Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-08-09
A soul-harrowing ship,,rsck.


cessfully performed and 1t was then
agreed TO send the teams home and
bring the buildings over the lake in
raft. Captain A. B. Brown, gentle
man who has achieved Il world wide
reputation by the deXterous manner in
which he sailed many sehooners over
the various bars back in Missouri. was
chosen commander of the craft. The
anchor was oat.hcaded and sail made
last Thursday evening with fair
breeze abaft the jigger to'gal'ntsl, and
everything babe fair for speedy and
prosperous voyage. The gallant skip.
per himself handled the PA batting
helm, while First Officer Mcclellan
and Boatswain Williams manned the
fore lee and weather pike. pole braces.
Everything went smoothly until the
bully ship arrived off Cape Flyaway,
where a dead calm was encountered
The sturdy Captain, being an old East
Indiaman of vast experience and well
posted on the subject of typhoons, cy-
clones and monsoons, instantly ordered
the Boatswain to pipe all hands on
deck to stand by for heavy weather.
Sailor Jack, the salt-soaked crew, i'm
mediately answered the summons.
After carefully boxing the compass
to preserve it from the ravages of the
elements and making fast the tillcr TO
save the specie, the Captain called the
crew aft and explained the desperate
condition of affairs and told him that
he would expect all of him to stand by
the ship as long as he could reach bot
tom with his feet. Jack went forward
with thee hearty cheers and strong
breath and began reducing sail. He
had got the ship trimmed to a double
reefed marlinespike, the bryce and a,
leg of mutton hanging forward of the
galley scupper, when Il tremendous
squall, with an estimated velocity of
three knots per hour. struck them
from the East, and they found them
selves on lee shore with not a
sti CHI Of canvass to beat off with and
no Storage way. The skipper at once
ordered the foremost coiled down the
deadeyes, the mainmast sheepshanked
and a backstop with a Glove hitch put
upon the mizzen. The chains were
slowed away in the pinnacle, the davit
falls and peak halyards hauled aft, the
bobstays and gatf.topsail sheets tackled
down, the tarpaulins and gaskets
furled, the sheet anchor kcdged and
every effort made to save the ship.
The anchor was weighed and, to the
dismsy of all was found to be ten
pounds short. In the face of this dire
intelligence Browns courage and
presence of mind never deserted him.
In his stentorian tones, mistaken by
fear, he ordered the carpenter to sound
the pumps, and, with a blanched face
that sent chill of terror 10 the hearts
of the heroic band, he returned with
the information that there were eight
feet of water in the hold. At this
critical moment. just as the skipper
was giving the order to wear ship,
Jack cut loose the hawse-holcs and,
throwing them over his shoulders for
life preservers, jumped overheard
reaching the shore after long and
severe struggle with the giant waves
He at once came to town and told of
the condition in which he had left his
shipmates and impaired the further
information that the supply of whisky
could not possibly last until morning.
All night long the shipwrecked crew
fred minute guns and sent up signal
rockets, while our excited populace
could do nothing for them. When
night lifted her sable robes, making
way for yesterdays dawn, the ship
was sighted hard on the rocks at the
eastern side of Cape Flyaway, while,
with strong glass, Captain Brown
could be plainly seen dashed to the
bowsprit and frantically waving an
empty bottle. Such n signal of dis.
tress could not be resisted, and a relief
party WAS at once started out in Langs
life boat. Farther particulars of the
sutierings and priva,ions endured by
this hardy crew during the most dis
astrous shipwreck ever occurring on
Walker Lake, will probably be forth.
coming when the reseuing party
returns and the survivors are biaced
up to the talking point
The mariners came in last even
ing, but were too exhausted to give
any further information Captain
Rrovn with n herOism worthy of him