Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-06-20
THIRTY-SIX HOURS IN THE WATER.
Dorson Sleeves, the First Mate and only


Dorson Sleeves, the First Mate and only
survivor of the British brig G. P. Sherwood,
which was wrecked of the Delaware Capes
on the 18th instant, tells thrilling story OF
the sufferings he endured before his rescue
by the bark Rafael Pomar, which took him
to New York. He was lying in the bottom
of small boat knocking about in high
sea when found, and after about three hours
maneuvering rope was thrown to him and
he was hauled on board. He was partially
blind from the long exposure, and immcdi-
ately after being rescued became uncon-
scious, remaining so for several hours.
In relating his story Sleeves said that
after the cargo shifted and the Sherwood
began taking the seas on her heaviest side
Captain Taylor told his wife to go from
the cabin to the forward house. As she
passed along with her husband she glanced
around chcerfully to the men. Sleeves
never saw her afterward. The vessel
gradually yielded to the fury of the
waves, and during the struggles Of the men
in endeavoring to right the ship the Second
Mate, Daniel Taylor, and the Captain in
qnick succession were drowned before their
the forward house, where Mrs. Taylor
doubtless persisted at the same time with
her husband. All hopes of saving the YES
sci were abandoned. The men all chung
desperately to the rigging, and in their ter
ror barely noted the fact that several of the
crew were already missing.
Sleeves had just succeeded in removing n
pair of heavy sea boots which he felt would
drag him down, when the wreck gave q
lurch and sank from beneath him. He was
sucked under the boiling waters, but in a
moment found himself at the surface again.
With great difficulty he made his way to-
wards a small spar near by, and as he seized
it three other men threw themselves upon
the friendly drift, which was barely heavy
enough to keep them up. The other survi
yors were Ernest Robinson, q young nephew
of the Captain; Michael McGivery, Il
sailor, and another seaman whose name
is unknown boat was discovered bot
tom upward drifting toward the men. BY
struggling they propelled the spar toward
the boat, but the effort was too much for the
lad Robinson, who relaxed his hold in de
spair and sank out of sight. There were
| now but three left of the ten persons who
had been on the brig. They reached the
| capsiZed boat in state Of sheer exhaustion
and with desperate effort succeeded in
righting it, though Sleeves and McGilvery
found that the third sailor had disappeared.
During the four hours which had elapsed
since the cargo shifted these two men cx-
perienced untold suffering, which had been
rendered still more poignant by the sight of
| eight poor souls swept to their last account.
McGilvery was the more exhausted OF the
two, and early in the evening, after pain
| I,l1 ,or;a II, ba hnot hn tnn L.
| ed to his trials, and was swept overheard.
During the whole night Sleeves cung to
the spar which had been dashed TO the boat.
| When morning came there was still no sail
in sight. The sole survivor of the Sher-
wood now began to lose his senses. 1t
seemed TO him during the morning that
vessels were approaching him from all d.
| rections. He saw sailing craft tugs and
| large steamers. He would wildly hail each
| one of the phantom vessels, and would see it
approach to within short distance Of him
| only to disappear rs suddenly as it had al
peared. At about noon he became some
what blind, and it seemed TO him that il was
night again. Ship after ship appeared and
he hailed them in vain, until a sailing YES
| vel presented first its starboard and then lis
port bow. 1t seemed to mancuver about
this way for bours in the gloom before him,
and the man fancied that it, like the others,
was about to disappear. Al last he saw Il
rope dangling before his eyes. He grasped
for this, expecting it to elude his hand, hut
to his surprise he found his fingers closing
around it. He passed the rope around UNI
der his arms and made it fast. Above him
he heard mens voices, and he felt himself
being hauled up from the boat. Friendly
hands seized him, and then he sank down
and lost consciousness on the deck Of the
Rafael Pomar, after being thirty-six hours
in the water. He was picked up in lati-
tude $50 g. and longitude Go 46>.