The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-11-09

crew remained on board two hours Ion
ger it would have been impossible to
have saved them. Capt. Williams was
unable to save the ships articles. Capt.
Wilson offered TO give the hapleSS mari
ners passage to Oregon, an offer which
was gratefully accepted, and yesterday
the CiuA HcPheTSOH arrived with all safe
| on board.
As the writer Yesterday listened to the
plain recital of fortunate escape from
dreadful fate, the narrative of another
| Capt. Williams, came yiyidly to mind,
as, a few years ago, he stood in Vice Con-
sui Cherry's Office, when here in '85, as
master of the LdRgrig HOU, and told the
story of the burning of the British ship
| Blue Jacket. and the dreadful tragedy
connected threrewith. Capt. Williams,
| sailed from the Columbia that winter,
arrived at his home port, loaded with
| salt for Calcutta, and was lost with his
vessel, just as he started, off the Tuska.
The tragic episode of the burning of
the Bluejdcket as told by him will never
be forgotten. The Bluejdcket was one of
the old Colonial liners, bound to England
from Australia, loaded with wool, and
carrying also, several boxes of SOyereigns.
Capt. Williams was first officer, and on
the day of the disaster had just finished
writing up his log, adding the words,
"All's WELL" when the boatswain came
aft, and said "the ship is on fire, SIR
Springing forward and summoning the
captain, the three removed a plank
for'ar'd of the main hatch, when a Spi-
raj tongue of crimson flame shot up.
Quietly shutting il down again, and re-
aIiZing that the ship was doomed, word
was quickly passed to take to the boats J
There were large number of passen-
gers and large crew. In the hurry and
excitement the five boats were poorly pro-
visioned, and no water at all was pro-
cured, except a little refuse from the
catch all of the Slop basin. BY this time
the deck planks, for'a'd, had burst with
q loud report, and the flames were mount.
ing to the rigging; there was hasty
scramble, Williams saving the log, and
his certificate, in the rush.
They lay on their oars and watched
the great ship drift across the wide waste
of waters, moving mass of flames,
whose light dimmed the stars as she
fioated.
Then, the nearest boat to him, which
was full of passengers, asked to have
some sailors transferred. lie and two of
his men jumped into the sea and took
their places in that boat, three of the
passengers transferring to the boat he had
left.
They were off the Falkland islands
and drifted at the mercy of the winds
and waves. There was nothing to eat,
but dog, and for eighteen days they
endured all the pangS of starvation,
thirst and exposure. A young English
lieutenant was returning with his bride,
q girl of nineteen, to the old country,
ha tanfh lox- 1sal with hfC hnaI
in his wife's lap. The few survivors had
strength enough to fling the body over
board, but even they soon grew deliTious
breaking the boxes of sovereignS open
and biting them in their madness.
On the eighteenth day vessel bound
to Australia hove in sight. She picked
up the hopeless castaways, four III mum
Der of the seventeen, among whom was
the blooming bride of nineteen, now
like a woman of ninety, both feet rotteC
off, and gaunt with famine. After weeks
of careful nursing the four recovered.
In the second boat which first officel
Williams had left, were the boatswair
and sixteen Others. Their misery Cal
never be told. On the Goth day after the
, disaster Welsh brig, loaded with cop
per and hides, made out boat, 800 miles
eastward of the Falkland Islands, anC
bearing down, saw what appeared to bt
seven dead bodies and English sove
! reigns piled and strewn in heaps, in tht
bottom of the boat. The captain of tn,
Welsh brig hoisted boat and all on II
the deck, and found three of the supposed
corpses showed life. He did the best b,
J could to restore the castaways, composed
, of the boatswaiR and two others, counted
and put away the sovereigns, and as sool
as the three men could sit up, clappeC
handouts on them and bore away to the
Falkland Islands, where he delivered
, them to the governor general on charg
of barratry, murder and piracy. A mill
tary-naval court was formed, composed
, of the governor general, the captain o.
! an English man-of-war, just arrived, tn
commandant of the marines, a lieuten
ant, and the surgeon.
, The surgeon insisted strenuously, tina
the poor fellows were innocent, but hi
/, colleagues knew better and the sentenc,
! of the court was that they be hanged b,
|. the neck till they were dead, dead, dead
and may the Lord have mercy on thei
{, souls.
When the three survivors heard this
|, they wished that the captain of tn
d Welsh brig had let them die in the boa
with their miserable companions, bu
! the surgeon so wrought upon the judg
! ment of his fellow judges that, at last,
y was decided that they be sent in iron
y on the man of-war to England with th
! sentence of the court unread, unde
? seal. AS they passed the Isle of Wigh
!; they were in company with vessel fror
= Australia, carrying home first office
y Williams, and as soon as they got t
. Liverpool he quickly procured their rt
. lease.
J, Williams was given a masters certif
> cate, and merchantmen to sail for th
y west coast: he took with him the boa
~ swain. and when off the Falkland Goa!
e ON his first VOYAGE he saw near shore
y stranded crew. He put off to pick thel
u up, when the wind growing light, his ow
vessel wore in towards the rocks and WI
total loss.
court of inouiry was ordered. an