The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-10-01
FOUR DAYS ON A RAFT.
TERRIBLE SUFFERING OF THE CREW
OF THE ABBlE CLIFFORD.

Fcur Days without . Crop OF Water
The Captains VITO Swept fr"m His Side
by Al Immense Nave--Thirty Eaislns a
Days Rations.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25.-SiX more vic
Tins OF the great three days hurricane
that swept up the Atlantic coast, carry
ing death and destruction before It, ar
rived on the Qebec steamship Orinoco
from Bermuda Sunday. They were
Capt d. w Storer and five Of the crew
of the American bTigantine Abbie
Clifford, including Mate Ira y. Small
anl sailors John Denver, Charles Dol
kamp, Henry Richardson and Charles
Strom.
Traces OF the suffering endured by
the men were still visible. The coun-
tenance Of white-haired Captain 5torer
bore evidences of L suffering that even
time might not assuage, for he saw his
wife swept into the seething ocean
which was pounding his little craft to
pieces and he powerless to make even
an effort to save her.
1t was L sunny morning and Il cheer
ful breeze famed the sails of the Ab-
bic Clifford when she left FeTn:2dina,
Fla, on August s for Port all Spin
Trinidad. Lumber was stored between
decks and piled up above, leaving bare
room for the Yards to swing free.
Mrs. :Storer. who nue.; younger than
her husband. w;;s is over aixty years
Old, accompanied him as She had on
many previous voyages.
Everything went well antllthe morn
ing OF August 30. She was then in
latitude 30 degrees, 20 seconds, and
lonitude 81 degrees, OF about four hun
drad aud fifty miles East Of the coast Of
Florida and some three hundred miles
West-Souttwest Of Bermuda.
Then, without the slightest warning,
the hurricane pounced upon the vessel,
whirling her like d top upon the seas,
which arose to tremendous height
The wind came from the South.South-
east.
The crew managed to get the vessel
before it and for five hours she ran be-
fore the storm. She suddenly broached
| to at / p. m. and filled with water.
She was almost on her beam ends,
and to make matters worse the deck
load Of lumber broke loose and batter
ed out the bulwarks, opening the YES
els side planking so that the water
came into the space between decks in
streams.
1t was just before o'clock when the
most pathetic incident of the wreck oc-
Cured. AL hands were at the pumps
working vigorously to keep the rapid
ly sinking craft afloat The mighty
waves washed over the vessel Mrs.
Storer stood beside her husband, who
was trying to guiGc his stornl-battered
ship. She was doing her best to en-
than any that had gone before swept
| CllC uSCh l1OilI SCtitl W Sleiu. w USl II
had passed over it was found that Mrs.
Storer had been swept away with it.
It also carried away the bulwarks, the
forward and after houses, part OF the
maindeck and everything movable
within its track, including the life
boats. Captain Storer saw his wife
disappear over the side of the vessel
but be was powerlesS to help her.
There was no sign Of the storm abat-
ing by the morning otSunday, August
81. One by one the crew ventured
down to assuage their thirst and ap-
| peaSe their cravings for food.
The poor fellows did not dream that
it was the last time for four days and
nights that their lips would touch
fresh water. They sought refuge on
the poop and the remaining portion OF
the main deck and silently waited.
Just before noon their worst fears were
realized, fer almost without warning
the oyertaxed vessel broke into three
parts, and the top of the poop deck,
which was made out OF matched lum-
Der, floated away with the men cling
ing to it.
Just before the final crash came one OK
the crew had secured part Of a box Of
raisins, amounting to about two quarts,
and this was the only food on the raft
There was not e drop Of fresh water
and not a sail could be seen Oh the
storm tossed ocean.
Some Of the rigging and spars Of the
wrecked vessel tloated near the raft,
and this was eagerly grasped and made
to do duty in strengthening the frail
structure, which WIS their only hope.
Captain Storec had taken charge Of
the raisins and il the morning he dealt
out few to each man for breakfast.
At noon aCoJher small ration was
given to each and again at six in the
evening. The days rationS for each
man did not amount 70 more than thir-
come almost irtolerable.
For four DAYS the little company on
the raft waited and watched for a sail.
When their thirst became unbearahie.
they stripped themselves and, as the
sea had gone down, they jumped n
and swan around the little raft. The
watersthus absorbed through the pores,
they said, partially relieved their ter
rible thirst.
It was not until the morning of the
fifth day that sail was seen. II
proved to be the British bark Beatrice,
Captain Hesse, bound from New York
for Port AL Prince, Hayti. with a gen
erai cargo. She, too, had met with the
storm. Her foremast was gone at the
deck and her jibboom and all attached
rigging carried away. She met the
hurricane on August 80, l6O miles
Southwest Of Bermuda, and the vessel
was thrown OIL her beam ends. Her
mainmast and rigging were cut awayi
and she rghteh.
The second mate was struck Dv (.
falling spar and so hurt internally that
lie died the next day. He was buried
at SEA, and the Beatrice was trying 70
make the Bermuti;!s wien she sighted
the raft.