The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-11-08
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a light when he boarded ner. ana ICr
the next half an hour we were strain
ing our eyes to catch it. Then we
figured that he had missed the hulk
and was pulling back to US, and al
though we had out our regular lights.
which could have been seen for two
or three miles, we sent up several sky
rockets and burned a flare as further
guides. But the hours wore on and
brought no tidiDgs and when daylight
came we swept the sea in vain for
sight of either hulk or boat
4 breeze came with the sun, and we
began a search which lasted all day
without result. The loss Of three men
reduced us to sad straits. There We're
only two working hands and as a
measure of safety we had to get the
big sails reefed against what might
come The breeze was light, and as
we were we'll under shortened sail we
did not cover any great distance dur
ing the day, not over thirty miles.
This satisfied Us, however, that a cal
amity had occurred. The wreck could
not have been over half mile from
US when the yawl pulled away. 1t
would not take over ten minutes to
pull to her. What could have hap
pened to the boat? If not able to
board her, he should have returned.
In boarding he should have displayed
a light. as ordered, and then returned
to report the state of the wreck. The
last ever seen of the three men was
when they pulled away from us. Not
a word has been heard from them to
this day, nor will it ever be known
how they perished.
Nigh. brought calm again, and [
was SO tagged out with the heavy work
Of the day that l went to sleep almost
before [ had finished the cold bite /
got from the pantry. We understood
from the captain that we should cruise
about for day or two more in hopes
of falling in with the boat, but it was
easy to see he was badly upset, and in
the afternoon l smelled liquor about
him very strong. When be told us to
go into the pantry and forage for
something to eat, his voice was thick
and his legs very weak. My mate was
to stand the regular time and then
Waken me. Sometime in the night |
was aroused by something and sat mp
and looked about me. The calm con-
tinued, and everything was quiet, and
SO | lay down and slept again. 1t was
daylight when | awoke again, and
after d wash | got some biscuits and
meat from the pantry and looked
around for my mate Not finding
him after hunt Of ten minutes |
knocked at the open cabin door. Re
celvlng no response [ finally ventured
in, and five minutes later / realized
that | was entirely alone aboard the
Josephine. Neither captain nor sailor
could be found, nor was there the
slightest clue to tell me how or why
they had disappeared. [ did not give
up until [ dad searched every possible
place where they could have hidden
away, and then | sat down and let SUI
per5tition and terror take such hold
of me for half day that / liked to
have gone crazy. 1t was only by call
ing up all my will power that | could
prevent myself from leaping over the
rail. After several hours, however
this feeling wore off, and | could view
the situation with common sense. [
was alone but it was a fiat calm, and
| turned into the cabin and slept for
six hours before | opened my eyes
Then it was to find that evening had
come, and that the brig had been
boarded by a boat from one of the mail
steamers plying between the big is
land and New Zealand. My explana
ton astonished and astounded the men
and after | had been taken off to the
steamer, and given all the details to
the captain he took the brig in tow
and continued his course for Sidney.
There the story was told and retold,
but with little satisfaction to any one.
4 craft was sent out in search of the
lost yawl and the hulk, but neither
could be found. The general idea at
Sidney was that the captain and sailor
both got drunk that night and some
how got overheard, bnt no one could
even guess the calamity which befell
the yawl.