The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-26

aRfR "Details of the Loss of the Mahel
a Clark ON an Island i'm the south Al
n aantic-The crew saved by the Exer-
tfOns of the Natives-A Peculiar stone.
u WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-A series Of dis
Atches from the United States consul at
8lgapOro have been received at the Depart
z9nt of State relative to the loss of the
lerican ship Mabel Clark. tho heroism dis
Dyed by the inhabitants Of the Island Of
gGtan d'Acunha in reseuing the captain,
zlwife and daughter and the crew OF the
Hated vessel, and certain Observations ms
ed in connection with the island, which
d more like a story than reality.
! he Mabel Clark, owned in New York, sail
from Liverpool, March 20, for Hong Kong,
Zen with coal, and with crew Of twenty
n men all told. The captains wife and a
live year old daughter were also on board.
y had pleasant voyage to the first of
when, during heavy storm of wind
rain, the ship struck on tho breakers of
a Island OF Tristan dAcunha, at 8. m.,
filled SO rapidly that those on board had
3ely time to escape to the rigging, where
Ay remained till daylight AS soon as the
a,ning broke and the island became dis
Hlible, two seamen, Chas. Harris and Frank
4lth, made an attempt to reach the shore
Sh line, but were drowned in the breakers
ting the afternoon the captain, mate and
A' sealnen reached shore by swimming with
laid Of the inhabitants, who dragged them,
ak and exhausted, out Of the breakers.
d second mate, Hitchcock, and q seaman
he'd Brant0n, were drowned in attempting
Teach the shoree But for the heroism Of
Il inhabitants in rescuing from rocks,
bskers and floating stones the exhausted
Sbnmers, not man could have reached the
IRE alive.
3tevous to leaving the ship the captain
H lashed his wife and child to the rigging,
D all efforts to reach them from shore had
ed. AS the night of the first of May set
aid the ship hold together, those in the
fln9 of the vessel could survive the
i'm Of sleet and snow which shut them out
IN the island,
Rne feelings of those on the Mabel Clark
That wild night may be imagined. When
lining dawned the ship was still there, with
aits helpless sufferers still lashed to the
s8ltic captain. with his wife and child dying
Berhaps dead before his eyes, aided by that
l#1 OF his crew which was with him. to
s8;h the ship had failed, some OF the natives.
IN q perseverance and herOiSm worthy OF all
sAse, by a circultous route managed to bear
I'm on the Mabel Clark, about IL O'Clock,
III succeeded in taking every soul Off, after
lashed to the rigging thirty four hours,
3 brought them ashore in safety, with the
option of one seaman, who was found dead
ia ed to the shrOudS.
R#8iStan d d'ACumna is q small island, thirty
rs in circumference, situated in the South
A Antic ocean, 1900 miles southwest from the
sSe OF Good Hope. The nearest land is un-
4 British protection, and inhabited by about
ZEN families. Forty-eight days after the
sklng of the Mabel Clark the Cambrian
arch, an English ship, took the captain
s his wife and daughter and several Of the
M On board and brought them to Singa-
Il, leaving seven seamen still on the island,
sS8 having been drowned and two having
3 lously been taken off by the British ship