Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-22
THE WRECK OF THE BIRKENHEAD.
What tho Struggle for Life i'm the
Trying Time of Shipwreck
Develops In Men.

from the New York Werld.l
Stories of men and sailors insisting on
saving themselves in time of peril at
sea. in selfish disregard OF the weaker
women and children. are by no means
in the annals OF marine DIS
is rs much as to say that
tho instinct OF self-preservatIon will in
many men assert itself superior on occa
sion to more heroic passions and prompt
ings. There is on record the case of the
London, which ioundered in 1866 in the
Bay of Blscay, where the seamen un-
dertook to save themselves and depart
ed In the only boat-three engineers,
one fireman. one midshipman. one car
penter, eight sailors. a steward and a
boy-tsking three passengers. friends OF
their number, and leaving to go down
with the fated craft $50 men, women
and children. There is q much later and
more local instance, in our own south
ern waters, where, q vessel taking fire,
the cooks, walters and stokers seized the
boats and escaped. But, on the other
hand, there are to the full as many in
stances recorded where discipline stern
ly commanded and Loyalty consented to.
or manly obedience to heroic instincts,
has proved the salvation OF the help
less. ....-
It was at y o'clock on the morning OF
the 26th of February, 1858, that the
troopship Birkenhead. having on board
large number OF soldiers, with usual
proportion Of women and children, 63l
souls in all, struck en- a rock near Point
Danger. Cape OF Good Hope. and filed,
Capt. SalmOnd was in command of the
r,l -
Highlanders. Of the soldiers. OF course
the pins of the davlts had rusted and the
larger boats could not be launched. but
two cutters and a gig were got out and
manned, and the women and children
placed in them The colonel sum-
moned his officers to consultation and
impressed upon them the necessity of
composure and OF preserving discipline
among their men to the very last. At
this moment the ship parted, and tho
Zero part went down, and the word was
passed that further effort was in vain !;
let each do the best he could to secure
his individual safety. A few men jump
ed overheard, but the remainder collect
ed on the poop, soldiers and seamen
alike, steady, quiet and resolute." The
captain retained his post. cool and col
lected, as il there We're still a ship un-
der him, and Col. Seton. with his drawn
sword in hand. stood in the gangway to
cut down any one who might endeavor
TO force his way toward the boats.
When the ship ree.ed and quivered ere
going down, Capt. Salmond shouted,
''Let all who eau swim now try to save
themselves'' One man exclaimed,
"Make for the boats!" us he threw him.
self into the waves, but the colonel and
his officers entreated their men-and not
in vain-not to attempt an entrance into
the boats. which were already fully
loaded with women and children. The
officers now shook hands and took leave
OF one another. when, on sudden, The
vessel broke again crosswise abaft the
mainmast, and the poop, reeling over
with l1rch. plunged beneath the wa
ter, only twenty minutes from the
time she struck. The captain was brainec
by falling spar; the colonel wa!
drowned, and OF the hundreds so rudely
awakened. only 148 lived to tell th'
story of the Birkenhead, but among
them were all the women and all til,
children. This splendid tale has beer
put into heroic verse by soldier poet
the late Sir F. Hastings Doyle:
our good colonel gave the word, and ther
| Formed US in lins-to die
There rose no murnur from the ranks, n
| thought
By shameful strength unhonored life to seek;
Our post to QUIT We were not trained, nor laugh
] To trample down the weak.
So We made women with their children go.
~, The oars ply back again and yet again;
| Whilst, inch by inch. the drowning ship SAM
! low.
| Still under steadts at mon
| What followed why recallf Tho brave who died
Died without dlnchiDg in the bloody surf;
| They sleep as well beneath that purple tide
4 As others under turf.
They sleep as we'll; and. reused from their will
grave,
Wearing their wounds like stars, shall rIs
i ugaia,
Joint heirs with Christ. because they bled {