The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-12-24
A SUPREME HORROR.
Loss Of the Ship NOnantum. nnd the
Frightful Fate that Befell Her

i.oss Of the ship NOnantum, md the
FriwhtfuI Fate that Bcfell Her
Crew.
[st John IN. F.) Telegram to Chicago Tribune.l
BY the arrival of the royal mail steamer
Curlew from st. Georges bay, on the west
coast OF newfoundland, your correspondent
has received the full details Of one of the most
dismal and heartrending disasters that has ever
been chronicled.
During the terrific gale OF last week the ship
Nonantum, Of 1000 tons burden, bound to Mar.
settles, was lost near the Highlands Of st.
Georges bay, and became q total wreck. Her
whole crew, numbering seventeen, with the ex-
ception Of two persisted miserably of cold, hum
ger and exposure to the inclemency OF the
winter skies. The two survivors are the mate
and one of the seamen. AS soon as the ships
company discovered that there was not the
slightest hope of saving the ship they took to
their boats, eleven taking refuge in the lie
boat and the remaining six IN the second boat:
The third boat was stove In and swamped
alongside the bark.
DIR. Malcolm, who attended the sufferers, tells
] the following storys
! was called on Thursday last to attend the
| two survivors, whose limbs were badly frost
bitten, and will probably have to be amputated.
During the intervals of their agony gathered
! the story of their sufferings from the time they
abandoned their vessel till reached them, in
the hope Of somewhat mitigating their pains.
The names of the two survivors are George
Kadger, first officer of the ship, and a native
of Plymouth, England. and Patrick Dooley,
an ordinary seaman, native OF Car
pushed away from the side OF the wreck" said
Kadger, "when our boat upset and we
were all plunged into the water. We
managed, however, to right her, but lost
everything We had in the boat provisions water,
oars, clothing, and even our rudder. Yet we
were very fortunate i'll being able to right her at
all. We were then in a terrible condition.
Neither compass, nor rudder, nor oars. nor
bread, nor water. nor even dipper to remove
the water from the boat, now more than half
filled. We were compelled to take our coats off 10
bale her out, which We succeeded in dong afts
some three or four hours OF hard work. We we're
finally driven ashore, and tossed high and dry,
without having sustained any serious acci-
dent or injury. After being on shore O couple
Of hours, our cook, a colored man, who had
shown signs of exhaustion all night, died, and
we buried him Oh the seashore. The remain
ing ten OF us climbed up the cliff III the hope
! of seeing some sign OF token that might lead
us to path or road that would in the long-run
enable us 10 find out some settlement. When
we reached the top of the cliffs nothing met
our eyes but Il long extent of low woods, across
which nothing could be seen that would indicate
any vestige of human life for miles at least
in any direction. After travelling about in vain
for six days without food or fire. and INSULT
cient clothing, with the little strength that yet
! remained 10 us we made rude camp of ever
green boughs and lay down to die, believing
that wa ould never see human face again,
except during q few short hours our own hag-
gard and hunger pinched visages. After n
little rest through the night, that brought little
refreshment, we all determined to make one
final effort to rescue ourselves from death in
those solitary wilds.
1T was now Friday morning, and with shak-
ing limbs and all the agony Of hunger we rose
one by one from our chilly pallets and started
once more in the hope OF reaching some human
habitatlon, but we were now starving and
broken-dovn crew. One by one dropped in the
snow, to remain there forever few took
different course from us, but quickly disap-
peared, and we knew that they had sunk
down upon the cold ground, never to rise
from it again. The Captain and myself and
Dooley alone remained of the whole eleven
who were washed ashore in the life-boat. The
Captain did not stand long. Bi5 feet were
frost-bitten so that he had to give up, and we
left him behind. Dooly had no boots on
nothing but pieces OF canvas wrapped around
his feet, and his feet were terribly swollen with
the frost, and 1 was afraid / should be soon
alone. But Dooey proved himself 10 be an
iron man, and we held on till evening, when we
lay down, but it was not long before the joyful
view of two human beings approaching US
greeted our sight"
The two men proved to be two travellers from
st. Georges bay. They were well equipped
with food and other refreshments. A fire was
quickly lighted. refreshing cup of tea pre-
pared, and bread and cold meat produced,
which had All almost-magical effect Oh the dy-
ing sailors. Kadger and his dying companion,
Dooley made a comparatively vigorous effort
10 get up, and the influence of warm room
had the effect Of reyiving their almost-sus-
pended animation. Kadger told, in feeble ac-
cents, to the welcome visitors the sad
story OF his own sufferlngs and those OF his
companions. He and DOoley had been ten
days without food. They had left the Captain
and four other soamen in a ravine some two
miles distant. Kadger and Dooley, after being
somewhat refreshed by the beverage adminis-
tered to them, were brought to the nearest set
Element and kindly cared for. Immediately a
party was improvlsed to go in search of the
Captain and the other seamen indicated by
Kadger AZ lying half-frozen in the neighboring
ravine. After very dlgent search the local
ity where these perishmg wretches lay
was discovered, but all save the Captain
were locked in the ri 5idity Of death. The Cap
tain was badly frozen, but still showed sufficient
evidences Of vitality to warrant the hope that
life might be spared. The bodies of the dead
were rs decently buried In the lone gorge as
was possible with the meager means at disposal
Capt Johnson was then carried TO the neigh
boring settlement by the rescuing party, but
had hardly reached the warm hearths and hos
pitabe homes Of the jewellers amid the High
lands, when he died, after hours Of protracted
agony.
1t was noticed by the search-party, before
burying the companions of the Captain in the
solitary gorge where they were fcIud, that the
arm OF one man was completely eaten to the
bone. N If the poignant agonies OF starvation
had melted the loathsome and abhorrent appe-
title of cannibalism. Kadger and Dooley are
both badly trost-bitten, and both are suffering
from pulmonary congestion. They are likely
to follow soon after their companions ia suffer-
ing. and thus complete the round Of this terri
bic Tragedy.
AA0tLor New PlAn,.