Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24
A TRUE STORY OF THE SEA.
How Two Mayors OF New York Es.
capped from Shipyvreck.

NOW Two Mayors OF New York Es.
capped from ShipWreck.
From Harper's Weekly.
In his speech at Cooper Union, october %, Mr..
Abram 8. Hewitt, then candidate for mayor. now
mayor-elect, gave sketch OF his own life as an
answer TO some attacks made upon him as q erich
mar" In the course OF these remarks he said:
II became nearly blind, and was compelled to pass
war N fSuf0fs for which paid ont the earnings
way home another ACCIDENT shin ON
90 the ss sn ID ss;e
3 as friend brSther and viii Be to tie
Il sasi sy thing Of had
sss. yesss q
Let the captain Of the rescuing ship tell the story
as ne did few years ago to little circle OF friends
In New York club:
In 1874 was commanding the ship ATLANTA,
and In the month OF December Of that year was
MAKING voyage from Liverpool to New York
ON the 18th was crossing the Gulf stream, and
I aaG got wen over IT. when near evening, saw
@ sa miles and
barometer had been falling rapidly, and as al
ways regarded it with great care and oDeyed its
kept sas that the
ts on ana MD her from sight she far OF
Ine horizon, and didn't appear to have taken in
blow heav1ly--a regular cyclone, In fact-and you
may De sure was glad had taken in SAIL 1t
OAAiy ftoteu COuplc VI hours or so. out was very
rough as long as It was on us
ABOUT In the forenoon the watch reported
pieces OF wreck floating on the water, and an hour
was as had feared; the stranger had foundered
in the gale, and this was one OF her boats.
ship or e the
; new 1ork ana besides her officers and crew she
nad Two passengers in the cabin. She under
short time she was an unseawOrthy wreck She
nao Two boats one stanch life-boat and the other
an old and rotten long-boat Lots were drawn for
while the long-boat went to the captain. The two
CABIN passengers went to the long boat, and also
picked up with the FIRST ofilcer in command. and
he said they left the ship at in the morning and
lost sight OF the long-boat soon after. She was
t t9e SNIP IMAM they as the captain had been
.The weather was cold, and they suffered con-
siderably from their cramped positions, but in a
warmed up and all right. Nothing could be seen
OF the long boat, and it was not certain whether
she was still af1oat. ! determined to save her If
possible to do 1t, and the great question was to
determine what course to steer to find her.
reasoned that Capt. Hitchcock would try to get
order to find smoother water, and after carefully
studying the situation changed my course in ac-
cor nn &c with this theory l sent men aloft to
boat, and to watch for anything that would indi-
cate she had gone down and was past all help.
no signs Of boat TO- Ike ana
first onicer and the officer Of the Albanian, and
we heid council. One OF them thought ought
for 1t, and then the other, who had been wavering
on the subject Joined him. persisted in my be-
e t and stood alone In it. Somehow could not
the Albanian had done what should do under
similar circumstances, he would be exactly in the
track was running.
''The afternoon went on, and about an hour be-
lore sunset went into the crOss-trees to have a
look on my own account. swept the horizon with
IN I,v,t v,ofJ>f
and felt what a terrible responsibility rested on
me, and what would be said Of me for holding my
not find The boat.
"Just as the sun was within a handspke's
length OF the horizon saw speck on the crest of
a wave. 1t went down as the wave fell, and be-
heve my heart stopped beating till the speck
came up again and showed Itself. There it was
and no mistake, and it was exactly dead ahead as
near as you could draw line.
II hailed the deck, and sent the first officer to
take the wheel. told him not to vary the breadth
OF ha1r from the course we were running. Then
l came down, and sent man up to take my
place.
, ".Have you seen anything? everybody asked as
".Nothing I'm certain Of answered; but we
may have developments presently don't know
II my heart was beating then, but presume it
was.
I'm little while-it may have been quarter of
an nour, and just as the sun was dipping into the
norizon-the man in the rigging called out, Sail
hop
m.Where away?'I asked.
"'Dead ahead, sir. think it's the boat
my heart went up in my mouth, but tried to
appear as cool as an iceberg. OF course everybody
else was all excitement, and that was the more
I reason why should not be- Besides, was cap
Sa, ana n9oody else was as had shown them
'The night came on clear'and beautiful, and we
daylight faded, but in half an hour or SO we e. saw
her again, and we still had her right in line. AS
we neaTed her kept the ship up a little so as to
DIlng tne boat under our lee, and put men in the
lore chains and along the sides with plenty of
lines, and made all possible preparations to make
Chilled x the eoG In the boat would be 50
helpless, and whatever was to be done would have
to be done by ourselves.
surmised; they were most OF them too much be-
numbed to climb up the Sides and had to be
f nelped; When they were all safe on board we
with her own weight; how She ever lived as long
as she did Is mystery.
they could after leaving the ship, with the inen-
ton Of getting into the smoother water beyond
the Gun stream, and he had thought that in case
done. The two cabin passengers took their share
OF the labor with the rest. They were both young
mem with difference Of perhaps five or six years
the elder OF the two being tutor for the younger
who was the son OF prominent citizen of New
Y York. Ihey took passage at Leghorn for New
boat they had done so without complaint, and
had borne the privattOns of the night and day as
All day they had watched and hoped, hoped
ana watched but there was no sign of a sail.
The night threatened to be cold, and there was
little expectation that any of the party would live
Till morning, even II the boat continued to float
AS the sun neared the horizon the younger man
was lying In the bottom OF the boat, wrapped in
his overcoat and blanket, while the elder sat in
the stern with the captain.
Just as the sun was dipping into the waves, the
elder OF the twain said to Capt Hitchcock that with
MS permission, he would offer prayer. OF course
IL was given at once. And never, in all my nfe'
said Capt. Hitchcock, heard a more beautiful
prayer from the lips OF mortal man. And as he
said amen,' and said amen too, raised my eyes
and saw your SAIL
"Perhaps" said Capt Raymond to his group of
listeners, "perhapS you'd like to know the names
OF those two passengers? They are familiar to you
all, and you'll find them at the bottom of this let
ter, which received with silver pitcher, few
1t for some time until it turned up to-day while
was Overhauling my desk. 1t is an Old letter you
see, and was written before the envelope was in
vented"
The letter was passed around and handled with
great care: 1t was then read aloud. by one Of the
NEW YORK, December %, 1874.
Dear Sir-Desirous of testifyng our grateful sense
Of the noble dsinterestedness with which you stood
from your course on the 18th of December in search
bamtan, which foundered ON that day at sea- and Of
the kindness we received at your hands while your
guests we beg your acceptance Of the accompanying
We know that no Offering of ours can add to the
proud feeling of satisfaction which must have ami
the 1S human beings whose lives you had saved but
we wish you to possess some slight token which in
after days serve to remind your children and your
e osSsr .p
masters melted az well by their humane impulses