The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-09
THE ROYAL GEORGE
Retoid BY JAMES PAWN

bnOWcu fTOtu u EeiatfV6 Oh lOuk
dead, addressed to her great t.niscs from
Southssa, near Portsmouth, and dated
Aug. o, l7S3 there Occurred this singular
passage;
THE day Is calm and pleasant, and ~ I
sit at tbs open window, tho great vesssl In
the ofIiny, bstwixt me and the Fair Island
the Isle OF Wight used to be 80 called
seems TO sway not hand breath, nor 70
futter a single pennant" Then. In trsuSL
bling hand. but still tho same, was sddsdf
"A dreadful thing has happened. Whea !
had written that beginning OF my lottsr.
Dorothy, Hooked again southward; the 80
was waveless as before, and tho Fair island
sparkled In the sun, but betwixt us and 10 I
saw-no trace Of the great threo-deckSr. I
thought my brain bad gone wrong, and
rang the bell for Agnes; but wheu she too
could see nothing OF her, Q terrible appre-
hensiou took b sid Of mo; and when 10
alarm guns from the fort began to thunder
know the vessel had gone down hear
near 900 mon were aboard Of herr
This was the famous wreck Of tho Royal
George, immor talized by the verse OF Cow.
per. She was ship Of 100 guns, carrying
brass twenty-four Founders ON hsr main
deck, brass thirty-two Founders on her mid.
die deck, and iron thirty-two poundss -
her lower deck. Her lanterns wore 70 lsrgs
that the men used to enter them to clean
thom She hal six months provisons On
board, and many tons Of shos. The blue
flag Of the 'brave Kcmp,nfelt" was flying
at her mizz,n. and In two days she was %
loav, Spithead to Join tho ncet tn the
Mediterranean.
30 sudden and unexpected Q catastrophe
was never before heard Of In nautical
oIa,. hs.t Nt.n - d q.
enough IL arose from the obstinasy an6
fool-hssdinsss OF th, Lieutenant Of ~
watch. These caused tho death Of some
800 human beings. It is not necessary 10
mention his name; indeed, the sailor iron
Whose personal narrative / compile the
story, and who bad probably Just toincd
the ship did not know his name, though, a
course, it could bs discovered easily enough
"He was. II I remember right" he sayS
''the third lieutenant q good ds,d man b.
tween 80 and ~" Fortunately for him
self, perhaps, he was drowned with ebs
rest.
Tho accident arose through tho hceling
over OF the ship. IL was necessary to lay
her on her ads to get ut the wator cosk,
ntuatoi in that part Of tbs hold cal,el tes
we'd in order to replace ii by nsw oua
The operation was bsguu at 8 o'clock In the
mcrning. The ship at that tim, was 'fmi
OF Jews, women, and pso2le ceiling al sorts
Of mings" AZ was usual on the eve of long
voyage. Toe last lighter, with rum on
board had just como alongside, and w8
dashed to tho laYboard side Of tho vsasd,
aud tho msn were piped to clear hor. and
stow ths rum IN the hold. Though ths
watsr was almost level with ths port heiss
through which the larboard guns were run
a,-.s L.. 49,
spprehendel The ssa dashed In with every
wave ani disturbed the mica In tho lowsr
dcck, E,1 the m-a amused themselves Win
bum ',em in tho water. There was .
rare zane going on, ars t=s words Of tn
narraeor.
By0 o. clock tho weight q tho rum bar
reis and Of tho sea water brought the laS-
board portfolios still lower, and tho car
pentcr applied to tho third lieutsnans -
give orders to right ship. as sas could ncs
bear IT." But tbs lieutenant gave him q
worry short answer. The captain-CapA
Waghorn--was On board, and also tho ak-
miral; but admirals ami captains are nos
consulted In such matters Tha lives q
in tho hands OF subcrdinatcz In .
pcated his warning, -an,u riy'-neaE---us
answered: 'Sir, II you can manage the ship
better than l can, you had better tAhs
the comman1.n In minute or two safter-
ward, IL is true, tho foolhardy. onlesr Or
right ship, but 10 was theu too late. Thsr
wns no tiu1s to beat his drum, or evsa ti1s 10
gee it LET US try" said our sailor 10 the
lieutenant Of his gun, TO bouss our gum oQt
without waiting for tho drum, - 10 win
help 10 right tho ship" They pushed ths
gun, but f ran back on then, aud t6sY
the ship is sinking. jump out At ths pors
hoier' Hc did so. but ! believe hs was
drowned. for never saw him again fol !.
lowed him. I saw the port holes as. full q
heads a. they could cram, all trying to'gss
out.
