Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-30
FROZEN AT SEA.
Graphic Story Of the Sufferings Of the
Crew Of the Mohawk During
q Storm.
Tile Devotion Of the Pilot to His Duty
in the Face Of Impending
death.
One of the Crew Dies from the Effects
Of the COld-List Of the
Injured.

bark Mohawk. 4 New Haven dispatch
TO the Herald says: Last Saturday af-
tertoon the bark Mohawk, of Quebec,
Cspt. Grassland, left New York for
Calcutta, laden With oils in csses. Her
crew consisted of captain, three mates,
two stewards aud thirteen sailors. The
sailors were all foreigners, and included
Japanese, Norwegians, Frenchmen, Ger
mans and natives of Oceanica. Capt.
Ctossland, a lright.eyeH, curly-haired En-
glishman, only twenty-six years. of age,
decided to take the Long Island Sound
course to the ocean because he feared the
Mohawk's masts would strike the East
river bridge if he attempted to reach the
North river, and his vessel passed through
He'll Gate at sundown Saturday in tow of
the tug boat William p. Thompson. A
dark,
COLD, WINTER NIGHT
shut down before the bark was clear of
Execution Rock light; and Pilot John
O'Brien, of the He'll Gate and Long Island
Sound service, decided to hold on the tug
till the vessel was well started down the
Sound. By the time the tug was let 60
the crew had managed to get the two top
sails, the fore and main staysails, jib and
spankers on the craft, and with this can
vas the bark scudded swiftly before the
increasing gale. Lower and lower fell the
mercury. Only for few minutes at time
could any of the foreign sailors tend the
helm; and, when relieved at the end OF
every ten minutes, they possessed stiffened
limbs and aching faces. The darkness ap-
peared to keep pace with the cold; for
hours not light was seen, and Pilot
O'Brien was obliged to rely entirely on his
memory and instinct to keep in deep water.
SLOWLY FRosTBITTEN.
The Sunday morning dawn was awaited
with deep anxiety by the crew of the dis
tressed vessel; but day, when it did come,
only increased their suffering. The wind
hauled to the northward and blew bit
ing, icy blizzard, while a fog, both dense
and yellow, rose from the water and hid
everything from view. The pilot calcu-
lated that he was midway between Com
field Light and Faulkner's Island, but in
his uncertainty he decided to change his
course, and hove the Mohawk to. The
shieking, piercing blast made necessary
the constant changes of the lookout on
the topgallant forecastle. The wind con-
tinued to veer to the east gathering
STRENGTH AND BITTERNESS
with every hour. The pilot then headed
his charge to the westward. At first he
tried to- make New London harbor, but
after useless efforts to catch a glimpse OF
some familiar mark, he resolved to bend
every energy to reaching New Haven.
Most OF the men were then in a pitiable
condition from fatigue and exposure.
The ship was glazed with iced snow, and
whenever a hand touched, or attempted
to pull rope, the skin was bitten with
the frost. There was not person aboard
who did not suffer from the frost The
Iananaca and thn natives nf
Europe, however, felt the cold the most
MAKING FOR A HARBoR.
Aboth s o'clock the wind died out almost
entirely, and Capt. Grassland, anxious tc
reach a harbor that day if possible, or
dered as many OF his men as were able tC
| shake out and set the foresail. Nine mer
clambered up the frosted fore rigging. anf
out on the arms of the foreyard; they
gnawed at the gaskets with their teeth tC
| aid their benum5ed fingers in prying the
| knots. Gradually
THE GASKETs LoosENED
under their faithful and persevering ef
| forts, but there appeared to be one spo
| where the sailor at work had made n,
progress. The officer on deck, Arthu
| Scomon, crawled up to see what thu
| trouble was. lie saw that the sailor, wbe
was japanese named Soneyeta okeeche
was either fast asleep or dead. Inc mex
| instant Okeechee fell TO the deck, dis
| tance of twenty-five feet, but fingered fol
! nearly iiye hours IN intense pam Delor'
ne .oH uieI t th aiSea IVA mdru ,ai,u was as ues
'''''' '-ie -oe ",.o 'ne ""ooA '''''
HORRIBLE SUFFERING.
The sufferings of the crew did not begil
| in earnest until the weather moderated
| in the snow-storm of Monday morning
| Everything that could be done to allie
viate their distress was done, but as tn
| day advanced the frost thawed out of thei
! frozen members. The skin then rose il
huge blisters on their hands and faces
| They could not sleep, and it was feare,
| that many OF them would become insane
| An attempt was made to put off
rnr sr,,u,S ,oxepo,r
lor snore, put not enough men could D'
Ito handle it. Pilot O'Brien, who ha'
become satisfied that he was anchored OF
! New Haven harbor about eight miles
though desirous OF coming ashore alone
was prevented by the piercing northwes
wind. Early on Tuesday morning, how
ever, he set out alone for the city, and ar
! rlVed at the dock at ) CLOCK IN the after
noon; he notihed the authorities, and to
1 uaV Ine tug avery, Win coroner Bellma