The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-08
RESCUED IN MID-OCEAN.
Thirteen Men Found Unconsciousin q Leaky
yoat--privations Of the Crew OF the om-
ner,o Galatela After She Foundercd-saved
nv ,he samueie. from Palermo.


A tale OF misery. and suffering such as
has not been recorded in the history OF sea-
life for several months past came TO light
Yesterday by the arrival Of the Italian bark
Samuelc. from Palermo. with Captain En-
nosito and a crew OF twelve men OF the
italian bark Umbcrto Galatoa, which
fouudered at sea June 10Th.
THE wrecked mariners are all natives OF
italy. and cannot speak English, but their
hovrard features and wild.staring eyes told
the story Of their hardships more strongly
than words.
The story OF the su6erings OF the wrecked
scamen was told 20 q reporter OF the World
by Captain Corroa, Of the Samuele, and, rs
the Captain said. coming second-handed,
as it does. II but family portrays their
actual experience
The bark UmbeIto Galatola left Torra-
veha. Spain, early in April last with cargo
OF salt. bound for this city. Fair winds
were experienced and good time was
made up to June 10 last at 10 O'Clock A. NJ,
when in latitude 2S.12, longitude 55.37.
terrific squall struck the vessel, washing
everything movable from her decks and
causing her 10 leak badly. Two men were
kept at the pumps night and day. but the
water gained on them. The storm had
moderated somewhat. and Captain Espo-
alto still stood by his ship, believing that
he could repair the damage as soon as the
sea became calm. Several Intellectual at
tempiS were made. but still the gallant cap
tain and his crew would not abandon their
vessel.
GOING DOWN BOW FIRST.
In the mean time the water was slowly
but surely filing the ship. Ii flooded the
hold, and washed the salt forward, so that
the stern OF the vessel was almost above
the water. On the 10Th, at IL O'Clock at
night, while the men were at the pumps,
the vessel suddenly gave lurch forward,
raised almost pcrpendiculary, and sank
headforemost into the sea.
The men. who had been ready at any
moment 10 take to the boats. bad scram-
bied into one boat and were just ready TO |
rev away when the stern OF the vessel
struck them q il disappeared beneath the |
waves, nearly causing the boat to capsize
and almost filing il with water. Two Of
the thirteen men set TO work 10 bail out |
hut ID was found that the small boat had |
also been damaged and was leaking.
At this discovery cry OF despair went |
up, and as many aS could do so irantically |
began to bail out with their hats, shoes. |
and hands; but they only succeeded IN |
keeping the boat from filling up, and did |
not gain an inch on the water.
There was not mouthful OF food on
board, and only a small canteen of drink |
ing-water with which one thoughtful sea-
man had provided himself. This supply, |
however. was hardly sufficient for one man.
TWO DAYS WITHOUT FOOD.
For two whole days the party drifted
about at the mercy Of the waves without
any nouriShment whatever. Four men
were kept bailing out until exhausted,
when four more would take their place. |
Had they discontinued balling for even an
hour the little craft would surely have
filed and sank. On the first day the suffer
ings OF the men were not so great. but on
the second day a feeling OF exhaustion
came over the party, and several times the
seamen wished to lay down and meet their
doom. which they considered inevitable.
Captain ESpoSitO, however, talked with |
them in a hopeful, assuring manner, and |
succeeded each time in bringing the half |
starved and almost liieless seamen to their |
right senses. The men attempted to eat |
their garments. but the brave captain pre-
vented this, and also kept them from drink
ing the salt water. At last, on the 21st, |
shortly before midnight, Il light was seen |
in the distance, and with a shout OF Joy the
men sank unconscious in the boat, all save |
Captain opposite and one man.
These two, fully realizing their position,
out OF sight Of land, in an open and leaky |
boat, with eleven helpless men. with almost
superhuman strength began to bail out, and |
after few minutes one or two OF the en-
hausted seamen regained consciousness |
and a consultation was held as to how to |
attract the attention OF the approaching |
vessel.
THEIR CLOTHES BURNING SIGNAL.
hot no ba1 dry
match. but the question was, What could |
they burn: Suddenly bright thought |
came to Captain opposite, and he made |
them take off their clothes. This was done, |
and every thing that was partially dry was |
piled up forward and set on fire. For a |
moment the mass of clothing smouldered, |
and despair seized the hearts OF the men |
whose lives depended upon the success OF
their experiment.
Slowly, however. little flicker OF fire !
was seen, which gradually developed, and |
soon fierece flame sprang upwards. With !
eager ewes the wearied men watched She
rescuing vessel for m answering signal. 1t
came five minutes after their fire had start |
ed, and every man, faint and exhausted, |
gave way with feeble shout OF Joy and !
sank. hali-dead, in their leaky boat.
"And this was how we found them,"
continued the reporters informant. |
"Thrteen naked bodies laying as if dead, |
in four feet Of water, which was rapidly |
reaching the sides Of the boat. The wea-
Their was exceedingly cold, and our hands |
were numbed in conveying the uncon-
scious men to our ship. At first we de-
SPARED OF bringing the breath OF life back
to some Of them, but several glasses of
brandy were forced down their throats,
and slowly one by one they came to and
realized that the great destroyer had once
mole been cheated out OF his prey.
but how they ate and drank We
were compelled to use force with some OF
Them for fear that they would gorge them
selves to death. IL was over week before
the poor men were able TO walk about
without assistance, but from that time they
rapidly improved"
Captain Esposito and his crew will visit
the italian consul to-day, and will proba-
bly, be sent back to their native land by the
first steamer. The wrecked bark was
built in 1876 ut Gaeta, Italy, for her owner,
Mr.. A. Galatola, OF Naples. She has made
several trips 10 this country. Her gross
tonnage was $40 tons. Her dimensions
were: Length. 13s feet; breadth, % feet;
depth Of hold, 90 feet.
Crashing Into Each Other.