Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-05-03


the gun deck and up on the spar deck
and crawled along till we got to our
destination and went to work.
|. A KNoCKDowN BLOW.
"About one minute afterward we were
both struck by a sea, and in five seconds
were hurled one hundred feet aft. When
| recovered my senses two men were
dragging me out from under mass of
wreckage near the mainmast. | tried to
stand. No use; the last sea had been
too much. was half drowned and my
right foot was hurt They carried me
below and put Inc in cot, but in four
hours was told by one of the Ulcers
quietly that if | did not want to go
down | had better get on deck. At ten
o'clock in the morning the fires were
flooded and at eleven our second cable
parted. At three in afternoon the third
cable parted, leaving us with only one
anchor to hold on with.
TAKING DESPERATE CHANCES.
"All this time four hundred and fifty
men and officers were desperately at
work. All realized that it would be but
a short time before the end, but still
they worked on.
CAT four o'clock the Vandalia went on
the extreme end of the reef and sinking
slid off on sandy beach.
"The Nipslc was high and dry on this
| 50, I,a
only two of us afloat at this time-the
Trenton and Olga-and we were drag
ging down on her.
About half-past four the word was
passed for every one to get on deck, as
we thought the last hour had come.
Twice the huge iron prev of the Olga
had struck us in the stern, and behind
that ship was huge reef seething in
foam, beyond a heavy surf on shore with
its awful undertow. After the German
struck us the second time he suddenly let
go his last two cables, turned at full
speed and drove his ship high and dry
on the sandy beach. A brave sailor,
the Dutchman.
THE END OF THE TRENTON.
"Now we were within fifteen feet of
the reef, dragging down slowly. On a
sudden shift of wind for moment we
hauled out and set our storm mizzen,
driving our stern just clear of the end of
the reef. Letting go our last cable we
drfted down on the sunken Nandalia,
broadside TO broadside. One hundred
men of her crew-all that were on
board-were in the rigging and we
hauled them on board with ropes from
the mastheads.
"Now we were on the bottom, but not
making very bad weather and only five
feet of water in the ship and it was no,
gaining very rapidly. So we lay al
night pumping for all we were worrl
and at daybreak the weather was quite
moderate. All the morning we worked
hard to save stores and provisions. anC
when left her. at one O'Clock, the watel
was two feet high on the berth deck.
"But | think the time when we were
E all ordered on deck was the worst. The
admiral. captain and all the officer were
. on the after bridge. The crew in the rig
cling were all naked, ready for a swim
, Two men who had been working viii
o me on the barricade lay on the deck un
der the bridge, with life preservers on
: with broken legs, and what picture o
desolation on all hands. | made shor
prayer, but tell you it was sincere
! one, and made firm determination t,
make desperate fight to stick TO TIT
ship until she went to pieces, and then t.
take it as calmly as possible in the water
, reserving all my strength for the under
+ tow on the beach.
IL meyer knew till late Saturday nigh
q that a man was killed alongside of me
= working at the bride port, by two frac
, lures of the skull. Two Others had thei
legs broken
1--WE all got away from the wreck oil
= Saturday night, and tell you that nigh
! was blessed one for US. Two days ant
/, nights of such a character was enough tC
!, tire US to death. am living with Sa
! moan chief and board at the only hote
, i'm town with all the other officers. Sine
Monday we have been saving all we cal
from the wreck.
Il can say one thing, that no ship PLACED
! as the Trenton was could have dom
any better. The men and officers worked
7 heroicallv-from the admiral to tn
. lnndsmen each did their best.