Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-12
FOUR DAYS ON A WRECK.
BURNING OF THE SCHOONER
MARTHA BROWER.

| story OF First Ohlcer Peterson, OF the
Schooner Fannie Il. wOIstOn-The
Abandoned Vessel Adrift in q Gale
Without Sails or RigginK-Her Grew
Taken or by the British Brig Ferland
and the Wreck Fired.
First officer Peterson, OF the schooner
Fannie f. Wolston, related to a NEWS re-
porter yesterday the details Of his four
days voyage on the schooner Martha
Brewer. He also gave his reasons for
firing the vessel.
When the three men went aboard of the
Brewer from the Wolston about II O'Clock
in the forenoon Of Jan. 9th, Peterson at
once examined the lazarretto and found
no sails that could be used. He so stated
to the Captain of the Wolston, but was
not sure that he was heard. When the
men returned in the boat to the Wolsto n,
he told one Of them to tell the Captain
that there were no sails. and to let him
have a spare mainsail which he knew
the Wolston had on board. The
Captain did not reply, and in an
hour Peterson saw the Wolston square
away for port.
The wind was blowing gale from the
westward with a heavy sea on. The
schooner kept drifting to the
eastward, and on the next day the
steamship Darwin hove in sight. Peter
son offered the captain $4,000 to tow the
schooner to this side of the gulf stream.
The offer was declined, and Peterson then
asked him for a spare sail, which was also
refused. The captain offered, Peterson
says, to take him and the other men If
they would abandon the schooner, which
they declined to do.
"We lay to that night" Peterson went
on to say, "and the next day, Jan. 20, the
wind bore around to the northward, and
from 10 O'Clock in the morning until in
the afternoon blew a continuous gale.
! We kept off before the wind for about an
| hour. The vessel was not making enough
Roadway to keep the sea from breaking
over her. About l O'Clock In the afternoon
tremendous wave came over the stern,
| breaking down the rail-work and sweep
| ing the deck. The man at the wheel was
| washed away but chung to the deck.
The gale kept on increasing and we
hove to, to the nOrthward, and put out
! two 6O-fathom lines and the staysail boom
to the weather bow to try and hold the
vessel up, but with little effect. Between
8 and 6 O'Clock heavy sea came over the
deck, breaking down the bulwarks and
splitting the rail from the main rigging
! aft. The main hatch was started, but the
sea going clear over the vessel, we could
not get to the main hatch to secure it.
We then tried TO rig up stay from the
mainmast aft to the bit to put piece of
canvas on, and thus hold her up to the
wind. The sea coming over her amidship,
started a leak.
son Jan. 80 the wind and sea continued
the same as on the previous day. About
10 O'clock in the forenoon we saw vessel
asteTn and put up signals, which were
answered, and the vessel bore up towards
us within hailing distance. She proved
to be the British brig Ferland. We asked
the Captain to lay by us, which he did.
The sea being so heavy he could do moth
ing for US until the wind abated, but he
lay by all that day and night. The next
morning about 8 O'Clock the wind and sea
went down somewhat, and two of the
Ferland's men Jumped into a boat and
came to us. We sent word to the Captain
asking him to let US have a sail. He re-
piled that he had none, but sent word that
he would do all he could to help us. Be
ing without sails and crippled. we decided
to leave the schooner as we could do moth
ing with her. She kept going TO the east
ward, having drifted 70 miles in "a hours.
| There were only provisions enough for
| two days longer. We had subsisted on
| two meals a day since we went aboard the
vessel from the WolstOn.
"BefOre leaving the wreck we got two
buckets Of kerosene, and pouring the oil
over pile of stuff forward, put a match
to it. 1t flashed up and we saw the fore
rigging in a blaze and the foremost
burned. When got aboard Of the brig
went up into her rigging to see the
Brewer go down, but we lost sight OF her.
! am confident, though that she went to
the bottom. The Captain Of the brig treat
ed us with great kindness, and landed us
safe at Wilmington, whence l came
here"