Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-22
THE LOST SHIP.

In the month OF June, 1854, the Eng
lish brig Ben Hammond, Captain John
f. Clark, passed through the Straits of
Sunda on her way into the Indian Ocean,
bound for Melbourne. The crew, all
told, numbered eleven people, and the
brig had miscellaneous cargo. She sig
nailed "All well" when going through
the straits, and that was the last heard OF
her for five months Then sailor named
Charles Rcnfoc arrived at Sydney, and
told very curious story.
About forty miles of the straits the
brig fell in with small sandal wood
trader iii II sinking condition. She was
carrying n lot of natives from one of the
islands of Sumatra to some port in Java,
and had sprung leak. The brig had
either to stand by or take her people or,
and Captain Clark decided upon tho
former course. The brig had struck n
log or some other floating obstruction
while sailing Mt n fest rate, and had been
badly damaged about the bows. This
occurred i'll the early morning, and it was
just at sunset that the brig came up with
her. The injured craft had been creep
ing in for the Java coast, but rs wind
and current were against her she had
made very slow progress. Her pumps
were so small that they would not throw
out what u quartcr-inch hole would Let
in, and crew and passengers were badly
ratified. 1t was a beautiful evening, with
every prospect of continued good weather,
aud the first mate and five of the men
went aboard of the trader to help him
al In, In O.,
hours they returned aboard with the
news that the small craft was now tight
and dry, and they brought with them
several bottles of wine and some dried
fruits as presents from her Captain.
Captain Clark was kind hearted man,
and as the men returned aboard he dis
tributcd one bottle OF wine and "A shnre
of the fruit among the men. Tho brig
and trader had been slowly drifting of
before light wind during the repairs,
but now each hauled back to her course
and they were soon separated. Rcnfoc
had not been feeling well during the
day, and he was The only man who did
not partakc of the stuff sent aboard. ii
was his watch below after midnight, and
he had been asleep about an hour when
he was aroused by confusion aboard
Every man on watch below was suffering
with cramps and vomiting, and he went
on deck to find the snnc state Of affairs
prevailing. Captain and mates were
down, as well as the men, and the man
at tho wheel fell to the deck and began
rolling around just as Rcnfoe came on
deck. While the brig had all plain sail
on her the breeze was light, and MS the
wheel was made fast, she took care OF
herself
Thdc was no doubt that the crew had
been poisoned by the wine or fruit,
though the trader must have been en-
tlrely innocent of any such intent after
The services they had rendered. Re
course was had to the medicine chest, but
nothing seemed to act rs an antidotc.
The agony of the men increased with
time, and by three o'clock in the morn
lug four of the foremost hands were
dead, while the Others were without
hope. Rcnfoc was dazed and helpless,
and he could do nothing but pity the
poor fellows around him. Half an hour
after sunrise he was the only living man
aboard the brig, and as he saw one after
another pass away his feelings were
wrought up to 4sueh pitch that
ha almost lost his mind. He could