Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-08
Out of the Depths.

William Buder, survivor of tn
crew of the United States corvette
Huron, wrecked nearly a year ago oI
the Carolina coast, north of Cape Hat
teras, spins the following romanti,
sailors yarn: "Mv name is William
Buder, and i am a Norwegian by birth
and % years of age. | enlisted in tn,
navy as landsman at Philadelphia oil
the 2Sth of August, 1877, and was sen
on board the receiving ship st. Louis
Soon after 1 was transferred TO the re.
ceiving ship Colorado, at the Brooklyn
navy yard, New York. and remained
there about four months. Just before
the Huron sailed from New York on
her way to Norfolk, en- route for Ha-
wanna, | was transferred on board OF
her. ! was in the first gun division
and belonged to the foretop, but do not
remember the name of the division.
was at the wheel when the ship struck.
| was sent there at twelve o'clock to
relieve the man ahead of me. With the
accident everything became confused to
my mind. | can't recollect distinctly,
but some time during the night l re-
member finding the balsa blown up
somewhere forward, with line at
tached to it. Probably it had been
made ready by Mr.. Young, or for him.
as he afterwards attempted 10 carry the
line ashore with il. At the time
reached it it was guarded by Antonio
Williams, seaman, a Spaniard, who was
afterwards saved. | tried to cut the
line and throw the balsa overheard, but
was driven away by Williams. after
wards saw Mr.. Young overheard with
the balsa. | can't say how long after
the vessel struck all this took place.
believed | was the last man on board.
While it was still dark | saw spar,
probably the mizzentOpmast,f fall over
board. | was in the main rigging at
this moment. and jumped overheard
after tbe spar. succeeded in reaching
it, and lashing myself to it with my
handkerchief. An ordinary seaman by
the name of Jesse Roll, Spaniard,
clung TO the spar with me. We drifted
out TO sea with the spar, which easily
supported both OF us, and the sea bad
gone down enough 10 make it smooth
enough for us both to hang on. But
Roll became exhausted, and let go and
was lost. At the end of twenty-fOur
hours, as near as / can rerember, /
was picked up by the Norwegian bark
Forto, Captain l.. &. Skore. do not
doubt was twenty-four hours on the
spar. for was picked up in the fore
noon, and the time was longer than the
first morning of the accident. The
captain afterwards told me that | was
sixty miles from shore when he picked
me up. The bark was bound TO Chris
Norway, and made the voy-
age in about two months. When | was
picked up was almost exhausted.
remember first seeing the bark coming,
and then the man at the wheel, TO
whom | threw up my arms. | remem
ber the captain looking through his spy
glass, and thea being taken on board.
hardly able TO stand" He says that
he did not recover his strength during
the voyage, but continued sick and eX-
When he got to Norway he
made his way home, where his mother
took care of him and put him in hos
pital. He lay in the hospital six
On his recovery his brother
him with some money and
and he shipped on the same
vessel-the Forto-which had rescued /
him.