The Republican journal., 1885-01-08
ERILS AT

We pub> III marine news
some particulars of the Toss of the ship Alert,
and supplement them this week with the Cap
tain's story, as told by the New York Herald.
The Herald saws:
A flush on the face acquired in the tropics
and a seamanly gait in moving about were all
that distinguished the tall, muscular looking
man who landed at the Barge Office yesterday
morning as skipper; but that he was-Capt.
Jerry Park, of Maine-and the lady and little
boy with him were his wife and child. The
three were fresh from an experience than
which few are more dreadful. and the same
Captain Park recited as he sat yesterday be-
tween those two sharerS of his peril.
at was on the 18th of October last" said he,
"that | weighed anchor and left Sandy Hook
behind me. was Captain of the Alert. an AM
erican clipper ship, and right snug craft at
that-with 10000 cases of oil in the hold and
eighteen hands aboard besides myself and fam
lily. We were bound for Shanghai, China, and
had hopes Of good rum for we bore away
with fair wind. and never puf of another
kind did we have for twenty days at least.
Then all of "A sudden there came calm, and
the ship lay like log, with the crew trying TO
whistle up breeze. 1t was no use. Now and
then puff would swell out the fopsails and
the ship would crawl along a bit. But most of
the time there wasn't breath of air stirring.
We We're in latitude deg. 40 min. north. and
in the 'doldrums. and there was no telling
when this dreary quiet of and air would
give place to brisk squal. We kept on the
lookout for it. and sure enough ii came. 1t was
on the 14th of November, and that morning
all around The horizon the sky had looked dirty
and clouds had come together overhead.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
THE sun was bIotted out, the sea was black as
ink, and then down came the rain. There was
rs Al ITot Is
we would get nothing worse than Il drenching.
But an unlocked for danger Was in store for
Us. The lightning was shooting about in The
sky and the thunder WAS rolling. IL was not
the red tlarng lightning that SETS the sky on
fire, but wicked looking forked streak> that
seemed 10 be bent on mischief. All hands were
on deck and ready TO act on orders. bat keep
ing IN shelter well Is they could, when all OF
sudden down went every mothers son of
them spraWling about and for minute there
was whizZ i'll the Air and crash overhead,
while a shower of splinters came rafting down
about Us. The ship had been struck by light
ming. 1t had shNered the foreroyal mast,
carried away part OF the ward and ripped a
lot of canvas out of the foreroyai. When
we got on orr feet though. there seemed
10 be no other damage done. ana we felt Il lite
safe The squat kept on, and no one stirred
around much for half an hour or -. Then we
had reason to get about lively. y man came
swinging up to me with Capn, there's fire be-
low. smokes comm up the fore hatche>.
All forard.' | cried. and we made for The
place where the smoke was crawling up through
The crevlceS and showing Itself in spite OF The
tarpaulins we had spread over it to protect the
cargo. Some Of the men tried TO 20 below and
get at the fire. Ii couldn't be done. Then
had wafer poured down the matches. but a.
this WAS of no avail | ordered them 10 be
batened down. 1t was a terrible position.
There we Were a thousand miles from land in
ship burning away under our feet. But not
under our feet for long. for with AN explosion
like II cannon the matches were blown away
and up shot the red flames a. high aS the fore
yard. Nothing could stay them. | knew that
10000 cases of oil We're down there TO feed
them. and that the Alert wa, lost. Without
delay | called the crew 10 clear away the boat,
and prepare to take our chances with the sea
1t was none too soon, either.
ABANDONED At SEA.
