Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-07
SCENE IN MID-OCEAN.
Man Overheard In a monsoon, with
Sharks About.
Manchester tEng0 Courier.

Manchester (Eng) Courier.
| A correspondent who was passenger by tn
steamship Daccs, which left Madras for Lon
don on the lst ult., sends from Alden an I'm
teresting account of an exciting scene Whicl
he witnessed during a storm in the Indiar
Ocean. The vessel encountered the mon
soon few days after leaving Colombo, anC
had rough time of It until che 18th uIt.
when the gale became so violent that canva.
had to be taken in, awnings furled,.. and
things made as snug as possible.
The correspondent describes what fol-
lowed
81 came on deck at 8 a. M: It was blow
ing fiereely and the spray coming over the
sheets. There were three Of us on
deck when the bell struck-a Miss, Mr.,
and myself. We were holding on to ouI
chairs, which were firmly lashed to the inner
cabin skylights. under the lee Of the ladies'
saloon. Part Of the crew were working
hard to get the starboard lifeboat in-board,
when bigger roll to the windward warned
us OF what was coming. Hold onp some
one shouted. We held on. The chairs
rushed forward on their lashings The deck
stood upright. In came the sea over the
gunwale, over the taffrail, up to our waists,
lifted the lifeboat out of its shsckles. carried
it overheard, smashing away stanchions and
davits, and out to sea. Then came the horrfd
cry of Man Overboardp
''The helm was put down, the engine re-
versed, and back we went on a seareh-all
the more so as sharks had been seen round
the ship earlier in the morning. The boat was
presently seen some 200 yards off, keel up
permOst. Soon after the two men were OBJ
served clinging on to it. Then came an ex-
citing two hours during which We steamed
after the boat, which was drifting rapidly
toward the east. But turning a ship like
fho 90 rlox hV7oF
she hung In the winds eve a lib was hoist
ed to bring her round. By the time this
was done the boat, with its pitiful-looking
crew, was away two miles and more to lee
ward, and we were rolling heavily and un-
manageable. AT last the Captain decided to
lower boat, and the order was given
Stand by the boat and soon after lower
who is going In her?' he shouted.
"The first officer, Mr.. Ingram, sprang
over the side, caught hold OF the davit ropes
and slipped down, but Just as he got near
her great roll of the ship lifted him clear
of the boat twenty feet in the air. AS he
came down again the boat had drifted for
ward, and he was plunged down In the boil
ing sea for five or six seconds. Up he came
again as the ship keeled over, still hanging
on, and missed by an ace having his skull
smashed against the small boats side. 1t
was really terrible sight, and we shuddered
ao we AOOh6u Ous JQ6 DOdb All bue W0llG D6lQX
lashed up and down by the violence of the
waves. But at last his opportunity came,
and he dropped into the stern. At
once he was followed by the boatswain,
two tiremen and two European sail
OTs, the native crew hanging shamefully
back. One Of the passengers, young Eng
lish officer, Lieut.. Wolff, of the Seventh
Fusiliers, a son of Sir Drummond Wolff,
volunteered at once. But the officer In
charge would not accept a passengers ser
vices while men Of the crew could be got.
At last the boat showed off, and the oars
were got out, and In a terrible sea they set
out for the missing boat. Directed by the
motions of a man aloft, they got alongside
her, and took the men aboard. Then began
hard row back.
"We lost sight of her again and again,
wondering how she could live in such a sea.
But still she held on, and got at last under
our lee. By the help of a case of oil scat
tered over the waves they were compare
lively stilled, a ladder was let down, and
when the last man stepped on board such a
cheer greeted him as told him what we
thought of his pluck and that of the gall
liant fellows With him. Capt. Burkitt was
perfectly cool the whole time, and managed
his ship with great skill. When the first
officer got a change of clothes, and came
down to the cabin, he received all kinds of
congratulations, and his health was drank
in bumpers of champagne. On Sunday
morning we got under the lee Of Cape
Guardaful, and so ended our brush with
the southwest monsoon"