Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-04

AluxE IN A smar WITH MANr
CORrsEs.

AaSxE n A smir WITH MANY
CoRrsEs.
New York Times
have heard stories Of suffering
~ sea that made me wonder how men
wAo had gone through with IL ever
ssme TO try another voyage. ] never
have been starved. nor have / com
near dying of thirst. but about four
yvars ago I had an experience of
ahout twenty.four hours that brought
sVt the gray hairs on my head
10 said an intelligent looking sea
Aan who stood . few days ago on an
Nsss river pier, admiring the outlines
sf 4 large vessel on which he had
sAippsd for ioag voyage. The sea.
ma made this statement to q young
0sa Who was evidently Of al inquir-
m tara OF mind. The latter sug-
ksSssd IN adjournment 20 neighbor.
he bsrroom aed . glass or two OF
seneshing warm. This suggestion
"a With the approval Of tho seaman.
ven IN Q Tow moments was moisten.
1De his throat In o manner which ap-
oSofe1 to BE- hlghly satisfactory TO
Snspif Thea he spun his yarn:
"li was about foar years ago list
vspksmhes." 10 began, that ship
oSd On . three nasted sohoonef q
Sltlmoss. So wss hound Tor New
<saaaa Wa xeathered hurricane
NSout a Charleston and g0t down
ia1e ths ssraiss Of Florida oil right.
I ksasd Ne captain say. Just - We
vses gelslng iato the gull. that We
Wsea too far soath 70 meet vessels
Apsnd arosnd Key West and the Tor.
S19aA cad too Ter north 70 run across
- steamers bound from Vera Cruz
- uavanx. Al o'clock ono morn
20 Qs Vas Friday my watch was
salled On deck. Il was one OF the
<aSkess mornings ever remember.
I Was always sleepy In tho gravy
Syv'N-thats what vo call tho watch
&em Z 10 8 o'clock In the morning
We were sailing close 10 the wind,
yhlch caIac down about northwest.
I cat down on the port rail-, which
Was then the weather side. snd tried
~ best to keep awake, but every
Aow and then I nodded. AL OF q
mdden heard the mate cry out :
D. that fellow, he's no side lights
sQts put her mp In the wind or we'll
sarike himr ] was Just In the mids,
Of q nod. but that cry opened my
eycs. l started mp. but just as did
q heard the foreboom going over to
prt. Somehow or other I stepped
the wrong way and stumbled against
tAe railing, which was very low, lost
my balance and went overheard.
When I came up to the surface my
mouth and throat were full Of water,
but gavewhat meant for yell. |
eraspcd ut the quarter OF the schoon-
er. hut there was nothing for me To
hold on 10 In five seconds ] could
see her fulls,ern ahead of me- Igaye
another yell. but no one seemed To-
notice it. Il seemed to me rs II they
were leaving me on purpose, and |
cursed them the best | knew how,
while struggled 70 keep from drown
ing. Then l happened to think of
what the mate said about our danger
of running into something looked
around and, sure enough. there was
another vessel. and she was close on
TO me. managed 20 keep my head
above water, aud | noticed that she
was cunning towards me very slowly.
10 momen, put my hands against
her sides. / tried 10 reach the fore
aud then tho main channels. but they
were too high for me. She was, as
said, moving very slowly, aud when
her stern was just going past me I
put in few OF the best strokes that
ever made and got within reach of
her rudder. | seized hold of that,
aud after | got hack little Of my
wind l yelled as loud as could. but
there was ne answer. Then I remem-
eered that she had no side lights out
aud that she was moving very slow,
considering the wind that was blow.
ing. That satisfied me Twas ciinging
20 the rudder OF . deserted vessel.
"lthought Of sharks and that made
me feel fit To let 60 my hold The
fedder bulged In considerably above
The waters edge aud l managed To
8es up on II y little way aud rest.
8at how 10 climb up on TO the deck
VA question that puzzled me. I
vas wet through and very weak after
struggling In the water Every nov
and lhon q wave would wash M
egairst me and Il was all I could do
% huad ON. A. las | made up my
0ird 10 make an effort. | reached
~ very slowly until could place my
hand on piece OF molding. Thea
I stood up on tho rudder aud reached
- ~ hisA - I could and cropped
oeeand. Al last found hole for
nsossng lines. and putting nv hands
- Via I drew myself antil | could
~ ny feet on The molding. TAen Il
seald reach the rail. and In 8 very
nv seconds I found myself GU the
ysek, whcre I lay down and rested.
no was . brig and appeared 70 b In
SeNnst While I was resting myself
I apsiced Tor the firss time . terrible
eosA. Il seemed to grow steadily
wUsse - | felt my strength comiur
Sock 70 nae. The brig sesued 10 De
SpantsA. Il was now gssting lirht
M end I looked about me- The
oahan was below the deck and the
oe0paniou.wsy leading down 10 Il
waa open. went up 70 the open
AascA and started down the sseps.
TIE strange smell WAS now even
wetse, but I ius0ped down into the
eAAtn. There on the deck, head
SeWu. lay half.dressea corpse. I
kneu then what the awful smell came
4eA- Shocked around the cabin and
nv Tie d0crs Of thrre staserooms
Opea. ! peeped into the larxass one
g those and d . berth I cav : coruse
vtgh = hlackened face Is n The nan
Aad died OF yellow fever. In auueher
ststeeoom were TIVE bertha. In each
Il which MAS . corpse. and in The
third room l saw still another body.
Tie sight and smell WAS too mnch ar
sae IFushed on deck. fee,ine ready
- faint The sickcning feeling thsa
was on me wss somethinx awful I
closed up tho hatch Of The companion
way ~ tightly q | knew how ana
Mavsd nvev frnsm a atiil poaf~aa