Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-03

and WAitcd patiently for thc raornipg
|fsyp. which they hoped would reveal 10
them SONS sail, no matter how distant.
The captains wife suffered much 10 her
crxrnped position in the boat. bat she
kept brasely up. and comforted her
| child while her husband looked to the
management Of the boat. None Of the
| scamen slept. They had escaped the
| flames. bat ihe perils Of the water still
stared them IN the face. Several tines
| during the long and stormy night some
| one cried out that he saw light. but q
| seccud glance showed that tho wished
| FOR spark had been seen only in imagi-
nation.
About 5 o'clock the weary and un-
easy occupants Of the boats were wait
ing expcctsntly for morning, when one
| Of the sailors sprang up and pointed
out small red spark in the distance.
:. That's light :" cried he. The others
watched. and the red light changed into
green. They knew taat il was a vessel
headed toward them. A small white
light was seen above the changing COLI
ors. The vessel was a steamship, which
was rapidly approaching. Soon the
sound OF the steamship blowing through
the waves could be heard. The weary
| occupants Of the little boats forgot
| that they were worn out from watch
ing and exposure, and sprang up and
shouted like madmcn. Soon came an
swering cries. and the now hopeful sail
ors sank down in their boats with the
glad belief that they would soon be
once more on a vessels decks. The
steamship hove to and the occupants
Of the boats eagerly manned their oars.
In few moments they were alongside
their rescuer. Ladders were placed
over the sides Of the latter, and the
survivors OF the Alert climbed on board
in safety.
The steamship at once proceeded on
her course, leaving the hull of the Alert
| still in fierce blaze. The rescuing
vessel was the French steamship Comte
| d'Eu. which was nayigated by Captain
Wei. who was then making his first trip
as a commander. None Of the steam
er's crew could speak English and none
of the rescued mariners could talk
French, but the latter were able to In
| dicate by signs what they wanted.
They were treated with every kindness
by the Frenchmer.
The Comte d'Eu was bound from
Hayre to Pernambuco, arriving at the
latter port on November 2lst. Cap
tain Wei then informed Captain Park.
through an interpreter, that when he
| first saw the light of the burning vessel
| he thought that il must be caused by a
whaler trying out blubber. but although
| il was out Of his course. he determined
| to make sure of the matter, as the night
was DIRK and stormy. He knew that
il the light was caused by whaler he
would soon come upon the latter. But
after steaming an hour and half the
| light seemed no nearer than before.
lie then thought that it was certainly
caused by burning vessel. although
squalls occasionally obscured the light
completely. He was obliged to steam
fifty miles before he came up to the
| Alert. 1t was his intention to steam
around the burning hulk until morning
in order to make sure that no one was
on board. The cries Of the occupants
of the boats soon showed that he had
not gone out Of his course in vain. At
Pernambuco Captain Park, with his
family and six Of his men, took passage
on the Maranheusc. The balance Of
the crew shipped on other vessels.