The fire was rushing aft and the timber>
were shriyelling like paper in the flame. The
heat was unbearabe, and it was a relief to Il,
when we had the provisions stored away i'll The
three boats and drew off from the ships side
There we lay in Choppy with the boats
made fast to one another and sharp lookou,
kept by every soul aboard for sail The fire
and smoke from the Alert knew Woulo
mount high III the air, and a> they were like y
10 draw the attention OF some passing craft we
made up our minds to stay in her company Il,
long we could. We passed dreary NIGH
there. The WAS all Redeemed by the baZt
huge mass of flames till after midnight, wheI
she foundtred and went down. Then the
darkness settled on the ter again, and We
lay there with some of the barred wreck drift
ing about and such forebodng> as Heaven
alone knows tormentng Us. We We're LOOK
miles from Cape st. Rogue, and in that lati
tude il might take weeks to reach il. VIVA
dangers we would encounter, what suffering
we would have to sustain can only guess
1t was dark outlook. can tell YOU, and when
va ,.In arr he IN, II h.IN tlat
light ahendt and away off in ihe gloom ",
could see a little bright >peck. WE felt like hug
ging the fellow. Ii was a steamers light. anC
presently We saw she was bearing down OF
us. And before long the French steamship
Comte dEtu of HaVre, bound for Pernambuco
came along and picked Us up. She had sighte,
the glare of The burning ship fifty miles away
and although at first thinking ii came from
whaling vessel it WAS decided TO bear dow
upon it 10 see if assistance was needed. 'Iht
captain Was very kind y Us and treated Us al
handsomely. We went to Pernambuco will
him. and from that came on here, leaving tn,
rest Of the men i'll charge OF the America
Consul"
The Alert was of 0g9 tons register Sh
was owned ny Litteield Sons. of Boston. an,
consigned to Vernon Ii. Brown 4 Co., of New
York.
VOTING BY PROXY Al PUBLIC ELECTIONS.
Hon. A. W. Paine of Bangor a man as wide
ly respected as he is known and an able lawyer
presents Ia the Maine | 4gi,I.turn 3, lin viii,
4utborixn> ana n.Lau ,-r6,is;,,,, tor ,.otino, h,
nroyv At STATE and other nuhIi,. elertions NJ;
Paine in his addres. ,,h;h .,c,.o,,ra,,ias III,
hill shows that the or,rr mart of th, hn.
" ~. WI ~ =. uoi'' - I.oA9 'iU in'i MlViiou
tpent. and ie,ra.e,,,.tiVn. tr,,.t,o,. ''iI'
he limited Lvpu m ,i,, forn, of ,,nynrnnnan
The npnnIr are .lynrs renresrnted Inv nrnvies
This haing Tho CASA Mr. I5.,iua mint. ,i,.t +;
* but I'm th,t ynters vin.p meme. r, r,,ri.
tarpd ,,rrorlinp tn law si,.lI hs,1. tbn ,i,,hf f.
send lbcir votes ia rhe yofiuo Mace in ease
where hy >i,knn.s ar .,l..ncE tror, thi, sI,t,
pioNlur> 'uat me nihi' o. Inc person Wn
N"u'u w y! PioAf lhu>t W upon iht Nolli'
!i9' .n't 10 "ii' 'ali "'' a. pioAa W most hain
II MOI vi te SAINT lls'' tiiat tht o@iot iiluHt ID
IItScIipea ny ne Noter 80 a. 10 taFe me pfoN,
nv ul>cl','on 'hat inc oail"i ana me authofli.
" uePoSlt II iiust pe slSheu -! inc No'ti an
i1sm h " lV,'S0" pelole hiaSIsId't' thaI th
paiIot anu tnt pIoAN must ne upon one piece
paper, anu ma 'ne proxy parry must satl>l
the erection oihctlS oI lle iu'htity OF ihe VOC
tle salht a. ~ - nov required 10 prove ~
o"n iueHti,f pelo'e fol!hS u u Is cal"u II
iueSuoh He PioGeeus d. enSth 10 snow 'la
theie - no liole u"hStl oi if"uu ana briDtr.
III Young ny proxy IMAM lleIe Is uhder tu
present system. mere can be no DOUBT tina
sucu measure "oula save d great expense II
S.|'es "nelt many voters are employed Ill
t9'"il'? nom 'he 70" he h'ic ti'H heid No'
llS It>iutnct anu Wbulu prove an advantage