New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-05
dashed TO THE DECKHOUSE.
SUFFERING AND PRIVATION AT SEA.
THE CREW OF SCHOONER RESCUED AND
BROUGHT TO PoRT-HOw THE CAPTAINS

TILE CREW OF SCHOONER RESCUED AND
BROUGHT TO PoRT-How THE CAPTAINS
WIFE AND son WERE SAVED.
On December 30 Captain j. C. Nash. of the Ameri-
can bark Herbert Fuller. found himself $50 miles out
Of his course blown east Of Cape Hatteras ana INTO
the Gulf Stream by furious gale. And TO that cir
cumstance Captain Bunker. his wife, his twclvcyear
old boy and nine OF the crew OF the umberiaoch
schooner Levanter owe their lives. for before the
bark got back into her regular course she sighted the
distress Signals Of the schooner and took on the
twelve people who for almost three days had been
clineng the top of the after dcckhouse. which was
the only part Of the schooner that was above WATER
The bark landed them here yesterday.
The schooner Levantcr big three master. re-
built from barkentinc. aud she lad large cargo OF
pitch pine lumber. That was what saved the Nes
OF her crew. FOR with anything less buoynnt on board
the craft would have gone down many nours before
she sighted by the rescuing bark.
she sailed from Brunswick. Ga. bound for New
York. few days before Christmas. In expectation
Of heavy weather the captain had seven men on board
beside the mate and before sailing extra man was
taken
When the Levantcr slipped out early in the morn
ing everything looked fair for n good run up the
coast and the fresh breeze from the northwest did
not blow with any unusual strength until the schooner
had worked distance to SEA. on shore the sea-
stirred up by many days OF storm. heavy and
weather Of 1t. Instead OF riding the big waves. She
began TO pound heavily and to the seas sluGsshy
The sails we're reefed down and the captain tried to
work against the northwest blow Wen as he could
But the great wind blow her off more and more ana
the vessel began take the over her bows ana
weather side. Christmas Day passed with The schooner
steadily driving of before tho sea and wind ana al
hands hard at work. On the next day the Levaner
began to work in toward Capc Hatteras. Toward the
afternoon there gale from the northeast. III.
sea that rolled before the gale tremendous ana
The heavily laden schooner could not begin to mount
The big She stuck her bows into them heavily
and they broke her II she were raft o. logs
Then US each rushed by. she would fall Into the
trough OF the sea with q crash that threatened to
tear her apart. On the night OF Dccembet 26 the
seams of the laboiing Lcvanter opened and the sea
began to rush into the hold. All that night. in n
bowling gale and through weather that was bitterly
cold men worked at the pumps with desperation
born OF tho knowledge that their only chance for lie
lay In keeping the afoat. Hour after hour
the schooner rolled and plunged more and more
heavily and refused TO mind her helm. December
81 dawnod on watcrlogged, helpless craft, with
masts still standing but steering gear disabled ana
seven feet Of water in the hold.
The Lev6nter was then fifty miles east OF cape
Hatteras. Before dusk the water began TO gain so
rapidly that the pumps had effect upon it, ana
when night came the vessel began 10 settle deep In
the sea. soon the cabin was Hooded and all on
board forced come on the WHVe-WaAIlcd
a great sea tore the matches of and filled the hold
completely Then the schooner became little more
than raft, and when one big wave came over the
stern and smashed the boat there was nothing left TO
do but to escape TO the top OF the after deeAlosc
Then the gale changed to the northwest and began to
drive schooner further out to SEA. AT 10 O'Clock
that night the men dashed the woman and the boy
TO the deckhouse they would not be swept over
board In the night. Then they all hudded together,
trying to keep warm, while the sea washed over them
continually. The sea had invaded the schooaer's hOll
and cabins so suddenly that provisions had been
saved and all that the unfortunate people had be-
tween them were two quarts Of water and a little
biscuit which one Of the crew had secured. So with
tie spray and waves drenchng them continually and
freezing In the terrible cold, they chung TO the top
OF the deckhouse for almost three days The sea was
making clean breach the hull OF the schooner,
and no one knew how she would go TO pieces
At last, on the Of December 80, when the
wreck had drifted 10 miles east OF Hattens, they
sighted bark and TO their great Joy she bore down
on them. she lay 10 and sent a boat TO the snip,
wrecked people. The boat made several trips TO ana
fro and on the last trip hauled down the distress
sighted her would 90 OF her course TO speak her
And then she went drifting of to join the heet OF
derelcts In that part OF the sea.
CAPTAIN Bunker and his family and the mate went
at once to their home In Maine YESTERDAY mrs.
Bunker and the boy beginning TO feel the erect
OF the terrible strain and they were completely
broken down.