Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-11
FAMINE n
Life Sustained on Their Conn
rade's Blood BY the survivors
ofthe AImOn BIrd-Three Days
of FrightfnI suffering In an
Open Boat.
New York Herald

e GLOUCESTER, MASS, January c.
; The five men picked up in an open
boat yesterday morning BY Captain
Saunders are receiving all the are
that can be bestowed on them at the
clearinghouse of a Mr.. Pierce. They
are still IN a very enfeebled condition
and are al suffering more or less from
frostbites. It is almost a miracle that
they lived through the terrible storm
and the bitter cold which prevailed
along the Massachusetts, coast since
Sunday, The Almon Bird hailed
from Windsor, Nova Scotia, a week
ago, for Alexandria, Virginia,
laden with plaster. She en-.
countered no heavy gales or par
ticularly bad weather until Sunday,
but all that day heavy seas and high
winds assailed her, and the men had
hard work to keep from freezing. As
the evening set in the storm increased,
and when off Boone Island the
schooner lost her topmast and shipped
a heavy sea. The ropes and sails were
frozen stiff, and there seemed no pos
sibility Of saving the vessel. Still the
men worked all through the night and
kept her ahoat. Monday morning
dawned aud and there wal no encour-
agement in the appearance of the
weather; the wind had increased and
the sea had risen. By eight O'Clock a
heavy wave tore off the schooner's
bulwark and flooded the decks. freez-
ing almost instantly. The matches
were torn away, and the doomed yes
sci began to fill with water.
She was now unmanageable and the
crew at length decided to abandon
her
IN THE BOAT.
Hastily collecting some articles of
food, they took to the large boat. No
extra clothing could be procured, and
not even an oar was to be had. There
was no time to be lost, too. and the
boat was hurriedly pushed off, amid a
roaring tempest and a seething sea.
She drifted about, climbing from bill
low to billow and receiving an oeca-
sional bucketlul of water which
swiftly froze the clothing Of the casta-
ways. The Almon Bird labored for
over an hour and then sank. The boat,
without oar or sail, contained eight
men-Captain ca Packard, William
Hartman, Allen SeWall, A. B. Hen
derson, Ferdinand Hamilton, Horace
Small, Charles Chaples, and a man
whose name cannot now be ascer
tanned. They had no hope Of ever
reaching the land, but the instinct of
self'preservation was strong, and
they huddled together for
shelter, while the icy spray fell
over them, chilling the very mar
row in their bones. They had no
means of telling whether they we're
drifting towards land or out to sea be-
fore the gale. They and their frail
craft were tossed about like a cork all
day Monday, and then the darkness
set in. The moon was obscured by the
drifting clouds and the heavy snow
storm, and no man in the boat ex
pected to see the sun rise again or look
on aught of life. When one OF them
attempted to picture the feelings of
himself and his fellows this afternoon
a shudder ran through his frame and
the recital was stopped for prudential
reasons. Tuesday morniBg found
them still alive, but suffering terribly
from the cold. The sea had gone
down somewhat and the storm had
abated. Their stock o. provisions was
fast giving out and the terrible pic
ture of death by starvation and thirst
rose before their minds.
HOPE FADING AWAY.
During the afternoon they saw a
sail and made frantic efforts to attract
the attention of those on board, but
they failed, and as the second night
approached they saw the unknown
vessel pass out OF sight below the
horizon. Another night of horror
and darkness closed 10 on them and
hunger, cold and exhaustion were fast
taking away all hope. Wednesday
morning found all hands alive, but 7
suffering terribly. Two men were de-
%lirious. In the Tiiddess of their
frenzy they tossed themselves from
side to side, while the chattering Of
their teeth and their insane mutter-
ings foretold the speedy termination of
their sufferings. On Wednesday
evening the FIRST death occurred. One
of the delirious men became furious
for a short time, then coiled himself
up at the bottom of the boat and died.
Two more men passed away during the
night, and when Thursday m%orBing
dawned the beat, laden heavily with
ice, contained five men in the agonies
OF despair and the three dead bodies.
There was not a sail in sight nothing
but a vast expanse Of sea and sky.
CHASTITY EoURIsHMENT.
The pangs o. hunger and thirst and
the terrible exposure to cold were un.
settling the minds Of the survivors,
There were no provisions Of any sort,
and furtiye glanees were cast at the
bodies Of their dead companions. A
hasty consultation was held, and it
was decided to open the veins in the
neck Of one Of these. There was not
a dissenting voice, aud the operation
was speedily performed. The red
stream flowed freely at the touch Of
the knife. and the parched throats and
! frozen lips ofthe crew were moistened
by the still warm blood. The despera.
ton OF their act gave them a sort of
logged determination to sustain life
awhile longer, and hopes were revived
that a vessel would cross their path
during the day. They decided to keep
I the dead bodies in the boat, more from
selfish motives than from any cousid-
< Grafton for their late comrades. At
5 eight o'clock a sail was seen, and to
their great JOY it was coming in their
d direction. Desperate efforts we're
made to attract attention, and this
"