Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-31
TOSSED BY THE TORNADO.
The Thrilling Experience of Ship
wrecked Mariners-DarIng Rescue
of the Crews by the Schooner
mOselY.

Captain L. P. Thompson, of the British
brig Alphonse, bound from Cienfuegos,
with cargo of sugar and molasses, for
New York, together with William Sullivan,
the mate, William McCalgan, the cook.
John Molony, Thomas Ross, Harry Miller,
Arthur Stannsrd and John Colson, seamen,
were brought to Charleston by the schooner
NJ. c. Mosely, Captain George W. Dow,
from Boston, on Monday about IL O'Clock,
having been picked up in an open boat off
the North Carolina coast about o'clock on
| Sunday. Captain Thompson's account Of
his shipwreck and narrow escape Of his life,
as given to the Charleston NesOs and Courier,
is thrilling and interesting.
The Alphonse left Cienfuegos on the 9th
instant with large cargo of sugar and mo-
lasses. She experienced light winds and
ealms until she reached the neighborhood of
Jupiter Inlet on the Florida coast. The wind
then sprung up from the eastward and blew
from that direction for twenty-four hours
1t then shifted to the northeast and began
to blow briskly. The Captain tackled his
vessel back and forth until Thursday Just
when the wind freshened to gale. At day
light on Friday the gale increased to a hur-
ricane from the northeast. The Captain then
hove to under short sail and managed to
hold his own until the lower topsail and
main stayssil were blown away. The vessel
then fell in the trough of the sea and
he had to put before the wind and run
under bare poles. She sped along at terrific
speed, now on the top of a gigantic wave
and now seemingly fifty feet down In the
trough. Friday night came and the vessel
was still kept on her southwest course, fly
ing before the storm. As night came on
the difficulties increased. 1t was found i'm
possible to keep light of any kind, aud
the Captain had to trust to Providence and
keep her before the wind without knowing
where she was going. When daylight
dawned on Saturday the Captain
found that he was moving northwest
by north, the wind having changed in
the night. There was no diminution in the
force OF the gale, and the vessel was kept
scudding along before the wind under bare
poles until Saturday afternoon, when the
Captain again hove her 20. For forty four
hours the crew had been at the pumps with
out cessation, and without food or drink or
sleep. The vessel began to leak badly. The
forecastle was washed away, and the seas
began to break over her sides, breaking in
her bulWarks and scattering the hunks and
effects of the seamen. About O'Clock
Saturday afternoon the Captain found that
| the vessel was sinking rapidly.
The men were exhausted and faint for
want of sleep and food, and he himself had
no rest for thirty-six hours As good luck
would have it, about this time the wind
moderated and the sea went down enough
to allow the launching OF the small boat
This was done with safety, and the Captain
mate, cook and crew of five men left the
vessel and got into the boat, not having
even time to secure food, water or clothing,
except such as they had on their hacks, the
vessel not being more than a foot above
water and still sinking Not knowing his
Whereabouts the Captain headed the boat
northwest, hoping to come in sight of land
or strike passing vessel. He was soon out
of sight Of his vessel, the night being very
dark, but knows she must have gone down
very shortly after he left her.
On Saturday night the wind freshened
again, and the rain fell in torrents The
only thing to be done was to keen the boat
before the wind, which was done with diff
Guilty. About midnight the boat shipped
sea which knocked the Captain and mate
under the thwarts and filed the boat half
full of water. Fortunately there were two
buckets aboard, which were used for bail
ing out the water, and the boat was soon
rghted again, and her course was continued
| uorthwestward. at two O'Clock on Sunday
afternoon the Captain sighted vessel to
windward, which proved to be the schooner
Mosely. As soon as the Captain of the
| schooner saw the boat, he hove to and took
| the castaways on board.
Capt. Thompson says that he cannot speak
| too highly of the conduct of Capt. Dow
who did everything in his power for him
| aud his exhausted and half-famished crew.
He even supplied him with his own cloth
ing and gave up his own bed in order that
he might recover comfortably from his
fatigue.
The brig Alphonse was built at Quebec
ten years ago, and was 328 tons burden,
American register. She was owned by J. g.
| G. Fowler, Of New York, and was valued at
| $4,000. The cargo, which was owned by
| and consigned to the owners of the vessel,
| consisted, as above stated, of sugar and mo-
| lssses, and was valued at $3S, 1000. The
Captain is under the impression that both
the vessel and cargo were insured. Capt.
Dow, of the schooner MOselY, which
| rescued Capt Thompson and crew. sailed
| from Boston to Charleston on Monday
the 22d instant, with a general cargo con-
| signed to NJ. Goldsmith & Son. For the
| first three days he had pleasant weather and
| light winds. He then encountered heavy
southeast sea. Ga Thursday the sea ran
very high, and the wind fresheued from the
| northeast. The vessel, however, ran along
easily until Sunday about 10 O'Clock, when
she sighted the Swedish bark Herald, bound
| from Mobile to Gottenburg, with signals of
distress flying. The Captain bore down on
her, and, finding her In sinking condition,
rescued Captain Cedarburg and his crew of
twelve seamen. On Sunday afternoon the
Captain sighted the boat containing Captain
Thompson and his crew, who he rescued,
as above stated. He then came on to
| Charleston, and arrived there at IL o'clock
Monday morning.
The experience of the Captain and crew
of the Swedish bark Herald were no less
| startling and interesting than those of the
| brig Alphonse. The Swedish bark Herald,
Capt. Cedarberg, belonging to j. F. Strom-
berg, of Gottenburg, sailed from Mobile,
| August IL, with a cargo of lumber for
Southampton, England. About O'Clock
on Tuesday, August %, It commenced blow
ing very fresh from E. N. E had to short
en- sail as the wind kept increasing. On
| Friday, the 26th, about 2 a. m, there was
| heavy gale from northeast by east, and
about 10 a. IN. clewed up all sails except
storm spanker and storm staysail, the stay
sail, which was new, being soon after car
ried away. About p. m. heavy sea
swept over the vessel, carrying away
boats, bulwarks, part of deck load,
smashing fore part of cabin and filling it
with water, damaging forecastle badly and
running provisions. At the same time four
| men were swept overheard, but all were
washed back and saved except Charles Lar
sen, of Gottenburg, ordinary seaman, about
~ Se@.s ~ -. 49, N-A WNO
capped being drowned were seriously In
iured, and will be sent to the hospital. It
was found impossible to keep the vessel
free with the pump, and on Saturday about
5 a. m, wind northeast by east, had four
feet of water In the hold, and. while she was
kept free as possible, by II o'clock there
was an additional foot of water in
the hold. The pumping was kept
up until o'clock, when the water
was gaining so rapidly, and the bark
had such a heavy list, was compelled
to cut away fore and main topmasts to ease
her. This was about p. m. Saturday; the
pumps were going necessarily until Sunday
morning, but without success. The wind
shifted about 12 O'Clock Saturday night to
east southeast. Early Sunday all available
sails were set and an attempt made to steer
northeast and reach the nearest port, but
the vessel would not steer, being half full
of water. About a. m, IN lat. 33 4 N,
long. 78 30 W., saw a schooner and imme-
diately set signals of distress, when she
came close to US and proved to be the NJ. G.
MoselY, of and from Boston for Charleston.
Although a very high sea was running at
the time, their Yawl boat was safely launch
ed and succeeded in rescuing the Captain,
two mates, steward and eight men, about
midday.