The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-20
VOYAGE OF THE SYREN.
THE LITTLE CRAFT OUT 1S8 DAYS
BEFORE REACHING PORT.

of the Crew-SOme Extracts From
the Ships Log as Kept b the Cap
tain-Poisoned Water Aboard Sick
ems All the Crew.
The crew Of the little yacht Syren, Capt.
obins Purdy, which was towed to quarau-
line last Friday by the tug Forest City,
ssll q marvellous tale Of suffering and hard
ship. the details Of which show them to be
able mariners, aud entitle them to exhibit
ton, craft and crew, at Chicago.
Just before leaving London for Bermuda.
where the captain and a man named Adolph
Hoadlev we're under contract TO take the
vessel for the sum of gro, Capt. Purdy
sntered the boat, and he says now that II
be had been aware Of her condition be
would never have consented to make the
trip.
An account Of the arrival Of the
Syren, which is now lying dashed to the
tugs lust across the river, has been
published in the MORNING NEws.
The Yacht, which is 50 feet long and
feet draugbt with wooden bull, left Lon
don lust IA days ago, bound for the Ber~
muda Islands, where it was said that her
owner had large plantations and desired her
there for use in connection with them.
THE START FROM LONDON.
Before leaving London for Bermuda her
funnel and propeller were taken of and the
engine. which Is a compound one oftwenty~
six nominal horse-p, wer, is now almost
mass Of rust. Two masts were put in, and
she was to be sailed across. The captain
was furnished with a chronometer which
was twenty-une seconds slow, as compared
with Green wich time, and gained, according
so tine certificate, "sbouC a minute daily.
How much more or less than minute it
gained Capt Purdy had no means Of tell
ing, and 81, to certain extent, had to guess
at bis longitude.
The original crew, five 10 numbsr, con-
sisted Of Capt. Purdy and Adolph Hoadley,
his partner who left the ship at Downs be-
cause be saw the danger in the voyage and
was afraid to make the trip. With them
were George Smith, boatswain, and q.
Ljebisch and Johannes Hasinslach, seamen.
Part of the money was paid before leaving
England, as the crew was to find provist, Ms,
and the ba ance was to be paid in Bermuda
The crew were each to receive 60 for the
three months voyage and E3 p usage money
with which to return. They left London
on Oct. ], the propeller and funnel having
been removed and the Syren rugged with
sails, and sailed down the Thames,
CAPT. PURDY's ACCOUNT.
Capt Puidy gives most interesting &C
count of the vo, age Of the little craft AID
how she weat heted the wIntry gales for l3S
days, how the crew kept alive in a
cabin 5 feet square with nothing but a
small oil stove for cooking and warmth il
midwinter is a my stery which tnose who
have seen the craft in Its sea-woru condI-
ton have been unable to solve.
"On Oc-. 2" said Capt. Purdy, I'VE
reached Gravese d, where we ere fur
nIsued with a thermometer, " hich, from its
a gy,t-,
bout a minute daily. On Oct. Re an-
chored at TIE Downs and, left there on Oct
10. Here hoadley. from ear, left the
yacht. On Oct. IS we passed out of the
E gi sh channel, and passed st. MIchaeps
island on Oct 50, and then sailed for seven
teen days without sighting ship.
Dec. II, we spoke the English bark Glad
stone, 240 miles off Bermuda, and sent up
rockets. as We were short of provisions, We
came along side the Gladstone which ran
into the Syren amidships breaking
off the top of the miZzeumast. We
hove to until morning, and then
started off west half south for Bermuda
In a heavy sea with strong gale.
Dec. 26, We sighted an English steamer
and signaled but got no answer from them.
THE POISONED WATER.
"About this time / was taken sick from.
the Wa or in our last cask, hich contai ed
soned from the chemicals which may have
been in the cask or from other sources, |
am unable 10 say. But l am confident Of
the fact that the water contained some sort
of poison. The balance OF the crew we're
taken sick in turn and il was with with
difficulty that we were able to manage the
craft at all in the hea gales and icy
weather around us.
af"Jan. II, just ore week after this time,
we were unable to steer tue ship on account
of the heavy winds AID the multitude OF
barnacles which had attached themselves to
the yacht. Twice We attemp ted to scrape
some of them Oft, but TO no avail On tins
account it was almost impossible to sail
against the heavy winds and we could at
most max only two or three knots an hour.
We had given up all hope If ever reaching
Bermuda aud began to look about US To as
certain what course TO pursue.
"a few days alter water spout in the
center OF the storm struck the vessel, but
it soon cleared out, however. and Fortunate
ly did no harm. Thus it went on three or
four days longer and we decided to steer for
the broad side of the American ooast.n
ALL HOPE GIVEN UP.
The following is an extract from the cap-
tain's log of Jan. 25: To-day / am ut
tsrly spent and the crew have also been sick.
/ crawled on deck to see if l could get our
longitude. l was overcome with pain aud
set my sextant on deck close to the patent
folding boat. The rolling of the yacht threw
this boat against the sextant and broke it,
thus taxing away all means of getting our
longitude. The ship is getting more and
more uumauagesble and will not steer. We
have almost given up hope OF reaching
port"
son Feb. g." continued Capt Purdy, 1--WE
spoke the Norwegian bark Knudsvig which
gave US cask of waer,
bag of bread and three tins
Of meat We were then 24O miles from
Charleston and decided to steer in for that
port On the 18th we spoke the American
steamer Seminole and obtained provisions
and were ad vised TO steer toward Winnings
ton which we did
Having obtained provisions we foated
on for several days unusl we came to the
American coast, as we thought. about
Charleston. We discovered, however
that we had anchored in Port Royal har-
Dor where we remained until brought up to
Savannah by the Forest City"
TELEGRAPHED FOR MONEY.
Capt. Purdy cabled to the owner in Eng
land yesterday for money with which to re-
pair the yacht. He says if enough is sent
him get her in sea-going condition be
will fulfill his contract aud carry her to
Bermuda, but otherwise she will Or, badly
be sold 60 pay his and the seamen's wages.
The seamen say, however, that they will
not again risk their lives in the craft, but