Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-02-03
~a CAPTAINS GRAPHIC STORY.
Terrible Experience OF Himself and
His Eleven Men.

When Captain Calvin of the ill-fated
Hylton Castle reached New York
recently. he was interviewed by re-
porter to the following effect: 1T will
alwaps live in my mind" he said with
emotion. although my poor men suffer-
ed worse than /. When we sailed away
from Rouen / counted upon speedy
VOYAGE. But the storm which broke
upon us was so severe that knew the
ship could not escape its fury. We
were about seventy-five miles to the
eastward of Sandy Hook when 1t broke
upon us. 1t was about IL O'Clock when
my worst fears were realized, for with
every motion of the vessel huge wave
would break over us. This continued
all that night, and when daylight broke
on the second most of our deck fixtures
were either gone or badly damaged.
Still thought We could get along with
out them. so l continued sending the
ship along at half speed. All day Satur-
day the storm continued, and when
darkness came on l discovered the wheel
and machinery to be working badly. 1t
WAS then that the vessel sprang leak
and | knew that as soon as the water
got mixed with the cargo of grain the
latter would swell and probably burst
the ships sides, 50 [ ordered the vessel S
course altered with the intention of re-
turning TO rOrt for a survey and repairs.
All this time the men were pumping,
and as the vessel made no more than
two knots per hour, our fires having
gone out, il did not take them long 10
become exhausted. Then knew it was
all up with the vessel, and | ordered the
boats to be got ready. We left the
vessel early Monday morning.
When we parted with the lifeboat in
charge of the mate, all our oars save
two pairs had been broken by the heavy
sea. 1t was impossible to pull against
those heavy waves. l did not know in
what direction land lay, so l ordered
the boat to be steered according 10
reckoning. The men had eaten scarcely
anything since early morning, and being
exhausted, some of them lay down.
Then two more oars broke and We were
left with only one pair. 1t was intense
ly cold and we dTifted about, God knows
where. The men were more or less
frost bitten by that time, and suffered
greatly for the want of food and water.
We all laid down 10 die. Darkness
came on. One of the men was looking
eastward about Q O'Clock when he
suddenly shouted, "a ships light 1t
was close by, and in one voice We al
called for help.
They heard us, thank heaven, and
the rest is known, for quarter of n
hour later we were before a warm fire
on board the Stephen Woolsey. The
crew of that vessel had to help the men
on board, though, for four of them were
actually too dead TO move. We were
well treated on the WoOlSey, and
wish you would thank her master fol-
me-"
SIS it true, Captain, that the vessels
rudder was damaged when she left
port?'
''Who says so:" he replied. 1T was
in first-claSs condition"
WAS the ship overloaded?"
'sNo. Plimsoll's mark was high above
the water line.
Captain Nathaniel Keeney of the
WoolSey said his vessel had left the
vicinity of Fire Island in company with
the smack J. +. Becker on Monday
morning. They went off to the east
ward in search of an anchor which they
had buoyed the day before.
1t was about 9 O'Clock on Monday
night when several of the crew heard
the CRY for help. He thought the men
could not have lived over that night.
The other men who landed at Fire
Island in lifeboat No. l are fast re-
covering at the Sailors Home on Cherry
street