The Benton weekly record., 1880-10-08
ArsRsHs,B' 4b7N q BsssaTHf
a Taatcsaing story of f1se st7sa.

p,ral< s4.ao.a. siae sintieE 1T tlst sen has ]
snv thing tnorntouching hocn tGli' thah
sin.,,n z;.if published in she FTtsnn q IL
,7ia some wears ago, US having bett ra1rat-
ed by a seaman-one Aaron Fraser, sur
yfvor of the ship Rotl1esat, which was
by her crew on the 3otn OF
June. three days after casting OFT the tug
boat from Calcutta. At twelve o'clock on
the 10th. the pilot expressed an OPINION
that they were overtaken bp>a cyclone,
and as next day the vessel was found III |
critical condition, tire crew were Iashed 10
tbe nasts for safety Frascr's narrative /
proceeds: -.@ z.-4:.5r+..s
ssThe pilot then asked for volunteers 70
build a raft; the chief mate lWho was the
caDtain's SOM myself, and the boatsWain, /
and 4 seaman named john Roach, volln- |
teered for the work Within two nours
we had the raft ready for launching TO
vindwaul, when Il heavy sea took It from
off the bulwarks, iloated it over the slde,
ar the same time breaking the captain
/ LEG in two places, washing the second
officer overheard, ana fatally crushing the
boatswain's mate. After the raft was
launched. we. c.lowered the captain tendcrly,
and secured him: but, as nc sad ne 1elt
| FRAT he had not more than an hour or so
! TO live, he requested 70 be placed AGAIN on
hoard as he wished TO 90 down with me
/ shin. The chief officer This soh,} anu
boatsWain and some others OF inc crew,
! also remained on board. -.....-,....: VI
! s-st.Ihc sea at this time vas fast 1usa'hs!
| into the Ships matches, and she was al
| most down to waters edge. the pnot OF
i 7cre,l ali the men who desired TO get on
the raft. when thirteen of the crew dla So
i Ple r;ft was then asterll Of the ship, lleld
BIZ i rope. | jumped Oft the stern, ana
made for the raft: the pilot followed me,
and he was the last man to leave the snip.
The pilot ordered the haWser to DC cut
1 and within an hour afterWard "es saw the
vessel keel over and so down. .s.4.-.4;
'EWc ,lliited all that day ana night
heavy seas breaking over MS. we were
all up to our chns in water, as, having s 50
many men upon it, the raft 1toated low
All this night Pilot Elson, being Ver}
powerful swimmer, swan round the rat'
!, | in order to see to the lashings, which rq-
7 ouircd constant attention. At Two IN ttfe
morning. olc man, a Greek, Peter Lecol4
q / was washed off the raft by 4 heavy brcaFf'
or: the pilot Immediately made for hinl
q and brought him back: one or TWO lnoft
:, men, similarly washed off, were also savee
4 by Pilot Elson.
s>Thc pilet then suggested that T'
should remove the three booms, which il
O part held our raft from the top, ana .
. these booms make smaller raft to rellcF
r. the men OH the larger one. The mel
G were all suffering from the salt water, tia
/. raft being so deep in the water. L q
70 pilot, myself 4 seaman named John b'''
o. Ter. and another London seaman naIH
= not known.) who shipped in Calcuttf
Q took to the small raft, and after getting 0
70 to her VIC lost sight of the large raft. ou
small raft was made of the three boom
aforesaid, and was in the form OF q trial
q. gle. During the night fetched IN ever
piece of wood that floated past us, 70 IN
prove the buoyancy Of our raft.
10 esToWard the morning OF the I'd, W1c
c. the sun began to increase in power, Il
~ two men seated at one corner OF the tr1al
q ole became dclirious, and allowed I'll
,f- lashines to 90 atlrift. Later on, the fhrt
on sDars Of the raft got separated, and
er swimming about in heavy surf TO S
in these together again, the pilot and D.
by came very nauch exhausted. At aoo
az four o'clock q heavy sea washed OF one
sr, the delirious men, and within IN ho'
he after the other man shared the same 1;l'
mt T then observed to Pilot .Elson that
nd were the only two men LETT, ana inu
ai- tlv and fight it out, when he replle
lst %! Fraser, I can't hold out any longe
lc- I replied, tPilot, you mustn't give up tf
at way. [ will see to the lashings; you
Ike main quiet further said, IF you tEi
ase you cannot hold on, can lash you OF
ity Hc then made some exclamation abo
his poor wife, and said, I will hold on
,us ssI thee turned to make fast the las1ln:
red when !; heavy sea broke upon us
ate knocked him off. made for him
sufficient time to lay hold Of him by
an- hair of the head, but. my hand slipE
de from the raft. I found it impossible
en- hold him. and was forced to let him |
we'd as [ had great difficulty III regaining
his raft. then got thesra I: little togeth
the and lashed myself to it. | scarcely kll
and at the time what I was about, being
res exhausted, and felt that was about
for share the fate of my companions. | G.
not say how long | remained on inc !
ked after this, for I became senseless.
eventually next laorning1 | found
= self high and dry on the beach, the par
it near the Balasore road, and about
ost- teen miles from Contai. I managed
dar walk ON to d small house on the be
Oh ahaut two miles distant, where lear
&c that of the eleven men on the big /:
eight had come ashore and three had b
you washed off. -
II is gratifying TO learn that some or
me leading firms of Calcutta, have atartt
subscription for the widow and clllle
of Elson, whose heroism and self-sacrl
ouh in nerilous circumstances. arc bey
nter praise. -------------
Meant Him.
ainst
yvny1~ Il