The Republican journal., 1884-10-23
A Wonder OF Navigation
HOW THE BRIG i. I. MERRIMAN WAS SAILED
TWELVE DAYS BY TWO LANDSMEN. A SAD


HOW THE BRIG +. l. MERRIMAN WAS SAILED
TWELVE DAYS BY TWO LANDSMEN. A SAD
AND ROMANTIC STORY.
The brig F. |. Merriman arrived at New York
Oct lth, in command of Captain Hotschid of
the German barque Frederick Scaia the Sea
has captain having died at sea. Captain Hoffs-
child abandoned his own vessel, which had
been disabled in hurricane, to take command
of the Merriman. The Frederick Scala left
setting on July II with a cargo of salt for
Charleston, S. 9. She was barque of 400
tons, built in 1888. Capt. Hotf>child, his two
mates. steward and eight men We're on board.
All went well until Sept. u, when, without
any warning. the barque was caught in hurri-
cane. The wind blew with terrific violence,
and great swept over the vessel The
hurricane began to blow from the south-south-
east. and shifted to the south-SouthWest. Every
thing was swept from the decks, boats We're
stove, sails blown from the bolt ropes. yards
and masts were carried away, and leak start
ed in the hold When the storm passed away
the captain found himself in command of
mastiess hulk. rolling in the trough of high
sea. with the water gaining rapidly in the hold.
He set the men to work at the pumps. and the
leak was stopped well as it could be under
the circumstances. jury toremast was rig
ged up, and couple of sails We're set. SO that
the captain was able to keep the vessel before
the wind. BY keeping the pumps going con-
stantly the water in The hold was prevented
from gaining. When the hurricane struck the
barque she was in latitude % deg, longitude "a
deg, and when the captain had got his Jury
mast rugged after HE storm he ran before the
wind toward the south in order to get into the
northeast trades and then be picked up by some
steamer. The winds continued light and fair,
and on the morning of Sept. 2l lust as they
were approaching the northern limit of the
trades, brig WAS sighted flying signals of dis
tless. The two vessels were soon near each
other, and negro standing on the quarter
deck sang out: LEND Us provisions and water
and a navigator.
Where is the captain' asked Capt. Hotf,-
child. "Dead:" was the answer
"The matef" "DeaJ also."
Lower away your boat and come for us and
we will all come aboald and bring provisions
and water" said the captain of the Scala.
I'VE can't only two Of the crew are alive, and
one of them sick" The captain explained that
he had no boats and that the brig must lower
its boats. After Il little delay boat from the
brig came of, pulled by the negro who had
hailed the wreck of the barque and another ne
gro Capt. Ilotlschild took some of his men
ANA went aboard the other vessel. She proved
to be the brig F. |, Merrimhn of New York,
homeWard bound from the west coast of Africa
with a cargo OF hides. She had gone to the
African coast with a miscellaneous cargo from
Boston, and carried a captain two mates and a
steward in the cabin and four men before the
coast, the first mate died of African fever On
the hOmeWard voyage one of the crew died of
the same disease, and native African was
shipped in his place. When two days out Cap
tain Nickcrson and one of the crew We're taken
down with the fever. The captain fingered
along for some time, but finally died. Before
the captains death the mate was taken sick
and after ten days he died. About the same
time another member of the crew died. This
left the steward, the native African and one
WtIllt sailor to work the vessel. The steward
is Il Bermuda negro. lie took command No
one of tine three knew anything of navigation,
and had the same hurricane that wrecked the
Scala struck the Mrrriman She would probab-
Iy have gone to the bottom. AS it was, the
steward had gone by dead reckoning and had
not gone far astray. The steady and gentle
winds Of the northeast trades had filled the
sails. every one of which was set, and sent the
brig INTO that part OF the ocean where She
might expect help; but the stores and water
were almost gone and starvation or death from
thlEst stared the three men in the face. For
twelve days the brig sailed in this manner the
White sailor being taken down in the meantime
with the fever. Finally they sighted the wreck
OF the Scala. When Capt. Ioti>chiid heard
the story of the brig, he transferred all his
men. stores and water to the Mcrrman. and
abandoning his own vessel, shaped his course
Tor New 1ork. On the arrival of the Merri-
man she was detained at quarantine, the white
sailor OF the brig still being SICK with African
fever Capt. llotf>chid has announced his in
tenlion Of claiming salvage for bringing the
brig INTO port. The cargo OF the Merrnan is
valued al $40 900