New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-22
LOST BATHERS HEARD FROM.
A MAN AND WOMAN IN FLORIDA WHO SAY
THEY ARE MISSING BRoOKLYNITES.
CLAIMING TO BE S. W. THORNTON AND HIS
SsTER-IN-LAw, WHO WERE THOUGHT TO
HAVE BEEN DROWNED At CoNEY
IsLAND-CARRED OUT TO SEA
AND PICKED UP BY
SPANISH BARK.
tp9 TELEGRAPH To THE raIBUN

jacksonville, Fla, Sept 21.-AM day long
Samuel W. Thornton, of No. 277 Cumberandst'.
Brooklyn, n. Y has been working the wires here
to obtain money from his brother in Brooklyn, but
So far without success. Thornton and his sister
in-aw, Miss Eva jewell. were supposed TO have
been drOwaed at Coney Island on the afternoon
of August 81 and il is hard TO make their friends
believe that they are alive. They reached this
city yesterday from the east coast of Florida.
twenty miles distant where they had been set
ashore from a Spanish vessel bound To Yucatan
through the Straits of Florida. Their story is
thrilling one and strange indeed.
On the August afternoon named above they
went TO Coney Island together, and about o'clock
secured bathing suits and went into the surf
Thornton could swim; Miss Jewell could not.
Suddenly a big wave took them of their
feet and drew them ont into deep
water. There other bathers within 100
or 200 feet of them. and their cries for help were
not heard above the roar of the surf. Miss
Jewell clutched franticaIly at Thorntons arms and
shoulders and he found it impossible to swim
toward the shore with her. The current swept
them rapidly out to sea. The girl had also swal-
lowed salt water and was strangling badly. In
this condition they drifted for twenty minutes or
more when floating log attracted Thorn
toms attention. lie made for it and to this
the two clung for dear life until nearly dark when
Spanish bark, which had just worked through
the Narrows, bound for South America, picked
them up
Miss Jewell tainted as soon as she reached the
vessels deck, and it was midnight before the cap
tain and his wife, with the assistance of Thorn
ton brought her to her senses. Then she became
delirious and lay in high fever for five days
between life and death. On the sixth day the
fever turned and the young woman gradually
recovered. Meanwhile the ship had gone rapidly
on her course, and all chances of sending the
casaways back to New-Yorll had been lost.
Neither Thornton nor Miss Jewell can recall the
name of the bark. 1t was a Spanish and
the captain and crew could not speak any English.
They supplied their passengers with clothes, how
ever, and treated them kindly. On September
they spoke a Spanish vessel bound for Yucstan.
Her captain said that he was going TO make the
passage through the Straits of Florida, and he
agreed to take the castaways aboard and Ind
them on the Florida coast at the first opportunity.
They were transferred to this vessel, the crew of
the first vessel making up purse Of 81 for them
before they left it,
On the new bark the captain and crew were
also Spanish and unable TO speak English. Thorn
ton and his companion grew almost crazy with
anxiety and fear. for they could think only OF
the grief of their friends at home and OF their
own wretched condition. The bark often
becglmed and at one time WIS in a gale of WIND
fur weight hours which blew her DO miles
of her couTse. Finally her captain sighted the
Florida coast early Yesterday morning. At
o'clock a boat was lowered that took the man
/ and woman ashore. This was on the beach about
half way between the mouth of the st. Johns
River and Pablo. There was only one house there.
Here they got breakfast and started TO walk tn
jacksonville twenty miles distant They
got a ride in crackers wagon part OF the way
and reached this city about noon yeslerlay;
Thornton went tc the telegraph office and informed
his brother in Brooklyn Of his plight asking Tor
money TO get home with, and then the pair went
10 the st. Johns House.
Thornton SAYS he is twenty-nine wears old ana
is a native of Canada lie is about five feet eight
inches fall and weighs 200 pounds lie is of the
firm of Thornton Brothers, bakers and coniecuon-
crs of No 977 Cumberiand-st.. Brooklyn. Miss
Jewell is Mrs. ThorntOns sister: She IS twenty,
six years old slight in figure, with dark har ana
eyes They procured presentable clothing tins
morning and are patiently awaiting developments
in Brooklyn. Claude Stiles, who IS employed III
thc office Of the New-YOrk Life Insurance Com
pany in New-York City. is Ihornton'S bfother-hl,
{ law lie teleeraphed this morning that they an
| thouoht Thornton and Miss Jewell dead. " We
| are advised" he said, "to have you identlhed be-
fore we send any money. We fear an lmpoStOr
is working US" Thornton Immediately teegraphed
the combination OF Thornton Brothers safe IN
their BROOKLYN store but up TO ! 0 o'clock tonight
| no reply had been received. They are out OF
money and much distressed.
| william Thornton, when he received the Telegram,
borcvcd that it was scheme to get money from him.
| lie felt sure that his brother was drowned