Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-08


 Aking it in turns to keep the boat ir | . safe position, and at daybreak we were able to put into more open water, the sea being calmer. Our one hope was that we might sight passing yes sel. The second mate was standing on athwart, anxiously searching, with | straining eyes, across the gray waters. Suddenly he threw his arm up and shouted, in wild excitement:
 "A saill A saill"
 The cry sent the blood coursing | through our veins once more, as we followed the direction of his gaze, and saw, towards the northeast, the wei | come sight. Our first sensation of joy was soon followed by anxious doubts. Our lives depended on the course she was steer ing, and of that we must remain in ig- norance for some time. If she proved to be close-hauled, she would bear down on us in few hours; but if her course was northward we were doomed men. ''What is sheP" asked the captain. "Homeward boundl" cried one, "No; can see her head-sails!'' said Capt. Burton. 1 She was standing towards the berg of that there could be no doubt-and our hearts were lifted up again. Sud- denly her after-sails darkened, while those forward still shone white. l "She has tackedl We are lostr' ; She had come as close to the berg as was prudent, and was now standing away on the opposite tack.
 "Now, men, let us make last effort for our livesl" cried the captain, taking of his coat and jumping on athwart and waving it as signal of distress. | We all shouted till our voices failed us, but the vessel kept her course and sank below the horizon, and we were alone again on the sullen sea-
 We all sank into the boat, crushed and hopeless. This bitter disappoint- ment, coupled with our long exposure to cold and wet and the want of food, quite unnamed us. It turned me sick and faint. My head swan, as though the boat were in the vortex of a whirl- pool, and l swooned away.
 E When I recovered consciousness be- came aware, from the motion of our boat, that we were in comparatively smooth sea.
 A few stars were visible and could see the outlines of my companions hud- dled together in the stern. Their list less conversation reached me, and they were talking of our proba ble position, which was supposed to be somewhere near the South Shetland island, bar. ren rock lying quite out of the track of ships
 They talked like men resigned to their fate. They had abandoned all ! cn1u Just before dawn a cold sea fog set tied upon us, making our position even more miserable than before. When the dawn appeared there were | indications of clear sky, and when l curtain. To us the effect was like that | of stage spectacle, for every man staggered simultaneously to his feet and stared with incredulous eyes at the sight before him. l am certain that for a second or so we all thought we l were dreaming.
 Right ahead of us lay large brig, her foretopmast, maintop- -gallantmast
 and jib-boom carried away, and the
 wreckage still floating alongside.
 Brig ahoyr' shouted Capt Burton
 but there was no response.
 !
 we, with suddenly revived energies ! work ed the boat alongside.
 No sound or sign of life came to us
 and she was evidently abandoned. She
 proved to be an Italian brig, lader
 with coal but with both her hatche.
 stove in.
 Our first care was to sound the well
 There were four feet of water in the ! aLo
 were powerless, therefore, to keep he1
 ahoat. Her crew had evidently aban
 doned her in panic, for we fount
 visions on board.
 After hearty meal end a welcome
 exchange of our wet clothes for dry we returned to the well, and found tn
 water in the hold had not increased ir
 depth.
 'T do not believe she is leaking. Tn, water must have gone down through the hatches," Capt. Burton said. And this proved to be the case.
 You may imagine our feelings of re lief and joy. The food, so much need l ed, and the change of clothes, added t , this new hope of escape, revived ou energies, and we set to work to clea | tno "reckdSo anu TIE up Jury tOE , mast and jib- boom.
 The hatches were secured agains further accidents, and before night Sc 3 in we had shaped a course for the Falk
 land islands.
 9 The log book showed that the bril
 was bound from Cardiff to Valparaiso g and we afterward learned that tn - crew had been picked up by the vesse
 we had sighted.
 a Next day we succeeded in clearin P the pumps. The wind freshened int e another gale, but by careful seaman
 ship we weathered it without muc n further damage, and had the satisfat 8 tion of bringing the brig to our dest l. nation in safety.
 t The salvage money came to brett
 good sum, which, when it was divided 6 compensated in some measure for tn d hardships we had endured owing to tn d floss of Our fine shin the Golden Eaplt