St. Landry democrat., 1879-06-28


Hamburg line, that run into and sunk
the S>trath-C -Clyde, two years ago, Ill the
ENGLISH Channel. He was tried before
and English court Of Inquiry, but was
acquitted Of responsibility for the col
lision. He however lost his position as
captain.
A trunk that had been picked up
served q double purpose. The weary
men took turns in sitting OH it, their
weight pressing it down below the
surface of the water on the paddle box.
In it was found Il piece Of white cloth.
This cloth was tied to 4 splinter, about
six feet long, torn from the paddle box,
and held up by each OF the party III
turn. Sitting partly under water, with
the waves breaking about them through
the open sides of the paddle box, some
of the party We're able to sleep. Capt.
evening. Some of those who died
seemed to sink from sheer exhaustion.
Others lost their reason, Aboutan hour
before daylight on Friday morning
(Sept. 29,) the three survivors saw Il
vessels light. All Of them hailed in
concert until they were worn out but
the light disappeared in about il GUAR
ter of an hour. SoHn after daylight a
bark was seen bearing down upon them;
but before her hull came in sight she
changed her course, and they saw her
no more. Not long after ali hopes of
being rescued by the bark had gone,
Capt. Luce, i'll scanning distant fog
bank through Il long stretch Of clcal
atmosphere, suddenly, as it seemed to
him, saw the sails OF a ship standing in
an arch of the fog, like q picture in Il
round topped frame. appeared to be
bearing down upon him, but it was
SO far away that its hull was not visible.
The sight only troubled him at first,
because all that morning visions of
beautiful children, naked and with
cherub faces, had been appearing TO
him. Whether lie shut or opened his
eyes he could see these children, either
floating in the air or dancing on the
waves. His eyes We're yet capable of
seeing correctly the real objects by
which he was surrounded, aud his rea-
son was sound. Yet when lie saw 4
ship 50 wonderfully framed and bearing
down upon him he could not help think
ing it was an illusion born of his homes.
When, however, he directed the atten-
ton Of Allen and kyne to that part Of
the horizon, they SAW it also. SO
strongly did the spectacle impress Nh.
Allen that he afterWard made Il drawing
Of it from memory. This ship proved
to be the Cambria, from Glasgow,
bound to Montreal, Capt. John Russell,
who ut another time commanded the
Jessie Stevens, ansi was himself rescued
at sea hy Capt. Nye Of the Pacific.
Finally, her lull hove in sight. She
continued to approach steadily. About
noon she was seen to stop. The object
OF this step was to pick up q man on
piece of wreck. This man was the
French sailor from the Vesta, who had
been drawn up on board the Arctic
after his boat had been crushed bv the
Arctic's paddle wheel. 1t happened
that one person in the Cambria could
speak French. That was Mrs. Walker.
the wife of a Montreal clergyman, who,
with her husband, was returning from
Scotland. Through her as an interpre-
ter Capt. Russell soon learned the cir
cumstances OF the wreck, and began a
search for survivors,.
Not long after the ship resumed her
course she sent up a flag which Capt.
Luce knew was an answer to his signal
on the paddle box, and at o'clock, after
being on the paddle box two nights and
two days, the three men We're rescued.
The others rescued by Capt. Russell were
a ScOtchman named James Smith of
Jackson, Miss, and five Of the Arctic's
1iremans. Smith afterwar,I related that
all day on Friday until he was res
cned he was constantly seeing stretches
of green lawns with beautiful shade
trees and trimmed hedges. He always
seemed to be approaching the lawn and
about to streti fortl, his hand to open a
gate leading to it. He said he had not
lost his reason and had full sense Of
his condition and Surroundings. The
Cambria, with its nine rescued men, ar
rived at QHebeck Oct. H. Third Officer
Dorian and the crew of the Iifeboat were
rescued hy the Huron.
The Vesta, though her bow had been
knocked off below the water line, was
saved by a Watertight bulkhead, which
kept the middle and after parts of her
hold free from water. She was thus able !
to steam to st. Johns, Newfoundland. !
several persons whom she had |
rescued from the Arctic. She was bound
from st; Pierre, Newfoundland, to Gran
vile, France, where she was owned !
The boat in which First Officer Gourlav |
was sent to the Vesta was afterward |
picked up and brought to New York. |
1t was Heating empty with the oars. |
1t has always been u problem what !
could have become of GOurlay and his !
crew. Had they been picked up by a :
vessel, the boat which was in good con- |
dition, would also have been hauled on
board Had the boat been eapsized the |
oars would not have been found in the |
bottom. 1t is conjectured that all but
one having died and been castoverboarl. /
The last one must have leaped overheard .
in delirum. Others suggest that the crew
may have been picked up by vessel in
D state OF wreck, and which subsequently
went down with all on board.
The loss Of the Arctt was one of a
series OF disasters which resulted in the
up Of the Collins line of Amer
can steamships. Some Of the engineers
chat abandoned the vessels found en-
Dioyment in the Novelty Iron Works,
md the firemen, who we're ranked as
aborers, found work afterward at vari-
BUS places, their conduct during the dis
lster not being much inquired into.
Their behavior and that of the sailors,
who also were little better than day la
0orers hired to make a round trip, was
generally imputed to lack Of discipline,
or which the company and not they
we're responsible. Capt. Luce was blam-
ID for not being able TO enforce aisei-
oline, but admiration of his coura &c and
oyerballanced the thought
# his possible faults in the minds of the
greater part Of his community. He de-
lined the public reception tiIat vas ten
Tered to him.