The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-04-07
STORIES OF THE SEA.
A REMARKABLE COLLISION AND A
PERSEV59lNG RESCUE.

Let people who think there are no Yankee
sailors in these days go down to Fred Col
colts, in South street. 1t is true that one
will find very few Yankees who are sailing
before the mast, but the Yankee captain,
and the Yankee first mate, and the Yankee
second mate and the Yankee who used to
be one or the other, but has since obtained
a soft berth on shore, gather at Colcott's
to spin sea twisters fit to make the lands
man gasp.
ever know Captain Lawson-E. j. Law
son? He's in the carpet department. of one
of those big Brooklyn stores now" said
one of the story spinning crew yesterday.
"Twenty odd years ago he was one of u
crew of the brigantine Hattie Bishop, Cap
tain Weber. She sailed out of Portland
one day with plaster for New York. Off
Cape Cod it came on to blow hard and the
fog was that thick you couldn't see three
ships lengths away. So they headed hex
off shore across the Georges, where they
came so near running down a fisherman
that it made goose pimples rise all over
them, and then, with only balance reefed
mainsail, lower topsail and two staysails
to keep her going, they held on very COM
fortably until after 10 o'clock.
was the second mates watch. Lawson had
been there half an hour when the second
mate saw light to windward, and the
next minute great British bark, running
light and free, doomed out of the fog,
headed right across the bows of the little
brig Captain Weber ordered the wheel
up, and up it went while the bark's wheel
was put down, but in a minute more Cap
| tloti too lofa
CAPTAIN LAwsoN's EXPERIENCE.
"'Well, here we go, boysP said he, and
then before any one could say another word
the bark rose over one wave, the brig over
another, and sinking down in the trough
between the two vessels came together,
broadside on, with tremendous crash.
The blow broke off the stanchions all along
the weather side of the brig and knocked
the men of the watch below from their
berths, but by some miracle neither
mast nor yard was injured. AS the watch
below came tumbling up on deck the next
wave lifted and parted the two vessels,
but they crashed together second time
Immediately after, and then within a min
ute third time. Then the two forged
apart, the bark carrying the briggs anchor,
which had in some way caught in her
chains, and hauling out twenty-five faith
oms of the chain cable before the stock
broke.
"Then there was a skurrying about to
, see what damage had been done. A few
minutes later, as the brig pumped her
nose into the sea, a man was washed away,
and Lawson heard cries for help alongside.
i None could be rendered, but the mans leg
caught on drifting rope and he climbed
on board Then, to the establishment OF
every one, both the brig and the bark were
, found tight as a bottle. 1t is probably the
5 only case on record where two vessels col
) lided in gale Of wind and yet neither YES
sci was seriously hurt"
1 "There is Tag in the possession of g
t sailors wife living out on Long Island, ;
said another of the party, that was once
the ensign of the brig City Mole, of Port
land, Captain Hugh Sinnett. The flag
was given to the lady as token of appre
citation of what you may call the gallant
! act of her husband. Pm sorry I've forgot
ten his name.
: "The City Mole sailed from Savannah
l one day in September with hard pine fol
, Porto Rico. She had eight men all tolt
on board. The second day out she took {
2 2 cyclone and got into such rough sea thai
L there was no keeping the solid water of
her deck. First a wave came over ani
crushed in the BOBBY hatch. The mex
jumped the flying jibboom out of her, thu
, fore and main topmasts broke short off
q the canvas was blown away, and there sh,
was, as unmanageable as raft, and thu
> water pouring into the hull at every roll.
THOUGHTFUL CAPTAIN.
I "Of course she was waterlogged within
O half an hour, and the waves were making
r a clean sweep. Boats, the galley, spar,
r spars, water barrels and everything NOV
q able about deck went overheard, while tn,
afterhouse was cleaned out, but the roo
remained solid, and there the crew foun(
refuge. All of them but the captain a
:, once dashed themselves FAST because tn,
waves at intervals made breach clea
across the roof. The captain did so, too
after awhile. He had fallen asleep through
g exhaustion when wave caught him anC
I away he went. Waking suddenly, he mad,
a grasp at the housetop and drove a ring
l bolt clear through his right hand. Hi
: body swung around over the side into tn,
); sea, but the bolt sticking through his hanC
u held fast, as did the nerves and muscles O
= the hand, and his life was saved.
1 "For three days the crew lay on thu
: housetop, almost helpless. Fortunately
the ships flag was saved, and this was set
union down, on a scantling nailed to thu
house. On the evening of the third day
f little brig belonging on Long Island came
along, and the distress signal was seen
: : The water around was strewn with lumber
! that had been knocked out of the broker
hull, but the Long Islander got close tx
the wreck and shouted that he would
/ stand by until morning. The sea wa!
t still too high and the night too near for {
f rescue
4 "The crew had, before this brig ap
peared, become hopeless, and one man haG
q gone crazy, for they had had neither foot
nor drink since the disaster. Now all but
! the insane man were greatly revived, ant
a the night was passed in comparatively
\ good cheer. You can imagine, then, how
|, Shey felt when morning came and the Long
T Islander nowhere in sight.
+ However, that skipper was a genuine
Yankee sailor. He cruised about unit
, noon looking for the wreck, and then, al
T though a wind that would let him lay his
course was blowing, he determined to sal
thirty miles down wind before giving uT
the search. Just at shutdown he overlook
= the wreck which having the forward