Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-12-10
CAST ON A SAND BANK.
Hardships Endured by ShipwTeckea
SaiIOrs--Gales OF the
Survivors,

NEW YORK, Dec. 6.-Thirty-one ship
wrecked sailors arrived on the steam
ship Santo Domingo, of the Clyde
Steamship Company, from Turks Is
land. They formed the crews OF the
wrecked British banks Invincible, Spin
away and CLARA M. Goodrich. A Mr..
Snaith, chief mate of the Invincible,
tells the following story of the ship
wreck of his vessel: "The lnvinclble
was bark of 626 tonnage. and belonged
to Sunderland; she was loaded with
cargo of logwood and was bound
for Rotterdam. Capt. Hossick was
the chief officer. We loaded at
Port Liberty, about twenty miles from
Cape Hayti, and then went to the Cape,
which we left on November 5, ON our
voyage home. At half-past IL, on the
same night, we ran ashore OIL the Car
500 Bank, which is situated about thirty
miles from Cape Hayti and seventy-fve
miles from Turks Island. It is bank
of sand about seventy miles long. Only
portions of it are above high water
mark. The place where we struck is one
of these small patches, and is about two
acres in extent and is called French
Cay. The sea and wind were calm, but
the currents were running. They are
strong and treacherous, and you are be-
ing carried along with them before you
know it. Directly we struck the cabin
filled with water, and the vessel
went right down on the lee side;
SO we left in the boats
and took our station on the bank, where
we rugged up tent and remained five
days. We had plenty of food. We
we're able to go to the vessel, which was
only half under water. After being
there five days party of wreokers hove
in sight and took us off. They took all
the sailing gear of the Invincible and
went to Turks Island, where it was sold.
They also sold the vessel and cargo as
she stood on the bank, the whole fetch
ing $1,000. We had terrible time go
ing from French Cay to Turks Island.
There were twenty-seven of us in all
on a small eight-ton schooner, and then,
to crown all, four of the men were sick
with San Domingo fever. We were
three days on this voyage. On arriving
in Turks Island, the British Commits
sioner had us taken care of in board
ing-house, where we stayed thirteen
days, and during that time John Ander-
son, seaman, aged 60 years, died. We
left there last Thursday on the Santo
Domingo for this port"
Mr.. Williams, the mate of the Spin
away, said to the reporter: "Our story
is much the same and the coincidence
quite remarkable. We and the Invinci-
BILE left Scotland together for Demerara,
which port we left within few hours
of each other. At Port Liberty we
were loading side by side and left Cape
Hayti at the same time, and struck the
same bank within an hour and ten miles
of each other. We were not SO much
damaged as the Invincible, and re-
NAMED on board until the wrecker took
us to Turks Island. The men suffered
a good deal. The vessel and cargo
were sold for $780,"
The brig Clara M. Goodrich, from
Demerara for New York, on the morn
ing of November IA ran ashore on
Turks Island. The crew were unable
to get the brig off, and so abandoned
her. The cause of this wreck was the
treacherous nature of the currents
among the Windward Islands, from
which similar accidents often occur.
The mate of the Invincible and num-
bers of the seamen complain they were
not treated we'll on the Santo Domingo.
They each had to pay $25 for passage.
They shoald have received good accom-
mediation, but assert they were slowed
away between decks and left at the
mercy of the stormy weather. They
also complain of the food furnished.
Mr.. Sutherland, the second officer, died
of the fever while coming from Turks
Island.