fellows strugglinz to escape throux . spacs
not large enCu b for ons-tensh OF them, up
sn incline az steep az this peaked roof q q
house, AMI with q hungry sea rushing m
p4bind the,ui Above all thins ot tbs poor
wor,ani Our sailor, holding m 10 the bsSt
bower anohcr, which hung a5ovo tAs port.
ti.at moment the draught OF air from b.
twcon decks. caused by the sinking Of thS
ship. blows him of hts fest Then the hug
ms,s COOS down. and draws him down with
n Hs tr es b, swim. but caunok though
p.nt hut = whsa ,se ship touched bottom ks we
bot,sI mn go>4 deal aaf feit that ccuif swtA
ana hevan ts riss- so evea " vessel with . hunr
AYo
thsre !, sors , use you sea. IN having lsArnsd =
swiyn. when no comes - 90 surface he hsarg--
what q seunt at su'h Q monseur-lhe eeAnsps
ashore nrins their sgnas OF Aisssess bat hs CO. -
noshins His face Il covered with tar barrsi g
tar hey'ns been st1ved IN - the shfp wvnt down
ana its con tents spread over the wsbaE Hsswkss
away from his syss - wsh - he ssa. and iosss
abous HIN.
The fore, paia and nncntops OF Ne hses shV
were eli above water. and he climbs up Into essS
parativs safety In the shrouds % she miDsessp
l.nlra aIsa hal asIA IA
bs has rust pulled out Of tho pert ho19 hsg ~
Ne seisss hsr ONCE mors. and hangs ~ svss
ono Of the ratliass OF tfse ns.ssen - ouha w
clothes 10 Dry which 10 the best he do foe hsu.
but surf comes and kaocks ber bs,kwsvdL eaA
-swsy she went. rolling over ard ever ewsns~ex
enough tho poor creature II savsd after ell ey 80
Lost ss frigate lying at Sp'the~d. whose ssptsin
hs. Just pat OF N the rsscue "Imu~ lock 70 shcs
who are In more danger than you, my iad." II
sinss out 3. our s,iiov. as no goes by.
"Ay. ay. sir Is the repsr Il Am safely nosrsd
! enough"
Ths captain Of the Royal oeorss. thosyA ssssnss
| 10 say he could nos swim was r&ekea mp aifvs
But out .s S..ry .sss0s.S .sSssaIs %oS yssa .i: =
AMI sxty marines hal gone azhosc that rexy ncra
| tng. only n very fsw vere saved, gowDsAmeaA q
lowed fve pound, 70 shem for tae Toe. of tAse
things. Il saw the list ana there wcra oue ssven1v
Yse several dsys asssrwara hodaes, wssld 80
dsnly come up to the sarface st thshpot wksrs -
| shlp hal saak FORTY and 6fty, at uW> n
wassrmeu made go'd thing of IL shey woaid esk
| from t.s men their buckles psoney and wstoAsa
thsn. making fasta rops - shsiE hAsis would sDv
| them 70 land
Ths po.s who ssns, Of tho calamity tssss "a ~,
| teup.s< gave the shoek" and. indeed. thsrs wa
| scarccly any brsexs NJ alt rhs shfp was snohoped
and hal net tven . sfitch Of canTas On her - kes
| her steady
hixg years aftsrwara she interest a shis <rvisi
event had by nd means died awsy. and Wal n
nsembss. ~ boy. go.nx ON board the ship thas ~
| snt'oael above tbs scene Of the ssiamlty. % -
| ths divsrs who were stll eupioysd upon ~ wrsee
| The aspiration OF tAs port
weiSa the vesssl uA
| Ooos dreaded by her fops
was Rsvsr reaanek but almost svxyshfae ~
taken oat st h~s and moro fancy arslc,ss
paper knives work bozes ete. sd1rDsd :
have beeA male from her tnsbers. wees sn'<
I an asraA1 than sAs Royal ososgs. hax "a sAs wsI
could ever have furnished A. cor asasb1A peseu
of resort you may paschAss them svsn A0W q q
ossars-old .fashisned ArecieA with thls tenAiik
iAserfpsioa on them -1hkA desks ter lstess wseso
| or payer welgaO was uoaAe ous a ths wo0A AZ q
Royal 0sossc. sanb e6 epithead N TN uitA 20 I
| hss crow
NE Hdss q n
u. ouad.l
In nearly every case boy In unxJaW6
Scotland. Ireland, 0>rmsny OF Frases
bound TO serve IN apprenticeship oe fFel
Ave 70 ssven ysar1 Tho idea knit 6AA1
smart boy can noe mastsr almDe e
trade In three o. four yearS but u b ~ ~
money in the employers pocket Dnria
| tn last two or thru vanrn oR ~ mur0n0n