The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-05-06
A Thrilling Story Of the Sea.

Captain George Beal is the only sur
vIvor oil nine persons ON board the brig
Lizzie M. Merrill, which sailed from
New YORK Tor New Orleans, and found-
cred during heavy storm. When she
went down l sank with the vessel u con-
siderab bleldepth," says Cap. ain Beal, "and
when l reached the surface again l saw
the liteboat, which l had launched as
soon as the deck was stove, about twenty
yards to the leeward of me, with the
second mate and one sailor in it, but they
could not pull to me to take me in, as
they had lost the oars. l saw the mate
and another sailor get upon some pieces
OF wreckage, and l got on some pieces
myself which had broken from the deck
OF the after house. They were about
eight feet long and two feet broad. On
these L gradually drifted away from the
liteboat, Had the mate and his only
companion in the boat even light bill
let OF wood they could have turned their
boat so as to reach me and we would
cling together in life or death. At one
time l had formed the resolution to
jump off the raft and swim to the boat
but the distance was too great and the
sea was running. Life was too sweet to
take such risk.
Toward evening Tthrew up my hands
every two or three minutes to encourage
them and they returned the signal. We
must have been then a mile apart, and
the gap was steadily widening. As
night was falling and they were fading
from my sight the first feeling of terror
crept over me, as felt conscious it was
our last separation, the chances of 1.
rescue being all in their favor. Then
had only a few crackers in my pocket
but, strange to say, from the moment l
began to realize my terrible situation
the feeling of hunger departed. All
night was tossed about till my limbs
so ached that they at last became be-
numbed and | began to fear that would
be washed off. At the same time
strained my eyes all that long night-a
night OF such awful length that l felt
the darkness penetrate my very brain,
and feeling of bewilderment crept over
me. AS l watched and watched for n
light and the day was not returning,
thought l should never gaze upon the
light again. To add to my distressed
condition | was seized with an intense
thirst, which was burning me within. 1
kept my hair, face. neck and chest well
mOistened, and this afforded me great
relief.
All the years of my life seemed
crowded into one of those fearful min
utes. At last when l rememb bered how
much suffering was endured by other
men at sea formed resolution to have
courage in the hope that my companions
of the previous day might have been
picked up and would cause arch Tor
me. Daylight came, but not an object
was visible. All that day l driited
about and my situation was more COM
Portable, as the sea moderated. l ate
two biscuits and found only one w IS
LETT. l was repeatedly seized with u
burning thirst and would have given the
world for IL drink. Atnightfalla faint
ing feeling came over me and I became
unconscious. l do not know how Iong
| remained in this condition but | was
al oused by sharp pain in the let arm
and found it was caught betwe, n the
planks. passed all that night and the
next day and night without tasting
any thing but the remaining biscuit.
AT two O'Clock, on Friday afternoon,
my heart jumped with delight when
sigbteda sail bearing directly down on
me. My arms had become so power
less that 1 was hardly able to signal
with them. At six o'clock boat was
put out, and l was taken aboard the
schooner Harold Haariager, Captain
Rein Kundsen. bound from Richmond,
Va, to Rio Grande del Sui, after hav-
ing been eighty-cne hours floating on
the eight-feet planks."