Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-28

whelmed by a Hurricane.
PhilddelDAia EUeniag Neac8, Sent. 25th.
Capt. Jesse Z. Avis, of the schooner
Pedro A. Grau, which was abandoned at
sea on the 18th inst. in latitude 81 deg. 81
min., and longitude rs deg. 80 min, ar
rived in the city last night, and was seen
by NelcS reporter this morning. The
vessel was owned and commanded by
Phlladelphians. and the crew were
shipped at this port. When abandoned
the vessel was waterlOgged and fast going
to pieces, but was not left until the crew
were about worn out by their work at the
pumps and all hope of saving the vessel
was at an end.
The Captain said: 8 We were bound
from Brunswick, Ga, to Philadelphia,
with cargo of lumber consigned to the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Com
pany. We We're, all told, seven men.
Everything went on pleasantly until the
hurricane on the 9th instant struck us.
a hurricane in the Calf Stream means
destruction or something like it. We had
our sails carried away. lost our boom.
and were kept hard at work under pain
full strain for two days. But that was
nothing to what happened on the 18th.
The storm was worse than before, and the
vessel was found to be leaking badly. The
man at the wheel was repeatedly thrown
from his feet. | put two men at the wheel
then, but they were pOwerless to do any
thing with the vessel. The rest of us were
at the pumps. We found that all our en-
deavors to save the vessel would be fruit
less, and so commenced to make prepare
tiOns to leave her.
PREPARING TO TAKE TO BOATS.
1--WE had no hard bread on board, and I
set the cook to work to bake bread and
20 loo e,
days in case we had to abandon the
schooner. Finally the cabin was washed
away, the fires in the galley were eXtin-
guished and we were aflOat on a big pile
of lumber, for on the 18th the Pedro A .
Grau was nothing more. We still had
our yaWl boat, and | was afraid that a sea
sweeping over the vessel might carry this
off and leave us with no means of escape.
We dashed some of our personal property
into the boat and put in supply of pro-
visions and water sufficient with care to
last us for four or five days. Then we
made all fast to line about 200 feet long
and let the loaded boat drift away from
us. OF course during this time sleep was
entirely out of the question. / found by
dead reckoning that we were within 100
miles Of land, being about that distance
from the FRYING Pan lightship. We made
boat sail out of the cabin awning, but
had no mast to stretch it on in the boat.
AT THE MERCY OF THE SEA.
son the 18th, as near as l can judge,
about a. m, finding that the sea had
moderated little, we got into the boat. |
took my lOg-bOOk and compass with me.
We attempted to make the Frying-Pan
lightship, which | judged was about 100
miles from where we abandoned the
schooner. The first thing we did was to
pitr u coil fHbic NO ,Oh
had no mast, and had to make one out of
an oar. There was no hole in the yawl to
receive the oar, and after about five hours
work with dull Ratchet and our sheath
knives we got under sail. Not knowing
how long we might he tossed about before
we would be picked up or reach land
| Immediately put all hands on short al
lOwance. Each man was given a teacup
of water and a piece of bread and meat
to prevent waste than on account of not
having enough. did not expect to be in
the boat long, as | thought we must be in
the track of some of the southern steamers
and was pretty sure that they would
see us and pick us up. To some people
it would seem as if our boat could not live
in such sea as we encountered. Every
little while about a barrel of water would
come over us, and we were kept busy
bsAlAh- hNA Oubs
THE RESCUE.
'BefOre long we lost our rudder. When
this broke we took one of the oars and
steered her with that. We kept as near
to the wind as we could with safety and
each knot made seemed to revive the
spirits of the colOred crew. We did not
sight any of the steamers as | had eX-
pected, but on the 18th, after we had been
in the the boat for about twenty-four
hours, we were picked up by the bark Au-
gustine COObe, of Searsport, Me-, in lati-
tude % deg. ~ min, and longitude ~
deg. 10 min. The Captain and crew did
everything in their power to make us
comfortable. The COObe was bound to
New York, and landed us there safely on
the Dist. During the hurricane, which
was one Of the worst | have ever expert
enced, we were under a double-reef, and
even then the sails were torn out bV the
force of the wind as if they were paper.
The crew were all saved
"NOthing could be done to save the YES
sci that was not done, and if she had not
been going to pieces we would not have
abandoned her. We all saved some of
our personal effects, though some of the
crew would have left everything in their
excitement had it not been that the Off
GERS were cool. After we got to New
York | paid off the crew and offered to
transport them to Philadelphia, which
some of them accepted. Two of these /
will keep with me until my report has
been accepted by the underwriters, and
then they will be free to apply for another