The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-12
A TALE FOR TEARS.
UNPRECEDENTED SUFFERING or A
GRRAAN ships CREW.
For Days they survive ON Nothing
bot Scraps OF Leather, After XII.
Ing And EAlInE the CapIaIn's
DOg-SAd Recital OTIheIr
Dread Experience,

New YoRK, April 1.-THE steamer Ne.
bo, from Rio Janeiro, arrived to-day. tire.
ports having fallen In with the bark Tiger,
from Liverpool, for Baltimore, II days.
She was cut OF provisions and the Nebo
supplied her. The crew were In most de-
plofable condition, having sustained life
Tor several days on strips ofleRther soaked
In lamp oil till the oil gave out, and then
on the Captain's dog, after which there
was nothing but cannibalism aud death
staring them In the face. To add to their
suffering two vessels passed several days
before within short distance, but paid no
attention 10 their signals OF distress.
As the steamer Nebo came up with the
Tiger they saw the latter lowering boat.
Alter Rome moments OF hard struggling
she came alongside. Her occupants were
dressed In oll.sEins and evidently very
weak.
"What do you wAnt2" sang out Captain
Gordon.
ave are starving to death we are starv.
Ing 10 DEATH" exclaimed o man in the
stern sheets, exCitedly.
"Dld you say you were starving2" de.
manded the Captain again, In surprise.
ANoI W. AlP uNht aVpI hAlto 10 ull We
have had to eat In nine days"
OF the men held up q piece Of boot leather.
"God help usI" exclaimed Captain Cor
don, "come on board right away, and we
will do what we can for you"
A ladder was lowered and the meu
helped aboard the Nebo and given food,
A young German, commander Of the
Tiger, told the Captain Of the EebO that
he had been l24 days out from Liverpool
with o cargo oil common salt, and he had
been In Q most dreadful condition. He
was bound to Baltimore, had made Cape
Henry early In January and was blown of
the shore into the Guli, Stream. From ihsn
they had been tossed hither and thither
by the winds andcurrents. He had twelve
men before the mast, all Of whom had dis.
played the utmost fortitude under the
most trying circumstances The provls.
ions ran short one month ago; the beef
gave out FIRST and then the bread Nine days
ago, that Ia nine days bOfore spoken by
the Eebo, the last drop OF water WAS drank,
and then three days later everything, even
10 boots and BhoeP, had been devOured.
They were literally without bite or sup.
The Captains dog was killed, skinned
and eaten, and then lots were cast for the
cat. The poor beast was saved by the
Captain himself, who bssought the men
not to destroy 1t. The starving men
spared the cat, and cut up their boots and
soaked thsstrips In lamp oil aud ate them,
This horrible food gave out, and then the
poor wretches eyed each other suspic cinus-
y and huugrily, aud would have killed
the cat could they have found It, hut the
Captain hid II, aud tho pangs OF hunger
we're unappeased for five dAya. Some Of
the men meditated suicide. God knows
how many OF them thought OF murder
and Canniballsm Had the steamer not
came to the rescue tho Captain Of
the Tiger said he thought some.
thing more terrible than starvation
would have been enacted on board.
The Nebo sent o months provisions on
board. When the first boat load arrived
the mate leaped on the Tiger eating q
biscuit. He WAS pounCel upon by his
shipnates, who literally iouRht like dogs
Tor cracker. Then they rushed on the
other provisions, and tore them III the
same way, ga furnished wolves might have
done. The officer oil tho Eebo adds: We
got provisions on board and set them at
large once more. They shook the reefs ont
Of their top sails, set their top gallant sails
and steered In our wake. The wind was
right oft, but the vessels bottom was 80
full Of barnacles that she could not make
much headway. She was Hble 10 get along,
however, and when last we saw her she
was signalling adien and thanks.