The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-24
A Story Of the Sea.

A reporter of the Herald recently
succeeded in finding Capt. Larkin, the
rescued commander of the Maggie from
Portsmouth, England, since reported
abandoned at sea-, and received from
him the following account of the dis
aster which overlook the good brigan-
tine:
"The brigantine l commanded" said
the Captain, % was, thought, a staunch
ship. She was built at Portsmouth, En-
gland, just opposite the Isle of Wight,
and was model for a medium-sized
vessel. do not know what trade she
was originally intended for, but she was
laid up about fifteen months and offered
for sale, and it is possible, yet do not
know, that the oakum had rotted out of
the seams during this idle time and thus
left the sea chance to get the better of
US. There is no doubt that ship like
man, is the worse for not being actively
employed. Well, we started in ballast for
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and
after being out few days we encountered
terrific gales. 1have been a seagoing man
for many years, but the way it blew off the
coast of Ireland, and even when we got rid
of the shore, was something appalling.
We could not send man aloft, and the
decks were washed with such furious
sweep that it was as much as mans life
was worth to venture out of hatchways.
l have been off the coast of Labrador,
where the cold nor'westers sweep across
the waters, and also in the Mediterranean
when the gales blew from the sou'east
and wrinkled the face of the sea, making
it what we sailors call chop, but have
never seen such nasty weather as the
Maggie experienced during our voyage.
When we were about eight days, in the
middle of the dog watch, when for sheer
fatigue had fallen asleep, was startled
by one of the sailors, whom l knew as
Charley calling: Captain! Captain!
we've sprung leakp sprang on deck,
sustaining myself by ropes, and found that
the alarm was not false. The sea was
sweeping over everything; the scuppers
were choked and the water was filling the
cabin and galleys; one of the skylights
broken and there was perfect deluge
of water pouring in the opening. Igave
my orders and soon the crew, six men,
were working CALAMITY at the pumps.
But the water seemed to gain on US.
All that night the next day and the next,
those faithful fellows toiled--I think as
much to save the ship as to save their lives.
Sometime one of them would give way
from sheer fatigue, and then a companion
would go and get him biscuit stepped in
brandy, and by this means revive him so
that he could go to work again Remember
while these bravo fellows wera uorL;,,,
at the pumps the storm was raging, the
sea was pouring in at every open place,
and there was no abatement of the wind
| never realized before what a little raft
a ship was until found myself out in the
raging sea on the brigantine Maggie. But
it was no use; the water was gaining or
US, and as each day dawned and each
night closed in upon us we found we were
filing and it was only question of time
how long we could float. We hoisted sig.
nails of distress about the time, accord
ing to our dead reckoning, we were of
the banks of Newfoundland, but we saw
nothing but the dead waste of seattle
cloudy, misty expanse of water on which
we were rolling like log,
"But when we were in latitude 43 deg.
north longitude SO deg. west, on the 22d
of October, we saw brig III the dis
lance, and at once las far as we we're
able) bore down upon her, renewing our
signals of distress. The vessel proved
to be the Sophia Cook, of Halifax, com
maDded by Capt. John Cook, and as soon
as we approached each other, Capt. Cook
sent boat on board TO inquire into our