Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-10-11
THE BEN HAMMOND.

In the month Of June, 1891, the
English brig Ben Hammond, Capt.
John Z. Clark. round through the
Straits of Suuda on her way into
the Indian ocean, bound for Mel
bourne. The crew, all told, num-
bered eleven people, and the brig
had miscellaneous cargo. She
signaled "An wellr when going
through the straits, and that was
the last heard OF her tor five
months. Then a sailor named
Charles Renfoe arrived at Sydney
aud told a very curious story.
About forty miles of the straits
the brig fell with a small sandal
wood trader in SINKING condition.
She was carrying a lot OF natives
from one of the islands of Sumatra
TO some port IN Java, and had
sprung a leak. The brig had either
TO stand by her or take her people
of. and Capt. Clark decided upon
the former course. Thevessel bad
struck a log or some other floating
obstruction while sailing at a fast
rate. and had been badly damaged
about the bows.
This occurred in the early morn
ing, and it was Just at sunset that
the BRIG came up with her. The
injured craft had been creeping in
for the Java coast, but as wind and
current we're against her she had
made very slow progress. Her
humps were so small that they
would not throw out what a quart
er inch hole would let in, and crew
aud passengers were badly ratified.
II was a beautiful evening, with
every prospect of continued good
weather, and the first mate and five
Of the men went aboard of the trad
er to help him make repairs. In
the course of tour hours they re-
turned 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 fruit as presents from her
captain.
Capt. Clark was a kind hearted
nan, and as the men returned
aboard he distributed one bottle of
wine and a share of the fruit among
the men. The brig and trader
had been slowly drifting off before
a light wind during the repairs on
board, tut now each hauled back
10 ber course and they were soon
separated. Reni0e mad not been
feeling we'll during the day, and he
was the Ouly man who did not
partake of the stuff sent aboard.
1t was his watch below after mid
night, and he bad been asleep
ahont an hour when he was arOus.
ed by confusion aboard, Every
man on watch below was suffering
With cramps and vomiting, and he
went on deck to find the same state
of affairs prevailing, Captain and
mates were down, as we'll as the
men, at the wheel fell to the deck
aud began rolling around just as
Ren!oe came on deck. While the
brig had all plain sail on her the
breeze was hight, and as the wheel
was made fast, she took care OF
herself.
There was no doubt that the
crew had been poisoned b} the
wine or fruit, though the trader
must have been entirely innocent
of any such intent after the services
they had rendered. Recourse was
had to the medicine chest, but
nothing seemed to act as an anti
dOte. The agony Of the men ln-
creased with time, and 10y 3 o'clock
in the morning four of the foremost
hands were dead, while the others
we're without hope. RenfOe was
dazed and helpless, and he could
do nothing but pity the poor fel.
lows around him. Half an hour
altar sunrise he was the only living
man aboard the brig, and as lie
was one after another pass away
his feelings were wrought up to
such a bitch that he almost lost
/ his mind. He could not give a
clear account of what followed lie
could not say whether he deserted
the brig that day or a week sub
sequently. He did not remember
whether he threw the bodies over
board or lett them where they lay.
: Time was a blank to him for the
next ten days, when he was picked
up by a trader two hundred miles
below the straits and twenty miles
off the Java coast. He was then
afloat in the briggs yawl, and had
neither water nor provisions. His
talk was flighty and received little
attention, and be was carried to
one of the eastern Islands and was
here seriously i'll for a month with
fever. When be began to mend Of
that the particulars ofthe tragedy
came back to him, but as the brig
had not been seen by any OF the
traders his story was not believed,