The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-09-13
OF a Sailor Man Rescued
From ShipWrpck,
And Ills FOLKS, AFTER An ABSENCE
Oi TWENTY-FIVE Years, During Which lie
Was Tossed About Over the World.

Among the shipwrecked sailors
VINO were rescued by lfs.saving
PARTIES along the jersey coast III the
storm Of last week was one grizzled
old salt, Jacob Wood, VINO had
sailed way as captain of the bark
Enma IN the early part OF 1871,
leaving a family at Morrlstown,
n J. For twenty-five years he
had been drifting about the world,
according to story IN the New
York Sun, and what had become OF
MIS- family he did not know.
Capt. Wood had been injured by
the floating wreckage, 80 he was
cared for III house IN the neigh
borhood, while some of his rescu
ers carried the story told by the old
man to their friends and neighbors.
Among those who heard the story
was Mrs. Frances BIZ ggs. a reslden
of Brooklyn, wno happened to be
visiting some friends near South
Amboy When Mr. Briggs learn
ed That the ship wrecked sailors name
was Jacob Wood, she astonished
her friends by saying he must be
her grandfather, VINO was supposed
20 have been lost at sea over twenty
years ago. Then she hurried 10 the
house where the cid man lay. Mrs
Briggs, who is young woman mad
never seen her grand ather, but af
ter few minutes talk with the in
ured sailor she became convinced
That he was really the Jacob Wood
who had been missing for score
Of years or more.
Capt. Wood set out on a voyage
for the South Pacific in 1871, leav-
ing behind him wife aud three
children, two SOUS aud daughter.
AS months passed aud nothing was
heard from the absent vessel, Mrs.
Wood finally concluded that her
husband had been lost at sea. The
Ii mes were hard, and, having rela.
tives in I mixers, the Wood family
left Morrlstown and moved to the
Hudson River town. One of the
sons finally decided to become a
sailor and embarked on a long
voyage. The other found employ.
ment in this city, while the daught-
err MARI ed and became the mother
of the pres ent Mrs. Briggs.
Upon returning home, after
several years of seafaring life,
Edgar f. Wood, the eldest son,
found that during his absence his
mother and sister had died. The
young man settled down in Yonkers,
where he finally became member
of the police force, which he
still is.
Nothing having been heard from
the missir G father for twenty two
years. Mr.. Wood was more than
surprised, few days ago, to re
ceive a letter from his niece saying
that Jacob Wood had been wrecked
on the Jersey coast and vas lying
ill at South Amboy. This letter
was folio *ed by one from Capt
Wood.
Obtaining leave of absence Police
man Wood fastened to South Am
boy. The former soon cleared ~
the mystery of his long silence
Near the end of his voyage a,
captain of thu bark Emma he hac
been wrecked among the South Ses
Islands. After months of drifting
aboIt from one place to another hi
was finally able to send letter tc
his wife in Nav Jersey. As tn,
family had moved to Yonkers b,
that time, the letter mscarried, am
Capt. W lod, believing his wife anc
children dead, shipped from
foreign port for a long voyage
Again becoming captain of vessel
he continued his seafaring career
until he was shipwrecked off tn,
New jersey coast and was 81
strangely found by his grand
daughter.