The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-12
New York IIeraId.1

New York Herald
Richard Mcdonald, first officer OF tb,
British bark County Of Richmond, which
left New York October 80 with cargo Of
coal for ST. Thomas, and was wrecked al
sea, arrived in this city yesterday from Bos.
ion. He and seaman Of the bark, named
Harry Lang, the sole survivors, were pick.
ed up from raft, after seven days expo
sure and suffering, by the bark Leandro
Captain Gaudalich, and taken into Boston
The story told Uy Mcdonald illustrates In
a terrible manner the perils OF the sea. He
was found yesterday afternoon at No. q
east Twenty-tblrd street.-the residence OF
his sister-and was only partially recovered
from the effects OF bis wonderful struggle
with the winds and waves.
The County OF Richmond had crew OF
nine men, all told, and left Elizabethport,
n. j., on October. 81 for the Island OF St.
Thomas. The crew comprised Captain,
James X. Mcdonald; First Officer, Richard
McDonaid "a cousin OF the captain); Second
Officer, Samuel Mcdonald "a brother OF the
csptain); Steward, William Barton, and
seamen, Harry Lang, Hans Crane, Albert
Larson, Daniel Lewis, and Henry Nreen.
The seamen were all shippei from this city.
On October 14tb, after a series OF severe
gales and rough seas, the bark was found 10
| be in immediate danger Of laundering. BY
O'Clock at night The crew had given up all
hopes OF keeping her aflOat, and took mea-
sures for saving themselves. In the heavy
gale which preceded the laundering OF the
vessel one Of the two boats carried by the
bark had been smashed by the sea, which
constantly broke over her. The other boat,
however, was capable of holding sixteen
men and a sufficient amount Of stores to
| last that number for eight or nine days. In
the afternoon an attempt was made to
launch her, bat il proved a failure, as the
boat was instantly swamped Shortly after
the swamping OF the boat the bark went
down suddenly, stern foremost. What oc-
CURED after was told by First Officer Nc
Donald to a Herdid reporter yesterday after
Boon as he sat in an invslid.chair and re-
called his seven days experience without
food or water on the Atlantic.
ONLY TWO .AFLoAT.
"When our vessel went down." said Mr..
Mcdonald, "the wind had moderated con-
| siderably, although the sea was running
very high and was washing over us every
minute. We all knew that she was going
down, and each Of us was casting about for
some means TO save himself. ! was stand.
| ing on the fore-rail, holding on TO the star
board fore shrouds. Before the sinking |
| had secured a ladder and had lashed cou-
ple OF planks TO IT. This | bad with me
when / saw that the bark was sinking. The
rest of the crew were running about the
deck, some Of them not seeming to know
what they were about, and some apparently
mute with peril. threw the ladder over.
board and sprang after it. was tossed
twenty feet from 1t by an immense
wave. but swan to it and man
aged TO get hold OF it, and as
| | did so saw another man holding on. lie
was bareheaded, and cried out 10 me TO
cling fast. This man was Harry Lang, n
seaman Of the bark. We both kept hold Of
The ladder until the forecastle deck, which
had fOated from the wreck, drfted near US,
when we let 60 and swan to it. This deck
was about thirteen feet long and eight
broad and afforded us some room and a
comparatively safe refuge. When we gained
| it we both looked about for the rest OF the
crew, but could see nothing OF them. Cap.
tain Mcdonald and all but IN, self and Lang
uuqnestionabiy went down with the vessel.
A few spars were in sight, tossed about by
the waves, but no living being was visible.
GAS large as our raft was the heavy sea
tossed it about like cork. and we were in
minute. We managed, however, to lash
ourselves TO it. the sea keeping US drenched
all the time. had been suffering for some
time before with a sore leg, and the salt
water increased the pain very much. To
relieve this and protect my leg took of
my flannel undershirt and wrapped it about
my legs. We remained lying down on the
| raft until IL O'Clock the next day. AT 12
O'Clock I got up, and by steadying myself
with hand on Lang managed to look around
the horizon. AS soon as l stood up cried
out that there was a sail in sight A second
glance showed me that it was a bark
under full sail, but that we had not
been seen, and that she was bearing away
from US. By this time thirst had begun to
tell on both OF us, though Lang bore up
wonderfully and did not complain at ALL
Whom he stood up with me and we saw that
the vessel in sight was slowly receding from
us we looked ut each other aud sank down
upon the raft. We bad nothing with which
| TO make q signal but the flannel shirt
wrapped about my legs. took this off and
| tried to wave it TO the bark, but it was not
seen. In two hours, when l looked again,
she was out OF sight.
"From this time until the sixth day of
our stay upon the raft | cannot tell how the
| time passed. When thirst tortured us too
much we rinsed our mouths with sea water,
which seemed TO relieve US. Our mouths
and tongues were par iched and swollen. and
| the sun was beating down upon us. Lang
| had only his shirt, which was n shreds, and
an old pair OF pantaoons on, and suffered
from the cold as well as from thirst and
hunger. He stood it brayely, however, aud
tried to cheer me up, although was in bet
ter condition than himself. His face on the
fifth day was 'blisiered aud his lips were
| black. My own were little better. After
the third day neither OF us suffered so
much from hunger as might have been
| expected. II was the thirst that tormented
| us. From this there was not minutes
rest. During the third and fourth days the
sea was almost perfectly calm. The sun
beat Gown upon the sea and almost blinded
| us by us reflection. On the fifth day we were
| both too weak to stand up unassisted, but
we still managed TO keep lookout for a
sail. Lang would sit up on the raft aud l
would stand behind him. and by placing
my bands upon his shoulder could sup
port myself and look over the sea. This
we did alternately and az intervals during
the day. At night we sat side by side upon
the raft.
THREATENED BY SHARKS.
"The second day, while the bark was In
sight, we saw near the raft number OF fn-
back sharks and some OF larger size. They
splas bed and played about the raft for hours
at q time, and seemed, rs Lang said, wait