Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-04
But ONE SAVED.
A Thrilling Story Told by the Jewett'>
Second Mate-A Briggs Battle with
the Wayes-Men Washed Overheard
and Others Lost In an Open Boat.
Y y Journal


A stout medium-Sized man, with
genial, weather-beaten face, sat on
the forward dock of the Pacific mail
steamer Acapulco as she was lowed
up to her dock at the foot of Canal
street the other morning His name
was James Pratt, and he was the sole
survivor of a gallant crew of seven
men who left Philadelphia on the goth
of February last, on board the brig
A. G. Jewett, bound for Matanzas,
Cuba.
The captain of the vessel was Joseph
Reed, a thorough seaman and part
owner of the brig. They left Phila-
delphia on the Goth of February with
fair weather 1t continued until the
evening of the 22d, when a terrible
storm set in.
The brig-which was very old one
-labored fearfully, sometimes being
thrown on her side aud then almost
on her beam ends. The crew were un-
able to manage her. 1t was with the
utmost difficulty that they could cling
to the life lines stretched along the
deck on account of the mountainous
waves that swept the deck every min
ute, carrying overheard everything
movable. 1t was bitterly cold also
and the sailors were soon covered with
thick coating of ice and almost
frozen. They kept the blood circulat-
ing by pounding and biting them
selves. During the dreadful night
the cargo shifted and the vessel sprang
a leak.
The next day the sea struck them
and the brig was thrown on her beam
ends with her masts on line with
the water. The seaWena clambered
for the bulwarks, where they lay pant
ing and exhausted. Soon after an
other heavy sea was seen approach
ing, but the weary men made no at
tempt to save themselves further than
to cling instinctively tighter to the
bulwarks. The sea turned the brig
right over, bottom side up, and she
sank Two terrible screams We're
heard, and the captain and cook, who
had become entangled in the rigging,
went under with her, right IN sight of
their comrades, who We're powerlesS
to aid item. The survivors managed
to reach one of the small boats that
had floated off when the brig went
down. The boat was in a lcaky con
dition and half filled with water. BY
plugging the hole up with their cloth
ing the. men managed to keep her
atioat. She had no sailsn oars, and
the men were without a drop of fresh
water or any provisions. The wealth
er became intensely cold, and the al
most nude men sat in the boat drift
ing with the wind and tide, uttering
no sound except when some one of
them would cry out, "a sail A sail :"
and then give vent to maniacal laugh
at the disappointment of his comrades
The men were fast losing their senses
and becoming insane. Now aud again
one would jump up and dance crafty,
then fall down exhausted. The first
mate, John Clark. and two seamen,
whose names are unknown, soon be-
came exhausted and died Their bodies
were thrown overheard,
OF the three remaining men two
died during the afternoon of the fol
lowing day one, James Pratt, the sec
ond mate of the brig, was left alone
in the midst of the ocean In a leaky
boat The same evening he saw a yes
sci sailing directly towards him, He
was too much exhausted to any sci,
which sailed up to him and took hun
aboard. The rescuing vessel was the
barkentine Edward Gushing, of Cam
den, Ne, bound for Aspinwall, When
Pratt was taken on board he was more
dead than alive and nearly famished.
For days and days he could not speak.
The b2rkentine arrived at Aspin wall
on tho 14th of March, and by that
time he had recovered sufficiently to
report his case to the United States
Consul at that place, who procured
him free passage home on the
Acapulco. Pratt is a native of Gar
diner. Me, for which place he will
start as soon as possible.