Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-04-15
MODERN CRUS0ES
THRILLING ADVENTURES or TIE HIP
WRECKED GREW oF THE BAR raiNTTY.

WRECKED GREW oF THE BAR ralNITY.
From 'ae Now York Hsra,I.l
The adventure If the rev of the
bark Trinity. OF New ndon, lost in
the South Indian Oce in the fall of
1880. are almost as interesting as those
of that wen known aud hardy mariner
Robinson Crusoe. From time to time
the columns Of the newspapers tell the
tales of vessels laundering in mid ocean,
of crews clineing for days to floating
spars and wreekage or going down fer
ever with IL vessel that failed them IN
the hour cF Teril. But the story of the
Trinity isSnot often matched, and its re-
lation wfnld seem TO lie more properly
within<he province of the novelist than
the NAumns OF a chronicler of facts and
eve is. The officers and crew of the
T. Atty are now on their way home-all
,El, save two unfortunates, who per-
Shed miserably in the search for food,
Fand whose bones lie within the shadow
I of a wooden cross on far off South Sea
+ Island. One of the officers arrived in
/ New York City recently; the others are
, Apected soon Defoe has told us of
many wonderful things on islands that
abounded in game and tropical verdure;
| Charles Reade in one of his novels de-
picts the sufferings OF q small party
wrecked on Southern island and the
triumphS Of mind over matter in the ar
rangements of food and shelter pro-
vided by nature ard controlled by reso-
lute men. and desolate and uninhabited
| islands have scores of times proved
valuable TO the playwright and novelist;
but the crew Of the Trinity has to tell
of an actual experience Of nearly two
years on an island where ice and snow
abonnded and storm succeeded storm
with pitiless regularity. Their hardy
resistance to fate, their cheeriulness and
discipline under the severest trials,
were probably the secret OF their sue
cessful rescue, and adds another page to
the history of the American sailors
heroism.
THE VOYAGE OF THE TRINITY.
The Trinity left New London, Conn. in
June, 1880. There were sixteen persons
in her crew all told, including the mas
ter, John Williams. She was owned by
Lawrence & Co, Of New London, deal
ers in whale oil, and that firm intended
a somewhat new departure by sending
her to Heard's Island. in the Southern
Sea, for elephant oil. The second officer
thus des criDes the voyage TO the island :
"She was bound for Cape de Verde
Islands, where the arrived after n pass
age Of twenty-five days, and shipped
nineteen negroes TO assist III hunting the
elephants. She sailed agsin the same
day for Heard's Island, in the South
Sea. Nothing remarkable occurred uq-
Ill we arrived in latitude 10 degrees
south. Then we had to encounter sew
eral very heavy storms, amounting TO
cyclones and hurricanes, with sleet,
haii and rain at times. The ship lay TO
occasionally, but the Trinity braved it
well.
"On the 4th of September we arrived
at the Island of Desoiation and found a
beautiful harbor, which is called Pot
Harbor on the charts. There we sent
down our topgallant yards and spars
fore and aft, and made our ship light for
anchorage We lauded three months
provisions and made preparations TO 90
on to Heafd's Island, about two hun
dred and ten miles distant from Desc
lation Island. We sailed on the 2Sth of
September fer Heard's and arrived st
Clinton Bay October .. where we landed
four men, with provisions enough for
three months. Then we sailed further
! down the coast toward the south and
east end Of the island. 9ho sea ran too
high to effect q landing with our boats.
Each day Ere lay at aDchdS the weather
proved 10 better, until thA evening Of
the 10Th Of October. wheuN there an
peared every indication of very heavy
storm. The appearance Of then horizon.
n heavy swell from the northeasA and r.
light breeze northward told uA tnat
heavy weather was at hand.
THE Less OF THE vEssrL
"At lnidnigh. tAe snip lay about
three quarter o: mile oil shore I'm I'm
iathoms of water, the lead shoH inv tnA
sand 20 be of gray sand aud stones.
There were two heavy anchors down.
one weighing two tons and the other a
ton end hall, with cable of fiva-nch
wire. At two a. m. tine 18th the wind
Increased and we reeved out some ct8'a
on both anchors. At four p. N. the
storm increased TO hurricane and we
reeyed ont all the cable on both anchors.
and the ship began to drag toward the
reef. At seven a. m. she was in six
fatboms Of water she leaked badly and
the pumps we're put to work. At half
past six she had dragged into four faith
oms Of water, while the heavy gale from
the northeast continued. The captain
called counsel Of all bands in the cabin
10 know what was best to be done TO
save our lives. The general verdict was
IN slin the eablas and yuu fna shin of,
shore. The captain thought it was our