Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23


the sea- never saw him afterward. I fol-
lowed him rs fast as could out Of the same
port and when was outside 1 perceived that
all the other portfolios were crowded a. full as
they could be with the heads Of tho men, all
trying to escape and jamming one another so
that they could scarcely move either ono way
or the other. caught hold of the sheet
anchor, which was just above me, to prevent
my falling back in board, when seeing q woman
struggling at the port caught hold Of her,
dragged her out and threw her from me. The
snip was now lying down 80 completely on her
larboard broedside that the heads Of the men
In the ports disappeared all at once They all
dropped back into the ship, for the port holes
were now upright, and it was just as if the men
were trying to get out Of the tops of % many
chimneys, with nothing for their feet to pur--
chase upon. Just after the men fell in board
there came rush Of air through the ports, 80
violent as to blow my hat of. 1t was the air
from the hold and deck, which having no other
vent escaped as the water which poured in took
up its space. The ship then sunk. righting as
sne went down. l was twenty-four years old
when the ship sunk, was Q good swimmer and
diver, and when she was sinking attempted to
keep above water, but 1t was impossible, for
was drawn down with the ship until she reached
the bottom. As soon as she grounded the water
boiled and bubbled q great deal, and then
the surface.
"A man with long hair tried to grapple me as I
went up; his fingers caught amy shoe, between
the shoe and my foot succeeded in kicking
off my shoe, and thus got rid Of him, and then
roso to the surface Of the water
II could hardly take my breath when came
to tho surface, for my head came up through q
quantity OF tar which foated like fat on boiler,
and 1t nearly smOthered me- for you see there
bad been few casks of tar on the deck which
had stove when the ship was going down and
the tar got up to the top Of the water before I
heard the guns firing signals Of distress. As
soon a. could clear the tar from my eyes 1
swan to the rigging and held on to the hal
yards. As looked about me I saw the admit
rails baker In the mizzen shrouds, and there
was the body Of the woman I had
dragged out OF the port rolling about
named Robert Cleary, SO called out to him.
Bob, reach out your hand and catch hold of that
woman, i daresay she is not dead He said, She
Is dead enough 1t is no use to lay hold Of her. >
l answered, She Is not dead He caughth hold Of
the woman and hung her head over one Of the
rattlins of the mizen shrouds, and there she
swung by her chin till a wash came and lifted
her of, and then she rolled about again. Just
then one of the captains Of the frigates came
up in his boat and waved my hand toward the
woman. He stopped pulling. the men dragged
her into the boat. l was afterward taken on
board the Victory with the baker and many
others who were clinging to the rigging.
SAD. STRANGE SIGHT.
1t must have been a sad, strange sight to
have witnessed, and one that the eyewitnesses
thereof could never have forgotten. The ship
had lot Of live stock on board, the hencoops,
&C., were floating about, and the sheep, pigs
and fowls were swimming in all directions.
There was poor little child saved in a
strangely curiods manner. He was picked up
by gentleman who was rowing about in a
wherry. The child was holding on to the wool
OF a sheep which had escaped and was swim
ming about. His father and mother were
drowned, and the boy did not know their
names. All that he knew was that his own
name was Jack, SO they christened him John
Lamb and took care Of him.
As previously stated, Admiral Kempenfelt at
the time Of the accident was engaged in writ
Ing In his cabin. The barber, who had been in
to shave him, came out just before the ship be-
gan to sink. Capt. Waghorn, who commanded
the Royal George under him, tried to acquaint
the admiral that the ship was sinking, but the
heeing over Of the ship had 80 jammed the
doors Of the cabin that they could not be
opened: So 'Kempenfelt went down with
twice 400 men,"
Capt. Martin Waghorn, after vainly attempt
Ing to save the admiral, rushed across the deck,
bis example. Not being able to swim he would
have persisted struggling in the waves, but be-
Ing held up by seaman was at last picked I'D
by boat from the Victory. The captain son,
a midshipman, being below, was drowned.
LIEUT.. DURHAM's NARROW ESCAPE.
Lieut.. Durham, afterward Admiral Sir Philip
Durham, had one Of the most fortunate escapes
on record. He was returning from the shore
and had got within boats length of the Royal
George when she went down, and he was drawn
into the vortex. He had Just time to throw off
his coat and scramble on a beam, from which
he was soon washed as the ship sunk and was
left floating about among men and hammocks.
He was caught hold of by the waistcoat by a
drowning marine, who held on SO fast that Dur
ham was several times drawn under the water
Conscious that neither could be saved if he did
not disentangle himself from his burden he
chung with his legs around hammock, with one
hand unbuttoned his waistcOat. and. sloping his
shoulders, committed it, with the unfortunate
marine, to the merciless waves. He then swan
to the rigging and was shortly after rescued.
The body of the marine was washed on shore a
fortnight after. with the waistcoat SO firmly
twisted around his arm that a pencil case bear
ing the initials Of Lieut.. Durham was found
safe in the pocket and restored to the owner.
Admiral Durham lived until the year 1845.
Maj. Graham Of the marines and several other
marine officers, three lieutenants, the surgeon,
the master, many midshipmen and some ladies'
who had gone on board we're drowned. The
men caught hold Of one another and thus
drowned themselves, those who could not swim
catching hold Of those that could. As many Of
the men that could cram themselves into the
launch got into it, hoping to save themselves
that way, but they went down in her all to-
gether. Out Of the 800 women on board but
one was saved-a Mrs. Horn, who was living in
1884. The admiralty ordered E5 man to be
given to the seamen who we're saved as recon-
pense for the loss Of their clothes, but only
seventy five claimed it.
THE WRECK BLOWN TO PIECES.
One or two attempts were made in after years
to raise the Royal George, but they proved IN
successful, and in 1910 Col Paisley of the royal
engineers was ordered to blow the wreck to
pieces by submarine explosions of gunpowder
1t having proved quite an obstruction to naviga-
ton. That very able engineer officer succeeded
In this undertaking, and 1t is thought that by
this time not vestige Of the ship now remains
above the oceans bottom. Numbers of her
guns were recovered, her bell and much Of her
timbers and equipment and some Of these me-
MORALS are still to be seen at Portsmouth dock.
yard, while in tho library of the Navy Depart.
ment in this city can be found a tiny volume
marked on the back Relic Of the Royal George '
its covers being made Of two thin pieces Of
board, sawn from the oak timbers of that ILL
fated vessel 1t Is entitled True Stories of H