Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-16
A BURNED SHIP.
Terrible Experience In An Open
Boat.
San Francisco Bulletin.


Captain Currie, who with his wife and
two young children, together with the
second officer and six seamen of the
British bark Laura, arrived at San Fran
cisco on November 20, from Acapulco,
gives the following account of the burn
ing of the Laura and their subsequent
adventures:
''The first intimation we had of the
danger we were exposed to was seeing
smoke issuing through the ventilator
hatch. Knowing there was nothing
there that could be on fire except the
coal, at once gave orders to bore two
holes in the starboard bow and let in
four feet of water. After time the
smoke ceased, and began to think that
the danger had been overcome and the
fire out l then gave orders to plug the
holes up and pump the ship dry. That
was about eight o'clock in the evening.
Shortly after pumping out one of the
men on watch saw smoke coming out
again. 1t increased SO rapidly that within
an hour it was worse than it had been
before. Anticipating the great danger
we were all exposed to, gave orders to
batten down fore and aft, if possible to
smother the fire that seemed impossible
to put out with water For three days
we watched every aperture, hoping
against hope that the fire had gone out,
but our watching was all to no purpose.
After three days, observing that the vol
ume of smoke which escaped was in
creasing, l determined to abandon the
vessel, fearing that an explosion might
take place at any moment.
81 ordered the boats launched and had
them packed with provisions and water
There were three boats in all. In the
first one was my wife, my two children,
the second officer, five seamen and my
self. In the second boat were the first
officer, the cook and four men, and in
the third boat the boatswain and three
seamen. We were twenty souls in all
on board. That was on Sunday even
ing, October %, three days after we had
first seen smoke. We stayed by the ship
until the smell of gas from - burning
coal was getting so bad - offensive
that it was impossible to stand it any
longer. We were all sick with 1t. We
got into the boats about ten o'clock that
night. The weather was clear and
sea quiet The three boats kept
together all that night and the next day.
But the following night heavy storm
came up with thunder and lightning and
heavy rains. During that night we
parted company, for when morning
broke we could not see anything of the
other two boats. For two days we were
alone. The storm abated and all eyes
were eagerly engaged in scanning the
horizon in search of passing vessel.
Although we saw none our hopes were
strong. Three days had not yet suff1ced
to dampen our hopes and depress our
spirits. But what was our joy on the
third morning after the storm to sight
our other two boats. We set our sails
and heartily congratulated each other,
on coming up, that we had been pre-
served from the deep and permitted to
meet again. We remained in company
again for the following three days, when
we again parted company, perhaps never
to see each other again. What has be-
come of these two boats God only knows.
"For twenty three days we tossed
about on the Pacific, over a thousand
miles from land when we abandoned
the ship. l had given orders to the other
boats to steer the course for Acapulco.
They were supplied with provisions and
water, all they could carry, and with
compasses. l am therefore slightly in
hopes that they may have succeeded in
reaching land-if not Acapulco, some
other point on the Mexican coast or,
better still, they may have been picked
up by a passing vessel. During the
twenty y-three days we were out we hoped
and hoped that vessel would loom up
in sight and save US all from the dread
full sufferings we were experiencing.
Especially so did pray for that for my
wife and children. AS the days wore
by and none appeared we all became
more or less despondent. [ could not
give way to signs or expressions of
dependency, as l felt must cheer
up my wife, children, and the men. The
latter held out bravely. But the burn
ing sun, thirst and fear were too much
for my poor wife. She fell sick, and day
by day became more exhausted. We all
did our best to cheer her up. She strug-
gled bravely for the sake of the little
children. 1t was painful to hear their
walls and cries for water The eldest
one, although only seven, was old
enough to realize to some extent the sit
uation. But the little fellow-only two
years old-he was too young to compre.
hend it, and day after day he would cry,
Mother, mother, give me some
water some waterr His mother
would moisten handkerchief, and put
it to the little fellows lips. AS
it touched them, he would clutch at it
with all the desperation of dying thirst.
But it is hard to tell you all they suf-
fered. Night after night, during those
loug twenty three days and nights, they
would, as l have told you, fall asleep on
their mothers knee, with the words
water, water, expiring on their lips
That was the hardest thing to bear |
have ever yet experienced. May
God protect US from again
having to undergo such dreadful
sufferings. After time our tongues
and our lips began to swell. We men
did not mind it so much, but it added to
the suferings of my wife and children.
Although several days have now elapsed
since we landed in Acapulco, we have
not yet been able-neither wife nor chill
dren-tO wear boots.
cat last we sighted land. Never
could l attempt to describe the feeling
that arose within me as did so. IkneW
that we were nearing land, but did not
know we were so near We were still
hoping to sight vessel. But when we
sighted the coast our very hearts seemed
to go further from US. My wife cried like
a child, and indeed it was hard work for
the bravest of us to keep back the tears,
AS felt that the sutferings Of my wife
and children were nearing an end, ex-
perienced a feeling of Joy and thankful
ness such as never before passed
through my heart. Our thirst
was getting almost intolerable. You can
have some idea how we suffered when l
tell you that one day we succeeded in
capturing turtle. AS we hauled il
into the boat the men actually tore it
into pieces to suck its blood. Not be-
fore, however, asking my wife whether
she would wish some; but she was too
sick at her stomach to attempt that.
When she told the men she could not
suck the blood even to euench her
thirst, the men, as say, tore it to pieces,
each one taking portion and sucking
the dripping blood from it, as though to
wait moment longer would have been
sudden death. One can with difficulty
imagine the intensity of the suffering of
thirst-thirst in a. open boat in a tropi-
cal sea; it is one of the most frightful of
deaths; one that every moment of those
latter days we felt ourselves exposed to.
But, thank God, all things have an end"
-b+-a-+@-
A Bellies WEDDING Miss Nellie
Elnr oIf