to the snip
wrecked men, and nothing was left un-
done that could add to their comfort.
Since their arrival here Lamont and
Hooper have been under treatment
In the Civil Hospital, and, although still
suffering from partial numbness ana
shooting pains in their legs, from pro-
longed immersion in the sea, are sufficient
ly recovered to proceed to England in
the packet expected to-day.
Lamont is married and Hooper is a
widower. Their names appeared among
those who persisted, and they will be wei
coined by their families like men re-
stored miraeulously to life. Although
four days without food they felt moth
Ing beyond the weakness Of exhaustion,
and suffered from neither hunger nor
thirst. Neither did they feel pain from
their long immersion in salt water, sensa-
tions Of all kinds having been succeeded
by perfect numbness. The records of
maritime disaster probably contain few
cases like this. We often read Of dread
full suffering from exposure in open
boats, but in the present instance the
men were drifted about for three days
immersed in the very sea itself, and look
ing death steadily in the face. The con-
duct of the master Of the Dutch schooner
is beyond all praise, and it is to be hoped
viii meet some special rev ard.