The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-08-11
PHILA., July 81, 1877.
Captain and Mrs. CrapO's Voyage.

OCEAN IN A 20-tOoT LIFEBoAT.
From the London Standard.
TIE boat New Bedford, after voyl
age of forty-nine days, arrived in
Mounts Bay, Penzance, last night.
This tiny craft is schooner rugged life
boat, 20 feet long Her entire crew
consisted of Mr.. Thomas CIapo and his
wife On the 9TH inst, when thirty
five days out, she was spoken by the
| National COmpany'S steamer Denmark,
which found all well, and supplied the
little sailer with provisions. brandy,
and twenty gallons of water. The four
teen remaining days of the voyage were
t!ost ardu0us. Crapo and his wife were
exhausted Oh their arrival in port. For
the three days previous the woman was
unable to help her husband, and his
left hand had become useless, owing to
its protracted employment in steering.
During fifteen days the New Bedford
was hove to in the worst of three gales
that were encountered. The adventur.
Gus couple lost their reserve of cluthil o
o1gtOoard.
The voyage was begun on tho 2Sth
OF May, when the vessel left New Bed
ford, but by stress of weather she had
to put into Chatham, Mass, where she
stayed until the 2d of June, when the
sails we're again hoisted and the New
Bedford started out on her perilous voy-
age with fair wind. All went we'll
for the first three days, the wind being
southwest and the SEA calm. The wind
then changed to southeast. and it came
on fOggy for four days and continued
Toggy up to the time they reached the
Banks, seventeen days out. Here a
most fortunate thing happened Tor the
navigatOrs. The dtogue which they
had brought with them was found to be
OF little use, because it was too light.
While off the Banks, they saw keg
floating by, which, luckily, they were
able to secure. Capt. Crapo knOlked
off the iron hoops, and, with some can.
vas, made a new dr0gue, which an
swered admirably. When it is coDsid-
cred that at one part of the voyage
they were obliged to lie to for nearly
three days In a great gale 0f wind, it
will need no effurt to imagine Nhat q
fortunate acquisition the new dIOgue
was.
After leaving the Banks, where they
lay to in a gale for fifteen hours, the
weather Improved and they sailed on
til the 21st of June, when another gale
was encountered. While lyIng,to the
New Bedford spoke the steamer Ba-
tavia, from which assistance was offer.
ed and the opportunity given to be
taken on board, which was declined.
After thia incident, they encountered a
succession OF gales, the only wonder
being that they survived TO tell tile
story. Daring the voyage which lasted
forty. nine days, thN rudder broke. but
happily there was a spare one on board,
which was dsed until the first could he
repaired. The sea was running very
high, and duling all the time when ly.
Ing down to rest they had to lie on wet
clothes, everything being wet. At one
time the Captain was for seventy hours
steering without relief, the weather be-
ing so trightful, and at another he was
eighteen hours cOnsecutivply attending
to the drOgue. Cant. Grape says he
could not have stood another fifteen
days, indeed, he had not slept for
seventy hours when he lanued. His
average of sleep while coming across
was under fOsr hours day.
One of the many extraordinary things
connected with the voyage Is that 1t had
to he run by dead reckoning, as the
New Bedford was not big enough to
carry chrOnometer Only on two &c.
easions copld they get their longitude,
when speaking the two vessels. Capt.
Crapo had intended to make for Fall
mouth, but the wind was against it, as
the boat cannot beat on account of its
lightness. lie bore up for Graves lake,
which he reached at midnight, and they
aitrrNard came ashore aud received the
klnd attention to be expected from
tornlSh people.
. 4 correspondent. who signs himself
IA ,britOn," writes to us to point out
that II Mrs, Crapo, who accompanied
her husband, and who during the last
three days Of the voyage was SO in as to
be unable TO render any assistance, had
died in British waters, Mr.. Grape would
have been tried for manslaughter. Ile
trusts that Crapo will not be made much
OF in this country, having exposed a
woman to such thoughtless hardship
and suffering.