The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-11-10
The Strange story oea sen Captain.

Captain John NivoD, of Thorn
town, Indiana, is a grandson of Sir
Hugh Nivcn. OF England, but his
older brother got thcpatrimony, and
John defantlv shipped before the
mast. After many years he rose to
be master Of his vessel, the Ramsey,
and the famous missionary. Adoni-
ram Judson. went % India with
him. Observation-Disclosures Niven
was converted and baptized in Ran
gc0n tlindoostan. soon afterWard
the ship was struck by lightning
and destroyed, Niveu made his
escape to England, where in 1916 he
was intrusted with the ship Earl of
Eglanton, built on the carls estate,
and sent by him ON her first voyage
tothc United States. He was besct
by a terrific storm oil Nantucket Is
land, and after beating about all day
( and night in dense fog, Wertashorc
at Tom Never's Head.
Two boats containing fOurpcrsons
each were lowered. The captain
ordered that they be not launched
until they saw how bad the break
. ers were, but they disobeved him,
and six Of the eight mcn wcre lost.
The islanders haduow arrived. The
breakers drowned their voices, but
they chalkcd ON the tailboard Of q
cart, "Stay aboard, and then Filing
oil an oar The captain followed
directions; the oar, with q line tied
to It, was cast off and caught by q
fish trail; and by that means, q
cable was rugged from the mast
head to the rocks, with @ horses
hames on it. in whaich the men slid
safely ashore. Captain Niycn was
the last man TO leave the wreck,
when the hamcs broke and he was
flung into the sea. The islanders at
once formed 4 line bvholdine hands
and sprang into the breakers after
him. thus bringing him 10 land.
When he heard that six men were
drowned he was temporarily de-
ranged and jumped again into the
boiling waters. Again they rescued
him and put him in custody. lie
was badly bruised and was long
time recovering. The ship was
total loss. Tie returned to Great
Britain, where his friends again
fitted him out and started him on
whaling voyage to the Pacific
There again his vessel went to pieces
in q simeon and he returned, dis
o0n-olatc. to Nantucket. His sea
farin- reputation was badly dam
aged. Indeed, it is probable that
the red letter OF bad luck was set
opposite his name In the records of
the commercial marine of England.
and that he could not have obtained
another ship. 1T any rate he re-
solved to face the sea no more, but
SO &c. as far from it as possible in
some quiet town in the middle of
the continent. 50 he started west
on foot with two dollars in his
pocket Walking the tow-path of
the F. canal, 81 b0atman hailed
him pleasantly with ~Heliowl YOU
are too good looking man to be
walking the tow path. Jump a.
board. Thecaptain jumped aboard
and made himself 50 useful in splic-
ing ropes and putting things in
shape that he was gladly carried TO
Buffalo. There he got a job to rig a .
sIooD for the lake, and received for
it enough to take him to Cleveland. /
There he shoveled sand on the new
roilroad at one dollar a day, was
promoted to the charge Of a gang at +
s1.2j q day. was advanced in the
winter to be school master. and be
came q farmer by slow degrees. and .
is now president of the FIRST Nation
81 bank In Thorutown. Ind. He .
has q handsome home, known rs
Chrome Hill :" but he occasionally .
visits Nantucket and lives over /
again his pcrils and escapes.