The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-10-03
THE LOST SHIP.

In the month OF June, 1901, 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 a miscellaneous cargo. She sig
nailed IAN well" when going through
the straits, and that was the last heard of
her for five months. Then sailor named
Charles Renfoe arrived at Sydney, and
told very curious story.
About forty miles off the straits the
brig fell in with small sandal wood
trader in a sinking condition. She was
carrying 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 off,
and Captain Clark decided upon the
former course. The brig had struck a
log or some other floating obstruction
while sailing at a fast rate, and had been
badly damaged about tue bows. This
occurred in 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 as wind
and current were against her she had
made very slow progress. Her pumps
were SO small that they would not throw
out what IA quarter-inch hole would let
IN, and crew and passengers were badly
ratified. 1t was a beautiful evening, with
every prospect of continued good weather,
and the first mate and five of the men
went aboard of the trader to help him
make repairs. In the course of fouI
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
tributed one bottle of wine and share
OF the fruit among the men. The 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. Renfot
had not been feeling well during the
day, and he was the only man who did
not partake of the stuff sent aboard. II
was his watch below after midnight anC
he had been asleep about an hour wher
he was aroused by confusion aboard
Every man on watch below was suffering
with cramps and vomiting, and he wen
on deck to find the same state of affair
prevailing. Captain and mates wer'
down, as well as the men, and the maj
at the wheel fell to the deck and bepar
rolling around just as Renfoe came OF
deck. While the brig had all plain sal
on her the breeze was light, and as tn
wheel was made fast, she took care O
herself.
There was no doubt that the crew hat
been poisoned by the wine or fruit
though the trader must have been en-
tirely innocent of any such intent afte
the services they had rendered. Re
course was had to the medicine chest, bu
nothing seemed to act as an antidote
The agony of the men increased wit
time, and by three o'clock in the morn
lug four of the foremost hands wer
dead, while the others were withou
hope. Renfoe was dazed and helpless
and he could do nothing but pity tn
poor fellows around him. Half an hou
after sunrise he was the only living ma
aboard the brig, and as he saw one afte
another pass away his feelings wer
wrought up to such pitch tina
he almost lost his mind. He coul
not give clear account of what fol
lowed. He could not say whether he dc
serted the brig that day or week sui
sequently. He did not remembe
whether he threw the bodies overboar
or left them where they lay. Time We
blank to him for the next ten days
when he was picked up by trader tw
hundred miles below the straits an
twenty miles off the Java coast. n
was then afoat in the briggs yawl, an
had neither water nor provisions. hi
talk was Eighty and received little after
ton, and he was carried to one of th
eastern islands and was there seriousl
ill for a month with fever. When he b,
gan to mend of that the particulars of til
tragedy came back to him, but as til
brig had not been seen by any of til
traders his story was not believed. 3
worked his way down to Timor, an
from thence across to Port Darwin, an
he finally got ship from there around ,
Melbourne.
The Ben Hammond had been reporte
lost in the Indian Ocean, but her fat
was considered mystery. Vessels whic
had preceded and followed her had m,
with the most favorable weather, an
there was much speculation as to viii
had brought about her loss. Renfoe
story explained portion of the mysterl