Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-01-06
A Terrible Experience Of shipwreckes
Sailers-A Heroic Ressse.

manned the WasaT- W itch. leff - Johns
hound for Cupsds. small peft On the
northern shore Of Conception Bay The
run was short one, being . little over
forsv miles. soon SITTER leaving the har-
nor strong gale from the southeast 81
in. accompanied with dense fall Of
snow. AZ darkness closed in the gale in
creased in violence, hurting the SNOW
fakes on IT, wings and driving the sagc
Atlantic waves, with sullen roar, far up
slse dark cliffs. The night was intensely
dark. Tie little vessel, with twensy-four
souls on board, four OF them women, was
battling with the waves cndeayoring 10
double Cape ~. Francis, st the entrance
OF Conception Bay Unhappily the esp
tain Rugged the shore too closely and At
q 30 o'clock the startling cry frosn the
lookout WAS heard. . Rocks ahead" The
words had not passed his lips three min
utes when the vessel struck against rock
with great force. The Captain and two
men leapei upon a low shell ct rock that
was diInly visible In The gloom, rightly
concluding flist this was the only chance
OF saving their lives. The water was
deep ~ this spot and the vessel relsounded,
but was presently hurled s second time
againstihe rocks iev yards distant from
tile place where she first struck Here
nine more OF the men leaped for their
lives and managed 10 cling 10 the surface
of a sharply -slanting rock, over which nj
times the waves were breaking. The
Water. Witch reeled under the trcmen.
dons blow, staggered back 3 few yards
and sank. carrying down with her eight
men and four women. The situation OF
sle poor fellows who we're now clinging
20 the rocks was terrible in dc extreme.
Strange 10 relate, the vessel had been
carried into small inlet called Horrasd's
Gnlch, linls north Of Pouch Cove. The
entrance of this gulch IL bnt few yards
wide, aud had she struck To the right or
lcfi Of II not Il soul could have been saved,
as the shore is a steep wall Of rock. The
rock upon which the Captain and two Of
the crew lcaped IL small, projecting shelf
on the north side of the inlet, while that
10 which the others were clinging ID on
the opposite side. The position of the lat
Ter was fearful 10 think Of. They were
holding on 10 slippery, sloplng rock,
only a few feed above the surface Of the
water and barely large enough 10 give
them room % crouch on IFS surface. The
spray dashed over them with every wave |;
al intervals heavy sea broke over the
rocks ~, huddlcd together, they clutchcd
it for dear life.
They dared not move, for the sea was all
around the rock, and few feet OIL they
could see dark, perpendicular cliff
shooting 600 feet up into the midnight
sky The huge waves were Numbering
Al their feet and the SNOW. storm roaring
overhead A few feet from them they
knew that some OF their nearest csnncc.
a. a. -
The position of the Captain and his two
they found IL possible, though at great
risk, 10 scramble up from the shelf on
which they first found footing They
heard the voices Of their companions on
the other side Of the gulcb, and clicered
them by telling them that they were about
10 make m attempt 10 scale the rocks and
bring them succor. The nearest house
was nj the distance Of "A mile, and the men
had no knowledge OF the locality; but,
with desperate efforts, they clanlered up
the steep rocks, forcing their way painfully
through the dense brnshwoos, where there
was no path. Al length, almost exhaust.
ed, they got 10 the summit. 1t was pitchy
dark and they had no notion Of the
proper direction, but hearing n dog bark
they followed the sound, and AT length
reached a fisberman's cottage on the out.
skirts oi Pouch Cove village and awoke
the inmates. II was now 80 o'clock,
They told their sad tale and described as
well as they could the place where their
companions were clinging Ia the rocks.
Soon more than half the village was astir I;
ropes and other appliances were got
ready and rescue party mustered 10 save
III possible the sbipwrcckcd men. The
Rev. X. M. Johnson, minister of the
Church OF England In Pouch Cove, ac-
companed the party, bringing with him
" hurricane lantern" which he fortu.
uately possessed and which was invalu.
aisle In such circumstances, and also
some cordials to revive the sufferers. The
task that lay before tho rescuers was a
difficult and perilous one.
They had 10 force their way through a
painless wood In pitchy darkness, and
they could not conjecture where the suf.
ferers were 10 be found. With wonder
ful instinct, however, they managed to
reach the top OF the cliff at the bottom of
which the shipw rocked men were dcspcr-
iately clinging 10 the rock. Their cries
for help family reached the ears Of their
deliyerers out OF the dark and awful
abyss, 900 feet In depth. Help! Help!
for Gods sake, u rope! we can't hold on
much longer" What was 10 be done
The sufferers were not visible, the exact
spot where they were could not be made
out Ia darkness. The wall of rock was
an almost perpendicular height Of 600
feet. There was but one way Of saving
them. some one must 70 down Into the
dark chasm ut the peril OF his life, swing.
ing nj the end OF rope over the edge OF
ahe precipicc, aud thus try 10 reach the
pcrishing men, get rope round each In
turn by which he may be dragged up the
fearful height
IL was desperate expedient, but II was
the only one, as the wreiched men must
soon perish by cold and exhaustion or be
swept back into the sea. The rescuers
look for u few moments into one anothcr's
faces. Who will goy A stout hearted
aisherman--a true hero--Alffed Moores
by volunteers for the pcrilous un.
'dertaking. FASTENING u stout rope round
him he IL launched into the black abyss
Three times, however, he had to be drawn
ap again, being unable 10 get near the
sufferers; but ON descending the fourth
time he finds slight assure In the face
of the cliff, down which he Is lowered till
he comes within thirty feet of the rock 10
which the men are clinging. He has
light hand-rope, which, after several In.
eilectual casts, Is at length caught l.. one