Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-03
RESET BY moNsrER SHARKS
The Terrible Experience OF ship
Wrecked Crew.
New YORK World

lUt lbtS VI tnc hllTtu Ubtto sfe''
briefly alluded to, but the particulars OF
the wreck and OF the awfnl struggle for
life Of the seamen who escaped imme-
date drowning we're brought to this city
yesterday by Captain Young, Of the Liz
zie Perry.
The Alfred Watts, OF this port,
ship of 1,055 tons, sailed from Phlla-
delphis for Hiogo. Japan, October nth
last. The crew and passengers NUMBER
ed twenty-eight Everything went
smoothly until the vessel reached the
vicinity of the Bahamas. There a hnr-
ricane overlook the Inflated ship. The
vessel was thrown On her beam ends, and
an overwhelming wave broke over the
half-wrecked ship and swept every man
over the side into the boiling ocean.
A portion OF the forecastle was also
carried into the sea, and TO this piece OF
wreckage six of the men managed to at
tach themselves. 1t barely afforded them
hold. The ship had not sunk, but
1oated, n water-logged hulk, some dis
lance to windward. While the storm
lasted il was hopeless 10 make any effort
70 regain the vessel, and all through the
weary hours OF darkness the mariners
Rugged the piece Of wreckage, and
waited and prayed for dawn. Morning
came at last The sea Gained down, but
the Water-logPed vessel, which the sur
vivors desired 10 reach, was still at a dis
lance that, without oars or sail, they
conld hardly expect to traverse.
From the floating wrecknge they
gathered in few pieces Of woodwork,
and with these rude oars toiled towards
the hulk. where food and water at least
might be found. But their progress was
slow the bot sun beat down upon their
unprotected heads, and they knew too
we'll that an enemy more cruel than the
storm was beneath the surface of the
ocean. The waters swarmed with sharks.
Without water or food the hardy sailors
bent their energies to propelling their
unwieldy raft For thirty-six hours they
toiled Then the mind OF one OF them,
a fine young fellow, the son of the
owner of the vessel. gave way under the
hardships OF the situation. He thought
IN his delirium that he saw land, and
turning 10 his comrades, he cried out,
in glad tones, that he meant TO walk 10
shore. He plunged into the water. For
some distance he swan, probably in the
direction OF the mirage which his dis
traught fancy coniured up. Then, with
Shrek, Inc suddenly sunk, evidently
dragged drown by shark.
The remaining men. horror stricken
hy the scene, toled on with the energy
Of desperation. When within about 200
wards Of the ship one of the men took
the end Of liue between his teeth and
leaped into the sea. He had almost
reached the vessel when his comrades,
vino were anxiously watching him, heard
piercing cry Of horror and despair.
and the swimmer threw up his arms and
disappeared, another victim to the
wolves of the ocean. The fearful fate
of his two companions did not deter
another sailor from attempting to get
line aboard the wreck. He, too. at
tempted to reach the ship by swimming,
and was dragged down by sharks when
he had gone but few yards. Then a
wave, swelling over the raft, swept away
another man whom despair and priyation
had rendered too weak to maintain his
hold.
But two now remained. They were
named Linn and Magnus. Night again
overlook them with only few boards
between them and the shark-infested
waters. Their little craft, relieved from
the weight Of the four lost men, was
easier to handle, and they toiled on I'M
der the starlight in the direction OF the
vessel. Another sunrise found them on
board the water-logged ship. The decks
were submerged, only few feet of the
DOW being above water. Having
reached this point the two survivors
sunk, utterly exhausted, into deep
sleep. When they awoke they found that
the rigging had parted during their I'M
consciousness that most OF the spars
had gone oyerbOlrd, aud the ship WIS
AGAIN on level keel. The two wooden
tanks under the head of the fore
castle were full OF fresh water, with
which they refreshed themselves. They
also found box of Goldfish, and for
eighteen days they lived on Goldfish and
water. About this time the cargo,
broken up 10y the working of the sea in
the water logged hull, began to float out
Of the hold, and the men were able to
secure diversity OF food.
On November Doth the British bark
Lizzie Perry, Captain Young. rescued
the two seamen from the hulk. and on
December 10th the Lizzie Perry was
wrecked at the Barbados, but all got
safely ashore. The two rescued men
sailed from Barbados in the brig Mary
Bartlett for Cienfuegos, and are now on
their way 10 this city, having LEFT Glen
fuegos January 9th.
A noteworthy incident in this connec-
ton is that two sailors, who had learned
the story Of Liun and Magnus, went TO
England by the mail steamship and rep
resented themselves as the survivors OF
the Alfred Watts. Before being de-
tectcd in the deception they aroused
much profitable sympathy
Captain Andrew Patrick, OF the
wrecked schooner William and Richard,
his wife aud two daughters aud the four
sailors composing the crew arrived here
Yesterday ON the Nevada. On the
Thursday after Christmasthe William and
Richard. bound from Boston to the West
Indies, spraDg aieak during gale aud
rapidly filed. The cargo OF Lumber
kept the vessel ahoat. The cabins were
submerged and the captain had sort OF
tent attached to the malnmast for the
women. But the severe straining had
loosened the mast and it went by the
board, carrying the tent, with the cap
tain's wife and daughters with 1t. The
three women hung on to the mast and
succeeded in making fast line which
was thrown them from the vessel. With
much difficulty the captain and the crew
drew the heavy spar towards the
schooner. and many times the heavy
seas tore the lines from their hands, but
after infinite toll the spar was gotten
alongside and the women taken aboard.
The following day, the third after the
storm. the steamer Iimar, from Savan-
nah to Liverpool, hove in sight, and
their suflerlngs were over. When res
cued the drinking water had been ex-
hausted for a day, and only few tins OF
meat remained CT the food supply. Al
ter resting in England for a short time
they took the Nevada for this city.
AGREAr ENGINEERING WORK.