The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-07


been some rashness or imprudent man
agement, and perhaps some day 1t might
he explained, for it was not probable
that seventeen men In three boats had
all perished.
The alternative now offered to the
unfortunate captain and his two men,
was either to go home on sufierance In
his own ship or to return to Fayal in
the Draco. His wisest course was to
take Captain Nickerson's advice and
follow the fortunes of the bohemia,
though to his peculiar nature the idea
of going home in her in this ignoramus
way was CALLING enough. He listened
to reason at last however, and as there
was prospect of breeze springing up,
the Droco men returned to their own
vessel, leaving him and his men
behind
With this timely re enforcement,
Gorham felt strong handed enough to
sail as he wished, and the voyage across
the Atlantic was made without further
adventures worthy of note. The two
subordinates were jolly enough and
seemed to fall into their old places quite
naturally ; but the old skipper was mo-
rose and sullen most of the time, despite
all the efforts of Gorham to rouse him
into different state of feeling. The
very idea of a ship. master being per-
mitted to work his passage home on
board his own ship in this humiliating
wayl
"Why, feel, ;" he said, I" like pris-
oner of war, with my ship in the
enemy's hands. Yet never abandon
ed my ship. L may say that she aban-
doned me-"
AS soon as the Bohemia arrived off
Sandy Hook, and took pilot, Captain
Deroll slipped quietly away, and hasten
ed Immediately to New Bedford to report
to his owners.
The bark was turned over to the care
of the packet-line agents, and all the
crew were held as witnesses. In the
adjustment of the case, it was consider
ed that the vessel and cargo had been
most effectually lost to her owners at
the time she was picked up, and the
salvors were justly awarded the lions
share of the whole property. Gorham
pocketed handsome sum as his pro-
portionate share and, as it never rains
but it pours, while he was being detain-
ed as witness, a vacancy was opened
by, which he got command of the fine
shin FydeTa, belonging to the same
line of packets as> the Endeo0or, and,
on the return VOYAGE; brought home
the faithful English maiden as his
wife.
But the more tragic part of the stoTy
was not explained until several months
later, and even then but obscurely- A
French merchant-vessel passing across
the North Atlantic had picked up the
wreck of whale boat with one man
nearly starved, clinging to her bottom,
having been several days in that mis-
erable situation. The poor wretch was
kindly cared for, and landed at Brest
and after series of wanderings, at last
hO iNpShNu iio liOiiiC Al btiC hAOlCs3 anu
proclaimed himself the sole survivor of
the Bohemia, not then knowing the
captain and his boats crew had been
rescued. His thrilling story, as given
to the American consul, was that the
mate and second mate giving up the
chase of the captain had struck another
whale, which stove one of the boats so
that she filled and sunk. That the
other boat having also had small hole
knocked in her, and being overcroweded
with twelve men was also in sinking
condition and being then not far from
the ship the most frantic signals were
made for relief. That old Scott, on the
impulse of the moment, lowered away
the spare boat, and imprudently called
all hands into her, leaving the bark to
take care of herself. With shorthand
ed and insufficient crew, the boat made
but slow progress to windward and even
before they reached their comrades, the
stoven boat had filled under them and
rolled over; and just then the fog bank
shut down around them, hiding the
ship from view. Here now were seven
teen souls depending for safety upon q
single frail boat, and in the midst of the
confusion that followed, she also filled
and overturned. The struggle for life
was fearful, as the poor lad described it.
Some were drowned Immediately, and
one by one they dropped off into watery
graves.