Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-10
EXCITING SCENE IN MID-ocEAN.
Men Overheard In u Monsoon With
sharks About.
.NuNCheAltT LDIITttTs
A rOrrpSnOnhent who was q naSSengl

NdncheSter Courier.
A correspondent who was a passenger
by the steamship Dacca, which left
Madras for London on the Is, ult., sends
from Alden an interesting account OF an
exciting scene which he witnessed dur
ing a storm in the Indian ocean. The
vessel encountered the monsoon few
days after leaving Colombo, and had a
rough time of it until the 18th ult.,
when the gale became so violent that
canvas had TO be taken in, awnings
furled, and things made as snug as pos
sible.
The correspondent describes what fol-
lowed:
~ came on deck at A. NJ, it was
blowing tiercely, and the spray coming
over the sheets. There were three
of us on deck when the bell struck-a
Miss, a Mr., and myself. We were hold
ing on to our chairs, which were firmly
dashed To the inner cabin skylights, un-
der the lea of the ladies' saloon. Part
of the crew were working hard to get
the starbOard life. boat in-board, when Il
bigger roll to the windward warned us
of what was coming. Hold onn some
one shouted. Wei held on. The chairs
rushed forward on their laShingS. The
deck stood upright. In came the sea,
over the gunwale, over the tattrall, up
10 our waists, lifted the life-bOat out of
its shackleS, carried it overheard, smash
ing away stanchious and davlts, ana
ont to sea. Then came the horrid cry
of Man overbOardn
1.-THE helm was put down, the engine
reversed, and hack we went on u search
all the more so, as sharks had been
seen around the ship earlier in the morn
ing. The boat was presently seen some
two hundred yards off, keel uppermost.
Soon after the two men were observed
cIinping on to it. Then came an eXclt-
ing two hours, during which we steamed
after the boat, which was drifting rap
idly toward the east. But turning a
shin like the Decca is very slow bust
ness, and as she hung in the winds eye
a lib was hOisted to bring her round.
By the time this wasdone the boat, with
its pitiful-loOking crew, was away TWO
miles and more to leeward, and we
were rolling heavily and unmanage-
able. 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.
1.-The first officer, Mr.. Ingram, sprang
over the side, caught hold OF the daylt
ropes, and slipped down, but just as he
got near her, q great roll oil the snip
lifted him clear of the boat twenty feet
in the air. AS he came down again the
boat had drifted forward, and he was
plunged down in the boiling sea for five
or six seconds. Up he came again as
the ship heeled over, still banging on,
and missed by an ace having his skull
smashed against the small boats SIDE
Ii was really a terrible sight, and we
shnddered as we looked on, the boat all
the while dashed 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, ana TWO
European sailors, the native crew hang
ing shamefully back. One of the pas
sengers, a young English officer, Lieut..
Wolff of the 18th fusileers, son or Sir
Drummond Wolff, volunteered at once.
But the officer in charge would not ac-
cept a passengers services while men OF
the crew could be got. At last the boat
showed off, and the oars were got out,
and i'm 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 q
hard row back.
ave lost sight other again and again,
wondering how she could live in such
sea. But still she held on, and got at
last under our lee. By the help of
case of oil scattered overthe waves they
were comparatively stilled, ladder was
let down, and, when the last man
stepped on board, such cheer greeted
him as told him what wethought OF his
pluck and that of the gallant fellows
with him. Capt. Burkitt was perfectly
cool the whole time, and managed the
shin with great skill. When the hrst
officer got a change of clothes and came
down to the cabin he received all kinds
of congratulations, and his health was
drunk in bumpers of champagne. On
sunday morning we got under the lee
OF Cape @ uardsful aud so ended our
brush with the southwest monsoon"