The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-05-24


care to keep to it until Tom was quite cured
of his careless habits.
Sometimes he seemed threatened with
relapse; but Nellie, instead of scolding, only
had quietly to bring something of her own
and lay it beside whatever he had tossed
down, and it was sure to be put away i'm
mediately, for Tom seldom failed to take
the hint.
And if some other little woman, as tidy
and clean as Nellie, takes hint also, this
story will have served its purpose.
Graphic Account of The Greatest
Loss Ever Known on the Ocean.
The recent sinking of the steamer Dan
lei Steinman, near Sambro light, and the
dreadful loss of life accompanying the oc-
casion, renders, in connection with the
summer hegira to Europe, all matters per-
tanning to ocean travel of interest.
Ocean disasters are of no rare occur
renee, but one took place over hundred
years ago whose very age makes it news to
the present generation. 1t was an Ameri-
can-Atlantic gale, and one feet went down
in it whose loss of human lives and proper
ty is unparalleled in history. How many
vessels and men went down in that great
September gale of 1882 will never be
known; but out of the great "Blue Field
feet, on its homeward way from the West
Indies to England, and composed of about
100 ships, consisting of richly laden mer
chantmen, conveying men-of-war, and cap
tured frigates and war vessels, over sixty
were never heard of, 10000 men of that
single fleet went down to their graves in
the Atlantic, and it was estimated that the
loss to England was directly 92O,00O,OOO,
or $1OO,OOO,O0O. Truly for four days
work there is nothing in the worlds history
to reach it, and though it occurred but yes
terday-to-day it is nearly forgotten, and
of the thousands who pass the Newfound~
land banks it is very small percentage
who know of the great graveyard Of 1872
that lies in their close vicinity. This
doomed fleet was sent back from the Mus
quito coast in charge of Admiral, afterward
Lord Graves Lord Rodney was in COM
mand of the British vessels, and in connec-
ton with Sir Thomas Hood, had captured
numerous French men-of-war from the
Counts de Grasse and d'Estang, as well as
American vessels and heavily-loaded mer=
chantmen from both nations, These, with
large feet of British merchantmen, all
well loaded; transports and vessels returning
with the sick and disabled, were placed
under convoy of Admiral Graves, and the
protection of the flagship Families, seven
ty-four guns, Canada and Centaur seventy
four guns each, frigate Pallas, thirty-six
guns, Ville-de-Paris, 10 guns, war vessels
Glorieux, Cation, Ardent, Jason, Hector
and number of others. 1t has been esti-
mated that there were $500 cannon in this
great feet, of about one hundred vessels.
The vessels started on their disastrous Yoy-
age July 25, and made slow progress against
heavy winds. On September 16 a heavy
gale sprang up in the afternoon, and on
board the flagship Families the top=gal-
liant yards and masts were sent down, the
sails 'furled and the ship brought to under
mainsail on the larboard tack The feet
was well punched around the flagship and
the other vessels speedily followed her en-
ample so far as practicable, During the
night the wind was a gale, when at B o'clock
on the morning of the 18th it whirled
around into directly opposite quarter, took
the Families by the lee, her main and
mizzen masts went by the board, the fore
top mast fell over the starboard bow, num-
bers of the yards broke in their sings, the
tiller snapped, the rudder was nearly torn
off, and in thirty seconds this great, mortal
giant lay wreck on the crumpled tops of
q seething ocean, swept to dead-leVel by
hurricanes knife-like hand. How many
of the consorting vessels went down in that
awful blast will never be known. Nobly
the great Families stood up against fate.
Her copper sheathing was beaten off, the
oakum left her seams and tie waters poured
in. Now came the fight for life. Gun
after gun, cable aftea cable, shot after shot
and boyer after hover were given over as
a sacrifice to the wrath of the deep. Whips
and buckets and pumps were going in all
directions. Raw hides were stretched and
nailed fore and aft, 1t all prolonged the
vessels life, but could not save 1t. Gal
lantly she fought for existence until the
evening of the 18th, Then part of her
orlop-deck was in her hold, her seams were
gaping wide, she was shaky ribwork Of
loose bolts and timbers, and evidently set
ting forward. Some of the merchantmen
that still remained above water with their
spars gone and sides stove came as near to
the rescue as possible, and with vast diff
Guilty the crew of the Ramillies was scatter.
ed among them. This done, and with
hatred of the storm that had wrecked their
gallant vessel, hatred that seaman alone
knows, the torch was applied to her maya
zine and the brave ship, with her last gasp,
deAed hep enemy aRd became her own en-
ecutioHer Such was the fate of the Ra=
MILES. OF the rest of that great feet, the
gigantic Vile de Paris, with her 1000
souls, went down with all on board, and not
mortal eye saw her sink The Centaur,
Glorieux, Hector (men-of-war) and num-
Der of the merchantmen went down like
the vast Paris-with none to see their death
and none left to tell the tale of their final
miseries. OF the others, some were seen
to sipk, the alarm gongs of othefs were
| heard, and some were seen to drive before
the gale, mastless, ruddeFless and helpless,
About twenty-five vessels out Of the hun
bred comprising the feet are supposed to
have kept afoat. These reached different
ports in sad plights. Some brought up at
Halifax, some in Plymouth Sound, others
at Bristol, at Irish ports and in France.
This last refuge gerYea IA be the mockery
Of misery The line-ship Canada, seventy
four guns, was sighted by the survivors of
the American-Atlantic tornado half hull
down, having her main-top and mizzen-
masts gone, with her main yard aloft and
the sail blown from the gasket. The i'm
preston was that she would go down to the
bottom. But she did not. With mar
velously feet heel she outstripped the en-
tire survivors, and ran into Portsmouth,
England, October A. There she scattered
the news of the dire fate that had pVertaken