New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-21


Alas, here new Disaster befell us, no less
hazardous, to life, than any of the former We
found our Vessel rended to Pieces. Thy Peace
meals under us. and all Hopes Of-safety with IT,
In this miserable condition we could not expect
TO live one Hour. the ragged being. as III were,
incouped by violent strong wind every surge
threatening TO swallow us up. where could we
| look for comfort or relief? Our Vessel all IN
Pieces as il was. and we left almost under the
surface of the Water? IT,.
But Mans Necessity is often Gods Opportunity
| TO manifest his Power and Goodness for our Ala
and Salvation. when he seeth that their Power
is gone and they shut up. and there Is none eise
to help, then in the mount Of the Lord 1t shall DC
| seen. Deut 1896 Gen. 22-l4. A.
| Then happy for us saw that the quarter
| deck had separated from the wreck ana WAS
| floating by our side. | had unfastened my sen,
and going to step onto Heating flank
| But happy for me. nv Friend Frazier caugnt
| hold on me. and requested me to make myseiI
fast and wait for a better opportunity' lor L
| could not live on that small Plank. l made my
| self fast once more an Opportunity presented we
| all agreed to leap onto the Quarter Deck Ior
safety, rather TO prolong Life Tor Snort llle
| For. alas. when we had done So we could noo
imagine that we had gained any more to advantage
thereby than few Hours Time to prepare our
selves for Eternity. which n Mercy that a
| little while before we could not nationally expect
| Tho our situation dreadful. yet IN ~
| I'VE experienced many wonders OF a mercllul
| Providence working for u.s. Our four COMPANIONS,
| who had caured for themselves by first stepping
| into the Boat. had landed safely ON the Shore
they did not then feel that Anxiety for us. who
remained in the Vessel as to venture their Lives
on the sea for the Preservation of ours. But
| certainly it was a great PTovdential Favour to
| us that they were gone from us. For had they
| continued with us until that Time; and had we
and they together gotten into this small Piece
of the wreck, viz the -Buarterdeck we must surely
| have all sunk and perished together. For inc
| small Foundation we had 10 stand upon was as
| heavy laden with us four as it could bear and
swim Indeed it is not probable that they could
| have continued alive on the wreck until the
| separation of the Quarterback: for they were
| the weakest and feeblest of the whole Company.
| But, blessed be God, both they and we were pre-
served. This however is not owing to our own
| strength or wisdom, But to the mountaineering
| Providence of our merciful God For it is little
| less than n Miracle. that so small a Piece OF the
| Quarter deck had TO stand upon. had not
| sunk 10 the Bottom of the Ocean and we with II.
We had nothing but the bare Floor to stand upon
| Gt1r weight kept it all under the Face OF the
water: and sometimes the water broke IN upon
| it knee high TO us yea and that In the Night
also, when we could not see what was TO be done
| for our safety surely it was the hand OF Goa
that seaded that Part Of the wreck. kept it from
sinking under us. and preserved us in such immi-
| ncnt Danger. surely must conclude that God
| had Design to make his Power and goodness
known in saving us by such contemplate and
improbable Means on our little plank Floor when
means of our Preservation. were lost But WIN
| God all things possible. when Paul was ship
| wrecked on the Coast of Malta. the Large crew
| of 216 souls were all preserved, some by SWIM
| ming, others on Boards and broken Pieces of the
| ship
Our Case seemed so dreadful when we lay on
| the side Of the Vessel that we burst not re-
main on it any longer: For IT not only rent
in Pieces, But apparently sinking to the Bottom
of the Ocean It nearly level with the sur
face of the water when we leaped from it on to
that small quarter deck, which we 50 long re-
| maned we were left without compass, Provisions
, or water to sustain us. The Night was dark and
cold. lnnumerable Mountains las we might can
threatening Destruction to MS every Moment This
| was some comfort. viz. that we had little time
afforded MS to beg Mercy of God, before we all
| went to the Bottom of the Ocean together. we
endeavored 10 improve this Opportunity for that
! Purpose: But. alas how cOnfusedly, by reason Of
| the frequent alarms that every sea gave us, and
| the Necessity of Frequent consultations about
what was necessary to be done. The waves were
continually beating against us we had no way to
prevent them, being fixed In such situation that
not one Of conld move without being washed
! of. we almost like so many statues, almost
| immovablr. Thus continued thro' that Night,
| drifting as the wind and waves directed us. a
GTH of Hone to cheer u.s. Every Mans heart
| was filed with Fear and Sorrow. Night ever
10 be remembered by us. we earnestly wished for
the Morning. tho we were in poor condition to
keep the sabbath.
Lords Dav October 3oth. when the Light Of
this Morning which we had looked for so long and
eagerly, appeared we admired the Power and good
ness Of God in preserving us thro, the Perils and
| Dangers OF the Night: But our Prospects of Re-
| lief were not frightened by the Light Of the Morn
| ing \ strong northwcsterly wind set in, which
rolled in very heavy seas upon us j.; 50 that Death
seemed to beleagucr us more closely, If possible,
| on this small Piece Of n wreck, 10 which we had
fed for safety, than before: Indeed it needed no
| Great Assault to conquer those who were almost
| dead before. we however looked out with great
| EarnestnesS and Anxiety; at the same Time pray
ing ard hoping that God would compassionate US
| i'm our wrctched condition and send us some Re
lief
We saw sails at different Times this Day: But
| they did not espy us, tho ! suppose they were
searching for us. we made every signal in our
| Power and every attempt to hail them; but. alas,
| they were all Intellectual. Towards Night however
to our great JOY, we imagined that we saw Land,
| and thought were not deceived we made such
| feeble attempts as we could to reach the shore,
| Rut all to no purpose. We found that Our
| Eyes had deceived us-that we hod seen no Land.
| This was our sad condition that Day; Sabbath il
| was But without Rest to lis. There indeed
| Matter enough for us TO reflect upon had our
| Hearts been properly disposed. and other Cir
| cumstances permitted. Indeed we must have been
very stupid not to have been sensible of the
| Oar -er were in: or of the goodness Of God in
preserving MS thus Long. we had cried to him in
| Our Distresses Hitherto he had preserved us.
| This afforded us Some Encouragement still to call
on God for Mercy. and TO hone in him. and Quietly
where else could we go for Help? relieve our
selves we could not no human Aid appeared: con
tinue in that starved and frozen condition much
| longer we could not. our legs and feet were so
benumbed frozen. and ms it were burnt. some OF
| them, that feared not one OF us should con-
time alive until the next Morning. Despair
stared MS in the Face. But God had shut us no
| under the present Necessity. There was no way
| of Escape until God should see fit in his PrOvi-
| dencr to open Door therefore. and afford us an
| Onnortunitv II pleased God to support us under
| and carry MS thro the miseries and seventies of
| another Night. and lengthen out our Lives unto
! another Morning.
| Monday the 3lst of October.
| Nv the preserving Power and goodness of God.
we were enabled 10 sustain the Burdens of Cold,
| hunger and Fear another long and Tedious Night.
This Morning we had n sight of the sun after
| its Rising This in n Measure CLEARING TO us.
| II was some comfort to us in our bewildered Con-
| dtion IN have that for n Guidc nj least TO in
| form Ms which way our Course was. and an
additional Favour of divine Providence. the wind
| e.n,e Of the warming Influences OF the sun to re-
| viye and invigoratc us, in some Measure. in our
| benunhpd situation. we had been all this Time
| destitute of any REFRESHMENTS nothing TO eat.
nothnc 10 drink hut sea-water Our Tongues al
most. Cleaved TO the Roof of our Mouths, had