The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-02
A TALE OF THE SEA.

A story which has few parallels in fiction
reaches US from New York. On August
9th Samuel W. Thornton of Brooklyn, n
Y, and his sister-in-law, Eva Jewell, went
bathing on the beach at Coney Island. They
walked ont beyond shallow water, and
big wave struck them and carried them off
their feet When they recovered their
senses they were drifting out to sea. On
the beach no one noticed their disappear
ance; they were only missed when at night
fall the lighthouses were visited by a
keeper, and their clothes were found in
them. The mans name was ascertdlned
from papers in his pockets and notice was
sent to his brother, who resides in Brooklyn.
The latter in company with the wife of the
missing man instituted Il thorough search
and made all possible inquiry; they came at
last to the conclusion that the pair had been
swept out 10 sea and drowned. Mrs. Thorn
ton sadly assumed widows weeds.
Nearly four weeks afterward Mr. Thorn
ton received dispatch from Jacksonville,
Fla, signed by the name OF his lost brother.
ana stating that the missing pair were safe,
ard wanted 500 to return to New York. At
first blush this looked like a dodge by some
adventurer to extort $50 and Mr.. Thornton
laid it before the police. Attueir suggestion
he replied asking the party at jacksonville
TO wire the combination Of his safe. or
some other circumstance to establish his
identity. Thornton Immediately wired the
combination OF this safe. and few hours
afterward received the $50 with which he
departed for New York. His story casts
the widest fetiuns of Clark Russell into the
shade
He says that when the wave took him off
and held her head above water until his
strength gave way. Just then he espied a
log which he rasped, placed Eva on it and
babe her cling to it for dear life. From
Thornton's account they appear to have
clung to the log for nearly four hours.
Shortly before dusk Spanish bark hove in
sight, lowered a boat and picked them up.
The bark was bound for South America.
She could not at that time have been over
couple of miles from Coney Island whraf;
but the captain does not seem to have
thought of landing the castdways there. On.
the contrary lie pursued his voyage with his
involuntary passengers on board, gave
them a change Of clothing and bestowed
upon them every kindness. Eva was for
several days IN high fever, and her life at
times was desDairel of. After a voyage Of
for Yucatan by way Of the Florida Straits,
the castaways were put on board with the
understanding that they should be landed
at some point in Florida. The bargain was
fulfilled. On September 18th Two of the
crew landed Thornton and Eva at point
near the mouth of st. Johns River. Thence
they walked twenty miles to Jacksonville,
and Thornton sent the dispatch above men
toned.
A more thrilling adventure has seldom
been recorded. 1t is full of remarkable
features There are always hundreds of
people on the beach at Coney Island, many
of them with glasses; it Is extraordinary
that none OF them noticed a man and
woman floating out to sea, and afterward
navigating the ocean on log. ShiDWrecked
men have sometimes supported themselves
for quite a while in the water by the help of
a stick of timber Wcmen's strength is
rarely equal TO such a task. Miss Eva must
be very robust young woman, indeed, to
have hung on to such a support for four
hours. Nor does it often occur that a sea-
going vessel viii interrupt a voyage for the
purpose of landing two penniless castaways
on passing shore. Most captains would
have deemed their duty fulfilled by carrying
the shipwrecked pair to Yucatan, especially
as Miss Eva wore ruby ring and Il diamond
ring, and did not propose to part with
either.
Down in Florida they are skeptical about
the story. a car-conductor AYERS that the
pair boarded his train at New Orleans, and
Travelled il it to Jacksonville. The main
trouble with the story is the appearance OF the
young woman in the case. Sailors have not
unfrequently been shipwreeked, rescued 0y
passing vessels, carried to strange ports, and
detained there long periods by stress of cir
cumstances OF accident; but it is pretty cafe
to say that there never was a case before in
which young woman navigated the Atlantic
on log and finally regained terra firma at
point two thousand miles from the locality
of her departure.