The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-27
A TALE OF THE SEA.
AND THE sUFFERrNGs or
THE CREW.


Nearly Mt starvation.
Another story OF suffering by shipwreck andpft~
vation at sea comes to Us, and this tfmo - oC-
curing not far distant from the mouth Of our
river.
At quite late hour Intelligence resched the
DEMocHAY Office that . vessel hsd been wrechsd
in the gulf, and her crew had just arrived In
Bayou 81. John on fishing smack. Proceeding
to the Magnolia Bridge, and after some inquiries,
the reporter found the sloop Wonder. engaged IN
the fishing business on Chsndsieur IslAnds The
rain was pouring down, not light was TO bs
seen, and through the darkness tho reporter
picked his way along, until o marrow plank
leading to the sloop was reached.
BOARDING A VESSEL.
at midnight Ia not pleasant when ones visit is
not expected, but boarding her when ono cannok
SOC his hand before his face is . sort Of puzzle
even reporters would prefer to postpone until
morning.
After gently tapping Ut the forward hatch Of
the sloop deep murmurs were heard below, and
in q few seconds
HUMAN HEAD PUSHED
off the hatch and asked. "What do you want y.
The reporter stated his business and the head
responded, "An right sir. II thafs your busi-
ness win come out willingly. Just wait, IL you
Please, for want TO put on my shoes
In few moments the figure emerged fFom
the hold, and the form OF q bronzed and weetheE-
worn sailor appeared.
Reporter.-I am sorry TO disturb you, but {
have learned that you have just narrowly 60
capped from frightful death, and so called upon
you. Will you give me q statement Of tho disas-
teri
The Sailor With pleasure, sir; with pleasure.
The statement.
My name 10 John Mcleod, and have BEEN d
sea for over twenty seven years, and during my
sea-faring life have been master as well ~ b0.
fore the mast. The schooner O. b. Clements
left Galveston the 9Th Of October last for Pas
cagoula, for cargo OF finished lumber, g. n.
Rowten being master, with crew Of five told in
all. We arrived all right Mt Pascagoula, To-
ceived our freight and started back on the 18th
o. November. We had been out from East Pas
c.gonla but few hours, bound for Harrisburg
Texas, steering course
FOR PASS A LoUTRE,
south by east, half east the wind being east nors-
east, blowing moderately. when the horizon Was
noticed TO be very murky. At 10 o'clock that
morning the breeze freshened, and, to our sux~
prise, our vessel
BECAME wATER-LoGaED,
and we could not steer her. After orders 10
| took In the main-topsail, flying jib, and thsn
| reefed our topsal. The well was then sounded
| to find out how much water was In her, and the
| rod showed four inches over her kelson. We
| then stood 10 the nor'a~d for Horn Island Pass.
| and lowered the msinsaii Whist going on this
course the vessel suddenly filed, the sea filing
| The cabin and breaking adrift the water casks.
az we'll as the sshipgs OF the deck load Of lumber
we had on board. All hands ut once
TOOK TO THE RIGGING
with ropes to lash themselves there. After tha
crew were aloft the cspssin said. Boys, il looks
bad for MS; but II we've got to die, let's die Ill
| together" Some one suggested just then that
| we might save the yawl from the vessel, and
after some trouble We got her sdrift and an got
| into her, and she was successfully launched.
| That we might still be near our vessel,
WE STAYED BY nER
| for long time, getting under her lee to protect
us from the waves. When we got into the b0AE
we we're 30 short OF time we didn't get the
opportunity to put bit OF provisions or water,
| nautical instrument or compass in the boat. I
| can tell you there was no time TO lose.
Some OF the crew were almost naked,
and few saved more than what would barely
cover them. had no coat and was in my shirt.
cept pet pig that had been on board tina
vessel. Not even lead line, sir, to take sound
ings. Early on the evening OF the 18th. little
after dark, the vessel careened and laid on her
Of course, for the deck load was floating about,
and she had some heavy spars on deck that
might have hurt our boat We kept In sight Of
her, however, as long as We could. When we
| last saw her her maiBmast was COMO by tho
board. While we were in the boat heavy squalls
set in during the night with drizzling rain and
a heavy sea running. Hunger coming on, We
concluded we could not stand 1t longer, and tho
pet hog Was killed In the boat. We
| MIXED ITS BLOOD
with salt water and drank it. The next dsy,
the Goth, opened drearily At daylight II thun-
dered and lightened terribly, and the rain poured
opened. The rain smoothed the sea down con-
siderablyy but the morning was most gloomy
one. The wind commenced 10 increase senae-
| WE HAD 70 scUD,
before 1t for about an hour, and then we had TO-
stem it. About o'clock we got soundings by tying
our hatchet to small lengths OF rope yarns
knotted together for line, and found we were In
nine fathoms Of water. The wind now blew
| from every point OF the compass. After getting
the soundipgs faint white point showed itself
on the horizon which all agreed Was sail. Hum
ger still pressing us we ate the Ever and Kidneys
Of the pig raw. There was considerable tslk
over fair division of these parts, bat we par
took OF what We got. 1t was
/ THE EATEsa OF pHIs
that made MS all delirious. After keeping on our.
course we found what we thought to be saal was
the Chandeleurl lighthouse. We took look
al Inc shOre ana saw tnat tnere were SO Q0aMy
boulders and the surf ran SC high we
COULD EsT GET TO sHoRK
there, 80 we headed for marsh and made iand~
by this time all hands were exhausted and In der
Iirium, but MIR. Sherwood, the light keeper at the
Chandelier lighthouse. gave us everything he
could, and asssted us 10 his dwelling. After we
got there some Of the crew heard of q fishing
camp some ten miles off, and they walked there
and engaged passage for the party TO New Orleana
on the fishr,g SMACK Wonder for the yawl We had
saved from the wreck. We arrived here to-niShss
and want very mach TO get back TO Galveston.
you, was it not
Mr.. EleL-I should say it was; none OF us
knew
HOW BOON WE'D go.
Aft Ar parting with this old salt" no started Oh
with. the exclamation: 81 tell what, wish was