New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-22
STORY OF SILAS HEXTER.

STORY SlLhS liza LIN
MANY PASSENGERS LOOKING FOR LAND WHEN lhh
VESSEL sTRUCK-DREADFUL SCENE ON DhcA-
SCREAMING HEARD DURING SIX HoURs-pERIIs
OF ELEVEN HOURS BOATING IN ROUGH Sea-
From The London Times ,..,
Silas Hexter, a German, from the Unlfed
States, makes the following statement ,o o, ,ns,
when there was a wild sea. After that nothing oc
cured Of moment until Friday Afternoon, Tnrn
Sut fog The set shin IN; I kent at a speed with Tie
sails up, until g. Twas then standing at the engine
going at halfspecd until Oh The fog all , this
before our eyes Then the bell was rung again Just az
the bell rang heard the ship strike, and fet ne,
humping on the rocks then the humping increased ana
the sea began break in the deck Before she struck
great many male passengels were on the deck ioohS
moment the vessel struck the women and cmfeh wtrc
down below did not hear much noise on and
children screaming and running ON OF tnf f Wrri
all the ship noticed one lazy GIaSR s sid NO
it's all right !" and he turned as pale as sheet ds
then got frightened myself and ran AGAIN on cond
hardly anybody because OF the fog ran t9eh 10 ,e
there lsr laid they were ali gone reued again to the
deck and jumped into boat and the men w n er sro a
me out again gSt In c agan had od' on
lie came 10 me- and at request helped him m bnt
out we se ne to break on
the deck and the ship was bouncing, and men, women
ran to the first cabin again, aud there saw q
man | knew from New-York standing there. 1
beard nn %nd be e best place on the ship Ills
and his two children standing by MS sac, ana ecn
Of them had on . hanf on ms tbe "uarsr
deck and there saw my friend Marks PGweree oct
it, and he said from under his pillow, ran TO the stairs
OF the first cabin TO get one from my perrin be and
placed my hands II. One man III tne
boat said III YOU don't let 60 VII Do cut meS yq4 pg
nnn,bep boat and cot into it, There were men in
it.. At that time the boat was swinging Dut II cou o
be let down, because the Topo was fast tnhh one vi
the officers cut one the ropes and boat fell INTO me
water AT that time bis wave came up fied me o9at
with water Immediately, aud drove us rght under ,ne
ship bit another succeeded and drove US out AGAIN.
Our boat got full Of water. We commenced Dahiis II
men in fhe boat shouted TO a the deck, think It
was of the officers, to throw in bucket Dut lie dd
We kept rowing about the ship all the time until q
o'clock III the morning All this time the re VA. yt t
cabin OF the shD and all this time the screaming was
hcartrcnding But We could see nobody on board The
screaming lasted till about o'clock and the last scream
Ing that heard and which shall never forget was the
voice of little child, who was, we believed an
except the masthead light went ont. Mixed up with
the heartrcnding screaming was the iond crack s
The reports sounded like thunder. We continued by
the ship iii about O'clock when the t9Tema 81
the vessel but could hear the water breaking ~
and the spray dashug over the nun, b0tn the asts anu
the chimneys having disappeared. We then rowed away
keep the breakers The log by this time had cleared
somewhat We kept rowing, but did not know which
way going, had no compass We con-
tined rowing till about O'clock when the fog began to
clear and then we heard noise and upon looking round
first saw naked dead body floating, and directly after
ward we saw men floating. We then shouted g All
right" We.got up to them as soon ~ we could, ana
picked one 81 them mp He had life preserver on We
took him into the boat but lie was completely exhausted
who also had "a life preserver on, and was floating on
door He is heavy man. and we had great difficulty In
getting him into the boat. lie perfectly sensible
and Immediately asked for his brother here were 10
in the We kept rowing away but we did not know
what direction going. In about an hour after
getting board heard the noise OF steamer
bnt we could not it, We continued TO row IN the
direction the whistle OF the steamer and in about hall
hour five six sailing vessels. We all fell 10
work. and pulled hard and anXiously toward them but
we not seem and the ships soon disappeared from
sight Almost directly aiterward we saw something
like black spec i'll the distance, upon which discussion
arose what il Some said 1t was cloud, Others
said IL land. We, however, pulled toward IT, Upon
nearing il discovered IL the rocks and then al
for the first time since left the vessel we eit
safe. We house of the islands; we con-
tnued pull toward it, and all gave thanks to God Al
before reached the beach. Upon getting ashore we
the house. Directly after leaving the shore we discov-
and went to the different houses, where were kindly
received and food and clothes given to This
about o'clock in the morning