The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-01
A Terrible voyage.

TIE REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE OF THREE
SURVIVORS OF THE COLLISGwOoD's CREW.
From the Chicago TimeS.I
Three castaways were picked up by the
propeller Wisconsin on the lake between
Milwaukee and Grand Haven on the after
noon OF the 25th. The men belonged 20
the wrecked vessel CollingwoOd, and were
the only survivors in crew OF eight. One
OF the survivors tells the following story
"The piece OF deck upon which we ut last
found ourselves had strip Of canvas about
two feet wide and twelve feet long fastened
10 one end OF il. BY means OF this piece OF
canvas we were enabled 10 keep our feet
and move about so rs to keep the blood in
free circulation. The poor cook was the
only one who did not follow our example.
Apparently paralyzed with fear. he chung
70 the canvas, but remained mOtlonless As a
statue. This fixed him. Daybreak found
him sfone-blind, with his eyes turned up
ward In the most curious manner imagina-
bic. In fact, blindness had struck him
about II O'Clock the previous night. He
soon became delrious and then a raving
maniac. His wild iancies dwelt solely
upon rescue. lIewould shout alternately ::
There's land!' and 'There'S steam
boat. Why don't you put us aboard'
Such f91cies and exclamltions as these
were incessant. At last he became so
chilled and exhausted as TO be utterly help
less, and IN this condition we took turns
IN aiding him He essayed TO follow our
movements 10 Keep warn, and doubling
his isis raped his knuckles together until
The sin was completely gone from them.
However, the abrasious caused no bleed
ing, as the blood had ceased TO circulate i'm
his hands. McFee supported him fully
six hours, until death ended his suflerings
between 8 and O'Clock FRIDAY afternoon.
1--WE should have stated that as the hours
dragged YEARLY along and day once more
began to wane the cedar posts were one by
one, swept from under the raft. and our
combined weight ut last carried il several
inches beneath the surface. The terrible
strain TO which we had been so long sub
jected at last began TO tell upon us. We
became weary, and our eyes laden with
sleep. McFee's strength also began to fail,
so that as he struggled to keep in motion
he tottered and reeled like drunken man.
To obtain rest we at first tried the plan Of
clinging TO each other and going to sleep
only for ten minutes (; but this plan did not
work. Then we tried to sleep separately
ten minutes each, while being supported
by the others; but this scheme failed also.
There was nothing left for us to do butru
back and forth and dance on the frail raft
TO keep from succumbing to the cold. Me-
Fee several times ran overheard, but we
always quickly pulled him out.
"The last six hours OF our stay on the
raft were awful. Night had oyertaken us
without bringing assistance. aud we
gradually became hopeless. still we de-
termined to keep up the battle with death
until morning, and then, II no means OF
succOr presented itself, we intended to die
peacefully and maniully without muir
muir. At last our eyes and imagination
became treacherous, as had those Of the
dead cook, and we began TO see objects at
a distance that were spectres after all.
When the men from the Wisconsin came
in sight we really doubted whether they
were flesh and blood"