The Portland daily press., 1890-09-23
TAKEN FROM A RAFT IN MID OCEAN,
PerlIs and sufferIngs fof an Aged
Maine skipper and Crow.
How the Abble Clifford Went 70
Pieces In a hurricane.
The Captains Wife Torn from His
Arms and Lost.

NEW YORK, September 22.--The story Of
another disaster caused by that terrific hur-
ricane which swept over portion OF the At
lantic ocean about the first Of the month, has
been told. This was the storm in which
number Of vessels were wrecked or dlsmant-
led, among them being the Bath ship Chal-
lenger, whose experience In the storm dur
ing which she was dismasted and lost eight
Of her crew, has been recently reported.
Now 1t is another Maine vessel, the story OF
whose loss makes thrilling sea tale.
The steamship Orinoco, from Bermuda
yesterday, brought into port seven cast
aways. They were Captain Storer and six
Of the crew Of the Abbie Clifford, gallant
brig which was wrecked In the storm while
making the voyage between Boston and the
Barbadces. Their stories Of their disaster
and their own sufferings were quite as heart
rendlng as any tales that have come from the
sea.
All had gone well with the Abbie Clifford
until they had got within 200 miles to the
southwest OF Bermuda. IL was then August
81, and the sun came NJ, in the east In clear
sky without cloud fleck to warn them OF
coming danger. The morning wore on and
suddenly the waves began to rise and seethe
about the ship and the wind to travel faster
and faster. A storm was upon them, and In
short time the sea broke over and over the
ship and hurricane snapped her masts like
matchw00d In half an hour masts and
sDars and ropes and sails and everything
that could be torn from the deck were float
ing away. the playthings OF the waves. Cap
tain Storer and his crew did everything that
brave hearts and hands could do, but all
their efforts were unavailing. The ship was
completely at the mercy OF the storm.
Then they waited patiently for the worst
to come, the captain, who Is an aged mari
ner, with bis wife clinging to him and his
crew OF six despairing men around him.
The skipper bade them to be Of good cheer
and his wife prayed ferVenIly for aid, but
no cheering light came into the sky and not
a sail was In sight. Once they thought they
could discern long line OF smoke outlined
against the clouds, but the next moment it
had faded away and death In that terrible
sea seemed their Inevitable fate.
Fiercer and fercer ragged the storm, and
tons upon tons Of water swept the ship.
Then cry OF horror arose above the roar Of
the elements. The captain and his wife,
from the ship and were being tossed upon
the crests OF the waves. Another moment,
and to the great Joy Of the sailors, the waves
restored them, But II was not for long. Al
most the next instant the sea claimed them
again, and again their escape was miraeu-
lous.
A third time they were carried away, and
one OF them never returned. Wearied with
the strife, the captains wife could cling no
longer, nor could the brave old skipper save
her from the wave that parted them forever.
In an instant she had disappeared from sight
A few moments later the ship went to pieces.
She broke into three parts and little later
was merely lot Of driftwoOd.
BY an almost superhuman effort Captain
Storer and his crew succeeded In lashing a
few planks and SparS together and on these
for i've days they drlfted about on the ocean
with only one-half box Of raisins TO subsist
Hungry and famiabad and alunaak a. ha
point OF death on the fifth day the poor fel-
lows were rescued by the barkentlne Beat
rice, that had herself just come through the
storm with only the mainmast left. She
reached Bermuda with them, and there they
shipped on the Orinoco.
September was the first day spent upon
the raft. The, sea had gone down by the
morning, and the sun came out to aggrayate
their thirst. They took their clothes OF and
swan by turns around the raft, thus, by alb
sorption, temporarily relieving their craving
for water, Each got his allowance Of a
tain couldn't chew his. for his false teeth
had been broken by piece Of lumber which
bit him In the face, while the tempest was
beating the brigantine to pieces. He mum
bled his raisins and sucked the sugar out Of
them.
The next day was like this day. The raj
sins still held out, but there was less relief
In the sea bath. The men were haggard and
getting thin. Two more days passed. and
nobody had seen the rubber coat dangling
from the oar. At last, on September 5th, at
dusk, when all were so exhausted that they
could not stand, they saw sail to the north
ward, slowly bearing down upon them,
which proved to be the Beatrice.
Captain Storer, who Is 65 years OF age, Is
heartbroken over the loss OF his old woman
as he calls her. He has lost her and all he
had In this world besides, but still he told
reporter he loved the sea.
The Abbie Clifford was built in Stockton,
Me-, % years ago and was of $3.50 gross
tonnage. She hailed from Boston, N. w.
Bridge being managing owner, the captain,
mate and Stockton people also having inter-
ests. Captain Storer belongs In Bath, Mel