The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-02
FILL FROM THE MACEDONIAN.
Three Hours in the Water During a
Gale of Wind.


Rear Admiral John J. Almy, United
States navy, retired, in letter to the Army
and Many Journal relates of tho rescue of
a sailor who was i'll the water three hours
during gale a. sea. The man kept afloat
all the time and was in good condition when
rescued. This is the story:
Sunday night, or rather Monday morning,
June 3, 1874, at q. M, the United States
frigate Mace lonian. being about one hun
dred and fifty miles due west of Cape
Mount, on the coast of Africa, the writer
being then lieutenant on board of her,
was struck by squall on the starboard
quarter. The top sails were clewed down
to 1t; it was raining hard, and the ship as
going eight knots. About the same time
orders were given to geo cast of the deep
sea lead, and one of the men, Samuel
kingsman, of Rochester. New York, while
passing along the lead line outside of
the ship fell overheard. He caught hold of
the trail-rope, which was towing, and
called out for help. The life-buov was
away, and the ship brought to the wind,
with the main ana miZZen topsailS aback.
The Hfe-buoy passed tue man as he still
held on to the trail-rope, but he had to let
go very soon, as the Roadway while the
ship was coming to the wind was too great
to enable him to hold on. During this time
which was done as soon as the Roadway
was nearly stopped.
Three boats with lights in then pulle
directly for the place where it was supposed
the poor fellow to be, which was nearly
dead to windward. II was thought, too,
that he must be nearly mile from the ship
by this time. The boats pulled around the
supposed spot and vicinity for three-quarters
of an hour, and not seeing him or the life
buoy, or hearing anything like the sound of
his voice. returned to the ship The captain
Immediately ordered the boats to be
| manned with fresh crews and to start off
again t. look further for the unfortunate
man, intending to remain hove-to as near
the spot as possible until daylight About
3 o'clock, as day began to break,
| the weather still thick aud raining
| it was thought that the boats had been
long enough absent, and guns were fired
and r ckets discharged to recall them. AS
one of the boats started to pull toward the
| ship the officer of her heard a noise he di-
reoted ali to listen, when it was heard again,
and be gave orders to pull in the direction
from whence the noise came. After a few
strokes Of the oars they heard voice close
to the boat call out: Take care or you
will pull over me-" 1t was the man who
! fell overboard-wbo, indeed, might be
| called "the lost man, who was thus most
miraculously and providentially saved. AL
| though he had now Teen in the water three
| hours, he was still swimming, perfectly
calm and cool, but a good deal fatigued.
| When he fell overheard he had on a pea
| jacket of which ne Invested himself while
in the water, as well as of his frock and
| trowsers, which left him free and uuencum-
| bered.
1t is a startling sound at any time, the
| cry of Man overheard" but 1t was par
ticularly so on the night described, as the
weather was very forbidding. 1t was not
| known for some time who the person was
that had falea overheard 1t was thought
to be Scotch boy, pretty well grown, by
the name of Hen iersou. and when the boats
| left the ship the second time | went to my
| stateroom and threw myself upon the
berth, thinking that it was this boy. Not
one Of us in the wardroom supposed for a
moment that there was the least prospect
of his being saved. l could not get asleep,
but was thinking all the time OF
Henderson-rather a coarse-looking boy,
with ruddy, happy-looking face; large
mouth filled with large, irregular white
teeth. He was noted for always being
happy, cheerful and obedient. l thought
| of the short space sometimes allotted 10 us
between time and eternity, upon what a
slender thread life hangs; how suddenly we
| are called into the presence of the AL
mighty, our good Lord and Maker, and
| how much 1t behooves us to be at all times
prepared for such an event.
| When the boat returned with 1.-THE lost
found" although it was another-an ex-
colent man, too-all felt as if greatly re-
| lieved from a weight of care, sorrow and
anxiety.