Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-03-26
MAINE DISPATCHES.
A TERRIBLE TALE,
Fify-four Hours CIinging to Boat With.
put Food or Drink-A Name
Mans Story of Ship
wreck.

NEW ORk, Mafcn 20.
The brig A. G. Jewett of Belfast, Me-.
Captain Reid, from Philadelphia, Feb. Goth.
for Matanzas, was wrecked the 24th inst.
southeast of Hatteras, during a heavy gale,
and foundered. The captain and cook went
down in the vessel, but the rest of the crew,
six in number, took, to boat, which was in
bad condition so she was half full of water
all the time.
only one survivor, James Pratt, the second
mate, was picked up after being fiity-four
hours in the boat. by the bark Edward Cush-
ing, fr, m Boston for Aspinwall, and landed
at that place, from where he was transported
to this port.
James Pratt, late second mate of the brig
A. J. Jewett, of Belfast, Me-, who arrived in
New York Tuesday morning. in the Pacific
Mail steamer Acapulco, from Aspinw all gives
the following particulars of the loss of his
vessel On the evening of Feb. 22d, in the
Gulf Stream, latitude and longitude unknown,
violent gale commenced from the south
east, soon shifting to the southwest. in
which the brig labored fearfully. During
the night of the 22d, the cargo shifted, and
the vessel sprung leak. At4 o'clock on
the morning of the 23d an attempt was made
to wear the ship, but it failed, and at $50
A. NJ. she was struck by very heavy sea
and thrown on her beam ends, her masts be-
ing even with the water. Soon after anoth-
er sea struck her, washing off the crew from
the weather side, and turning her bottom
side up, when she saEk. The captain and
cook disappeared when she capsized. The
rest Of the crew succeeded in reaching one
of the boats that foateJ off when the brig
went down. The boat was stove in and filled
with water, but fortunately a spar to which
the boat had been lasned on deck still re-
mained attached, and this served to help
keep her afoat. She had no sails or oars,
and the men were without provisions or a
drop of fresh water. The weather was very
cold, and as they had to stand up in the boat
and hold on to the gunwales which were just
above the water, with the sea constantly
breaking over them, their sufferings were in
tense. The mate and two seamen soon be-
came exhausted, and died during the after
noon of the 23d. Two more died the next
day, and the last one in the afternoon.
As soon as the men died their bodies were
thrown overheard to tighten the boat. The
sole survivor, Pratt, was alone in the boat
from the afternoon of the oath, when after
drifting in all fifty-four hours, he saw YES
sci heading directly towards the boat. He
was too much exhausted to make any signal,
but he was seen from the vessel, which
proved to be the barkentine Edward Cush-
ing, Capt. Bickmore, of Camden, Me-, bound
to Aspinwall He was soon rescued, rope
being fastened to him, and was hauled on
board the vessel more dead than alive, but
with the kind treatment he received he soon
began to recover and regain strength. He
arrived at Aspinwall on the l4th inst BY
that time he had recovered, and upon report
ing to the United States Consul, was sent
home. leaving Aspinwall on the 18th. Pratt
halls from Gardiner. Me-, for which place
he will start as soon as possible.