The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-01-20

[From the San Francisco Chronicle
On the steamer Mikado, which arrived
in this port on Saturday last, came Cap
tain Groves and his wife and two chill
dren-one babe-who have had most
remarkable escape from the never-satis-
fed jaws of old ocean. All that human
beings could suffer, endure and live, fell
to their unfortunate lot. The Captain
and his wife are both comparatively
young, and look sufficiently careworn
to have borne the burdens of many more
years than have yet rolled over their
heads. The lady is small, delicately
formed, and yet plucky, or courageous,
and full of animation when detailing
the thrilling adventures through which
she and her husband have passed. On
April 20, they left Antwerp for Callao,
in the ship Albert Gallatin. They had
a prosperous voyage for three months.
But August 2, off Cape Horn, fifty-six
degrees south and seventy-nine degrees
west, heavy sea struck the ship and
carried away the rudder at about 10
O'Clock p. m. Then for fourteen days
every effort was made to replace it; but
the weather continued severe, and the
rough winds and waves tossed the rud-
derless ship to and fro like cork. And
all this time, as the heavy seas rolled
yer the vessel every soul on board was
continually drenched, so that not one of
them wore a dry garment for over two
weeks. At length, August Is, the over
washed ship was found to be within tive
miles of the Ildefonso Islands and drift
ing on to the rocks. Immediately all
on board the unmanageable vessel were
compelled hastily to abandon her,
which they did in two life-boats at
about 2 a. m. 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 small boat, the Captains brave
little wife rushed on to the ship and
snatched the chronometers 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 sixty pounds of
bread, but this was saturated with salt
water when she filed. They brought
away no fresh water, and for two DAYS
were without drop while driven about
by the boisterous waves and seeking a
landing place. August II they got on
shore on Hermit Island, but the six DAYS
they remained there it Numbered, 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 "a they left this ISL
and, hoping to make Staten Land, some
hundreds of miles distant, but near the
Straits of Lemaire, through which ves-
sells often pass. They were out but q
single day, however, when the sea be-
came too heavy for them to proceed,
and drove them back into Scourfield
Bay, on Herschell Island. But the sea
was SO rough they could not land, and
had to stay in the boat all night. Every
thing was wet, and they had to bail con.
stautly to keep the boat from going
down with them. That night was very
cola, and the canvas over their heads
froze stih. They could not lie down nor
sleep, and had to sit In STOPPING posi-
ton, which Mrs. Groves did, with her
babe on her lap, while the snow ON the
awning pressed it down so low and
naru upon her head that her attitude
was any thing but comfortable. Next
day they navigated around this island.
and landed on Wollaston Island. While
on these black, barren and rocky islands.
they often found it difficult to oct a fire,
and suffered intolerably from the cold
Here they found little wild celery.
which they mixed with their salt. sea.
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