Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-04-14
DYING WITH THIRST AT SEA.
a simple Vet Painful story..The Only Sur.
vivor Of Twelve Persons who were ship.
wrccked-A Man nnd Wife In their Last
Embrace.

vivor Of Twelve Persons who were ship.
wrccked-A Man and Wife In their Last
Embrace.
A thrilling, simple, yet most painful
story is told by William Mcguire, the
only survivor of the crew of nine men
and three passengers who sailed in the
brig Roanoke, from Philadelphia, March
l7th, for Kingston, Jamaica. Mcguire
was rescued in the midst OF gale by tho
crew of tho schooner Annie Todd, Capt.
Corson. The story Of Mcguire is as fol.
lows: "My name is William Mcguire.
left Philadelphia ON March 18th on the
brig Roanoke, of Kingston, Jamaica,
commanded by Capt. Wilkey, with
senge9h, ,"osGo of mails md specie. There
Spanish gentleman bound for Porto Ua-
bello. At two P. NJ. on Sunday, March
18th, we left the Delaware, and had fine
weather till Monday afternoon, when a
westerly gale sprang up. We shortened
sail till at twelve o'clock the vessel was
running under q storm, topsail, main
ftnysail forotopsail and foretopmast stay.
sail. At 1890 she broachcd to and ship
ped heavy sen, filling the decks full.
Failing to get the vessel before the wind
we cut away the mainmast which fell
athwart the deck, breaking the cabin
deck. We then cut away the foremast
The seas were now making clean breach
over the vessel and washed away the for
ward house and the BOBBY matches, fill
ing her full of water and leaving her un-
manageable. All hands had to take
refuge aft on the quarterback, the sea
making clean breach over her. On
Tuesday the 10th, 1t was blowing q gale
from the southwark We saw a sail, and
at nine A. NJ. n two masted schooner saw
us, and ran down toward lis. We made
signals to her to lay by lis, but she con-
tinued on her course and left us. At
this time the wind was moderating, and
in the afternoon it was fine, and the wind
had gone down considerably. Had the
schooner laid by us she would have saved
all hands.
" We got little preserved food that
day and some lager beer. We had fine
night, and on "Wednesday, tho twentieth,
we had fine day. A bark passed to
senward of us but did not sec us. In the
evening q gale sprung up from the north
west and there was heavy sea. Thurs
day, the twenty first, came in with a
heavy gale from the northwest, the seas
breaking over the vessel clean fore and
aft causing her to begin to break up.
The captain wished to take to the boat,
but Vas persuaded not to. In the after
noon Mr. and Mrs. Dallett shook hands
with the captain and mate, bid all hands
goodbye, and said they hoped they
would meet in heaven. Mr.. ballet then
took his wifes waterproof and wrapped
it around her head. They embraced one
another and then threw themselves into
the water and were locked fast in each
others arms when the sea drifted them
off. The Spanish gentleman then said
his prayers and wrapped quilt around
his head and drowned himself.
"Soon after this heavy sea carried
away the after deck. The captain, stew
ard, one sailor and Il boy drifted away on
it. The stern went next, and the mate
and second mate went away with it. The
mate was drowned alongside. The sec
ond mate was on it when last seen. There
Was now two men with myself left.
Everything was gone down to the lower
deck. We were lashed to the stump OF
the mainmast. A brig passed close 20
us, but did not take any notice OF us.
We got some tallow to eat, but we
suffered very much from thirst 1t blew
q gale all night. Friday it was still
blowing gale. In the morning we saw
q bark about n mile away, but she did
not take any notice of us. In the after
noon it moderated and we got some more
tallow to eat, but our thirst was fearful.
The other two men were drinking their
own urine.
Saturday was fine day. We saw
square-rigged vessel to lee-ward got
some candles and tin of sardines, but no
water Sunday it was blowing gale from
the southeast. One man went crazy with
thirst and drowned himself. / got q
candle to eat, but our thirst was fearful.
Monday it was still blowing gale from
the southeast, with rain, but the sea
was breaking SO that we could not get it
fresh. Tuesday it was still blowing
gale from the southeast. At daylight
saw q schooner, the Addie Todd, and
waved pair of drawers, which she saw,
but it blew too hard for her to assist US,
so she hove to and waited till the gale
lulled, and then beat back. After try
ing five times, / caught line, and was
hauled on board. The other man went
crazy when the schooner was lying to to
get us, and drowned himself"
Capt. Corson, of the schooner Annie
Todd says: cat six O'Clock on the
morning of the twenty-seventh of March,
latitude thirty-eight deg, twenty min..
longitude seventy deg, thirty min.,
discovered the wreck, and on passing
close to her saw two men calling for as
sistance. IT was blowing heavy at the
time, with heavy sea running, and no
assistance could be rendered. We laid
to till the weather moderated, and at ten
o'clock in the morning, the gale having
slightly abated, made sail and beat back
to the wreck. We passed close abroad
and found that one of the men was dead.
We threw lines to the wreck, which the
surviving man failed to catch but after
trying repeatedly, at two o'clock in the
afternoon the poor fellow finally caught
line, and was hauled on board the
schooner"