The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-26

Adrift in Mid-Ocean in an
Open Boat.
MIRACULOUS RESCUE.
A Thrilling Tale OF Peril and
Suffering.
THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT.

The winter Of 1870 and 1877 bids fair be OF the
most remarkable in the annals OF tho sea. The list Of
disasters remarkable already 10 its credit
longer than that OF any two years OF the last decade,
and still The record grows The latest addition to this
interesting collection OF and tragedies Is
that loss OF the bark Nancy Bryson and the SUBJ
sequent OF captain and after they had
abandoned nil hope Of ever sighting land again. Tho
fact that the Nancy abandoned has already been
chroncled the HERALD. but nothing was told OF tho
manner of the Of her crew. who were picked up
and brought TO Matanzas Cuba, by the American brig
A. G. PettengilL
CAPTAIN DuNcAS's STORY.
Tho captain of tho Nance Bryson, Hugh Duncan
arrived in town yesterday morning from Havana, OF
the steamer CITY OF Vera Cruz, and from him HEkALr
reporter obtained a detailed statement OF the las,
hours on board the III fated bark Captain Duncan
remarkably well and intelligent man, told his
story with great modesty and now and then ndulgoc
in bits OF description OF remarkable vividness A.
FIRST tho captain did not TO think that tho story
of the of sufficient interest to be repeated
at length but finally, after the Formally Of the meet.
ing had worn away, he told the yarn after his
fashion, interrupting the narrative and then with
inquiries about what had been happening In the world
since he left Pernambuco, the 28th OF last Novem.
Der.
'-nEy SAILED AWAY"
"we left Pernambuco on the afternoon of November
2s bound for New York with cargo Of sugar The
crew numbered eleven, all told, and the prospect for
quick passage very favorable. On the ID oil Do
ccmber crossed the Equator In west longitude
81 deg 10 min and the wind blew fair until tho 22d,
when II became squally During the night OF the I'D
the wind blow strong, ana rained before morning.
when the wind changed us quarter and an ugly
was on. From this day until thursday the 2Sth
the weather was unsettled and on that day
hind harn fall
to 2S so IN the morning and the Nancy was under
lower ,opsails. The gale increased in strength
sails, reeed spanker and mizzen stnysail At
had terrific squall, which was followed by otuers
during the afternoon, each moro furious than
predecessor. About shutdown the wind vcered from
southwest west and the snip laborsd and strained
heavily. In anticipation oil trouble had had the
pump attended to, but al this time the ship not
making any more water than usual, say about three
inches IN iUus hours noa Durns inc cary hours
midnight the most tremendous sea ever witnessed
was running. II was bright moonlight night. aud
MS the rolled In mountains around US the upper
half OF each wave seemed 10 be oil different color
from the rest oil the water. Down In the trough OF
the sea Il black as ink with here and there
flock OF sivery moonlight; but in the waves, Tho
water thrown up between us and the moon seemed Of
a ght bright green color. From the top of every
wave the wind blew shower OF milk white loan.
Once or twice one vi these mountains poured down
upon and the ship staggered and reeled.
FOUR MEN OVERHEARD.
"At about ten minutes past twelve, Just after the
port watch had come from below. tremendous sea
struck and well nigh tore tho ship to pieces The
shock great that It was some seconds before
recovered, and when did found that starboard
buiwarks ana stanchions had been snapped OF from
the cathead clean att to the main shrouds. This
also carried away the fore house. boat skds,
casks, and everything movable on deck. The next
wave that bore all the debris aoft with
IT, and saw four men struggling, while the forco
OF the water spun them around and tossed them up
like many corks In moment they tho
trough OF the again and she next wave clear
.Soysn the poor flo~s had been stunned by being
hit against the tore house. In which they were when
the sea broke in on ua The cry OF "Man over
board |" massed all hands the port side, and ropes
peared again They all came up together
struggles reach the ship AS they appeared
halt a dozen ropes were siung, and the men caught
they would all have been lost for It impossible
at that tme to launch boat
'Thc that washed these on burst the spankef
and the mizzen staysas and the jagged tails VI
canvas snapped as loud as rife detoBations ihe
wind howlcd through the rigging, and the Nancy
toyed about like feather in gale. Alter
the men had been taken below and looked
after l discovered that further damage had been
done by the that swamped us The boats on The
port skids had been IN. the port wheel OF tho
pump was broken, and tho foremost swiftcn on tho
main rigging carried away Thinking that tho
snip might DO making water through tho rips, where
the stanchions had out, sent the carpenter
rips but in tho lower hold the carpenter found
above the keelsons Thon GOT the ship before tho
wind and manned the pumps
HOPE ABANDONED.
"At about daylight on Saturday morning saw there
hope OF saving the ship, SO made masthead
watch and the men relieved one another on the look
out for some passing vessel When the wind changed
around to the west the mercury In the thermometer
went down about fifteen degrees and II was bitter
cold. SO that a could not stay slon very long,
Shortly after daybreak called tho men aft and told
them that the ship badly sprung and there
hope OF saving her sent one gang nail sheet lead
the holes stove in the port boats. another to
got the starboard boats ready and another TO
get some bread and water TO take on the boats. Az
about nine O'Clock A. M. tbe water began 10 gain
tn. pumps rapidly, and boat was lowered, but it
stove and swamped Alter this accident tho wafer was
half way up to the hold beams. When l discovered
this ordered the men away from the pumps, and all
hands assisted in lowering the last boat Tho ship
hauled tho wind aud the boat launched safety
AT about all ready, and we loft the ship
This is, OF course desd reckoning, Tor had
OF taking observations The men werc all In the boat.
and had taken about eighty pounds oil bread and
small cask OF water. stood the deck for moment
took look around and then stepped INTO the boat
An inquiry at this point from the reporter inter.
Eyes, stepped into the boat, {" said the Captain
thc ship was low In tho water that did not have
to lower myself had Just scrambled int tho stern
OF the boat when rode and clear Of the
shlp. Tho men behaved magnhcentIy, and they
pulled with will from the ship
AfLoAr IN AN OPEN BOAT.
eve were just well clear OF her whom she went
down had magnidccn opportunity Of seeing her
60 under When the last gallon OF water that vroko
her balance had been shipped. struck her and
she nearly went on her beam cnds, and showed her
hull almost TO the Keel Then she righted and plum gcd
head nrst down ocean. Her sail
was the last thing saw. Whom we mounted the next
piho" saw aoout Two acres OF whitc wake wafer IN
the spot where she went down. There wasn't even
stick OF wood IN IL; nothing 10 show that snip had
been there. The ifcboat was unmanaeeablc. 10 wo
riggod drag oil order 70 keep head to tho
sea. During the afternoon She wind changed again,
and cross vexod Once twice
were almost swampcd. During tho night II grow
still colder and began 10 ram. ! never enjoyed
rain so much In all my liic Tho salt water that
weak, almost closed, with salt When tho rain came
managed to wash my face, and toll ever much
frcsned atcrward During the nehs we ate some otthe
bread IL was saturated with salt Wator, bus don't
remember, sir, having eaten such dainty
bit before When q man 10 very hungry
you know he's very nico and never
Iastcd the salt. During the early hours Of
Sunday morning tho men began TO give out and three
Tour OF them dropped into the bottom OF the boat
and went TO sleep. warned them that they would DO
frozen stih, but nothing seemed TO rouse them.
MYSTERIOUS NOISE.