The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-11
SAVED BY PRESENTINENT.
Why Capt. Burg Of the Birmingham
SteGTed 50 Near the Coast.

He Knows Not What Force Impelled
Him But He Was Directed to Keep
Near to Land-Was on the Point of
Turning Out When He Picked Up the
Joseph Souther's Crew-He Kept on
the Inside Course and Found the Sa-
vannah-Forty-Five Lives Saved in
the Same Way by the Captain of a
Norwegian Bark.
The idea of a mariner being led by
some presentiment to steer a certain
course which may be out of his ordinary
route, by doing which he is led to find
and rescue some sea-tossed crew, is by
some considered absurd, and like the
stories Of ghosts and other unnatural be-
ings, which are often told, may think it
the product Of a somewhat diseased i'm
agination.
No matter what the story or how near
it substantiates the idea there is always
certain class of unbelievers who will
ridicule it. But to take it in everyday
life, how often are people led to some ac-
ton which is productive of happy results,
and for which they can seldom give a sub
stantial reason.
And yet reason might teach that there
is nothing extremely wonderful or I'M
natural back of such actions. The prompt
ings or presentiments, whatever they may
be, proceed from the human instinct, or
they may proceed from divine source,
coming through the human reason.
CAPT. BURG's PREsENTIMENT.
There is a story connected with the
rescue of the passengers of the Inflated
City of Savannah which has never yet
been told. 1t is an incident based on lust
such presentiment as those referred to,
and which cannot be accounted for until
the happy result of rescue or aid to some
suffering humanity is extended.
After the wind and waves from the
storm of Sunday and Monday had sub
sided on the deep, Capt. Burg of the City
of birmingham had changed his course
somewhat, and was running in nearer the
shore instead of making for the sea,
which he did while the storm was raging.
lie kept on this course for sometime un-
I'll he was approaching rather closer than
IS usual on the passage from New York
Once or twice on Tuesday morning he
was on the point of turning his vessel out
to sea again and was debating the matter
as early as 3 O'Clock. While considering
the question the first officer asked him:
why don't you turn out to seal We
have gotten in pretty near the shOre.n
RESULTED IN SAVING THE sOUTHER's
CREW.
It was nearly o'clock at that time.
and Capt. Burg replied that he would
keep on that course until t and then
steer out. Four O'Clock came, and he
couldn't make up mis- mind to change his
course. Something kept impelling him
to keep on that course with land in sight
pretty near all the time. What it was he
could not tell, but ne replied to another
question from the mate that he would
keep straight ahead until > o'clock, and
then he would turn out without fail
Five o'clock came and Capt Burg came
near turning his vessel out to sea again in
spite OF the presentiment which seemed
to keep directing him otherwise Jut at
two bells and before he had ordered the
ship swung out, wreck was sighted Just
ahead and in a few moments the signal of
distress was recognized. Capt Burg i'm
mediately ordered boat lowered and the
captain and six men were rescued from the
wrecked schooner Joseph Souther Why
he had kept on that course he did not know.
but when the results of his action were
II q.
spite of the solicitations from the ma tie
to steer out to sea
LED HIM TO THE SAVANNAH
After that rescue had been effected he
continued on the same course, keeping
within about the same distance from
land. He was on the lookout for wrecks
and the thought of such thing as finding
one of the Ocean Steamship Company's
steamers wrecked never occurred to him
at all. In fact, the matter scarcely oc-
CURED to him again during the day, but
later on Tuesday he was again on the
point of turning out, and would have done
so, no doubt, had not this same PRESENT.
ment impelled him to continue his course.
Had he turned out he would never have
sighted the wreck of his sister ship. and
her passengers might have had to endure
more hours and perhaps days Of suffer
ing.
This will be seen to be true
from the fact that the William
Crane,5O which came down lust
day ahead of the Birmingham and
which pursued the usual straight course
of the ocean steamers, caught no sight of
the wreck Of the Savannah. and she was
equally as invisible to Capt Daggett.
who sailed with the City of Augusta on
Monday afternoon after the storm had
subsidized Both these ships were too far
out at sea to sight the Savannah when
they passed her latitude.
But Capt. Burg was obedient to the
call which seemed to direct him to take
the inside course, and Tuesday after
noon about 6 O'Clock he sighted the wreck,
which proved to be the Savannah and
rescued her human freight Why he had
kept to that course he says he does not
know. He mad no apparent reason for it
except that he couldn't make I'D his mind
to change ii and steer for sea. He was
not looking for any wrecks and had no
idea that he would make any such rescue.
and the only reason for his keeping that
BAKING