The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-05
IMPRISONED AT SEA
IN AN OVERTURNED VESSEL
The Terrible Ezp.rIsacs Of Youth who Could not
Swim and who was Left to his Fate In Cap.
sized Sehooner-rhrlllinS Experiences
hsUadsrwent-- Story ofhis Rsseue.

ERIE, Pa, December 1.-THE numerous
lake accidents which have occurred during
the past season on the chain Of great lakes
has revived q terrible episode in the life Of
an Erie merchant, A. W. Blila, who, when
lad Of thirteen, went sailing. That
merchant is the only survivor Of the brig
Seizer, owned by Dr.. Ainsworth, OF Buffalo,
and sailed by Captain Eastwick, who, with
the crew, perished In sight Of Erie In an
awful gale. Said Mr.. Blila, IS he sat down on
o tea chest in his little one-story grocery, at
Tenth and State streets, Erie: When read
the accounts Of the trials that the sailors
have nowadays II reminds me Of my early
1s47, about September, WET aboard the
Seizer. We were bound for Chicago, light,
and when We were of Big Beaver Island,
Lake Michigan, we weie becalmed. Sud-
denly, and before the lookout could call
the watch or let go the halyards, q white
squall struck US on the starboard side. l
was In the watch below, In the twinkling
Of an eye I felt her go. Isprang for the
companion way aud was met by the water.
When almost on deck WIS seized by the
seat OF the breeches by Scotch sailor, and
the next instant was houndering on the
forecastle deck.
IN UTTER DARKNESS.
By the time wa, up / found myself in
utter darkness and I knew the vessel was
over, and I was under her. Above the roar
Of the storm could hear Captain East.
wick calling me. It was then the Scotch
man told the captain had gone out ahead
Of him. "Then," said the captain, "poor
Andy is gone to Davy Jones' locker, for he
couldn't swim stroke" could hear the |
crew scrambling around in their effort to |
hold on TO the keel, for the ship was rolling |
terribly. l called as loud as I could to |
them, but got no answer, and when
passing ship came along and took them
of and left me my heart sank
within me and all hope Of ever being
rescued was gone The air in the
vessel kept her well up, but being un-
able to swim did not dare to try to es.
cape by diving from under the ves1el, from
the companion way, and therefore felt that
1t was only o matter Of little time when
must give up. was almost paralyzed
with fear. and es the water slowly rose
around me suffered untold agony. /
could tell by the color or appearance OF
the water at the hatch when It was night
and when dark. The crew had rationed
in the forecastle and ! ives able to gather
enough 10 eat from the sea bread which
fioated to me. ! had been in what l be.
ieved to be my living grave two days and
two nights, when l felt the ship pitch.
A SUPREME MOMENT.
Ifelt the topmsst scratch the bottom, and
thinks 1 "Jack you are nearer hell nor
heaven this time" for ives mertally afraid
the mast would be driven through the hull
and let the air out, when death would re- |
suit in few minutes. You may imagine |
how relieved I felt the third time she
struck, for I could hear the topmast go, and
felt that I had new lease on Life. An
hour or two afterwards my fears were again
aroused by feeling the fore topma 1t strike,
but in short time 1t too broke. at times
was in hopes that the vessel would
to be found and righted before I persisted,
but again rushing noise made me fearful
that being in the channel, and without
light or anything to point out the hull in
the dark, It was liable TO be run into by
passing vee3els, and thus settle my late.
While brooding over my desperate situa-
ton with dismal ,forebodings, intermingled
with thoughts OF my dear ones at home, l
was suddenly picked up as in giants
grasp and hurled acroes the deck, and
In moment found myself in the COM
with the sky above me.
HIS PRAYERS ANSWERED.
The God Of the seas had heard and an
swered my prayers, and the storm had
tipped the vessel over. As soon as she
turned back on her keel hurried as fast
as my exhausted condition would allow
me, and, gaining the deck, let go the brig
anchor, which brought her head to. There
she rode the sea all night, and the next
day had the qualification Of sighting q
vessel, and by means OF my red shirt
which used as signal caught the atten-
ton OF the lookout, and in short time
the propeller PbGnix came alongside,
took me aboard and gave me what care
lad in my condition needed, and taking
the line Of what believed to be my living
coffin towed 1t into Big Beaver harbor. AS
soon as I got my pay l left the ship, and
none too soon, Tor on her trip down she
went to pieces between Erie and Four.Afile
Creek, and all hands were drowned. 1
never recall my experience without a
shudder.
BRIEF TELEGRAMS.