Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-16

IN THE GRASP, OF THE DEvILFISH.
the fish were torn away from him in small
pieces. 1t was two months before the Dane
was able to get around the vessel. and he
will carry the horrible Disagreement he re-
ceived to his grave.
Three months after this experience the
Tristram foundered during storm off the
Nightingale island and sank OF a shoal.
The Dane and two other sailors fled for
safety to the rigging of the ship, and as she
sank and the water rose about her masts
the men went up. When they reached the
highest yard arm, the vessel struck the bot
tom, and the three men were perched on
the frail support with the storm raging
over them and the wild sea around them.
Some time during the night ona of the men
became exhausted and fell into the water.
The storm subsided the next morning,
and the sea ran down. The heat of the
sun became almost unbearable, and the
men soon began to suffer from thirst and
then hunger. The waves ran about two
feet under the yard on which they stood,
and to render their situation more horrible
a number of sharks gathered about them,
splitting the water with their fins and
thrusting their noses above the water as 4
already relishing the feast that they were
waiting for.
In the afternoon the Danes companion
lost his head and sprang into the sea- and
the Dane saw him crupshed in the jaws OF
khe sharks that fought over his body. The
terrified Dane tied himself to the yard and
was found in an unconscious condition on
the day following by the whaling bark
Witch of New Bedford.
Ill luck had got to running in the direc.
tion Of the Dane, and he seemed In fair
- III flaa
he was rescued from the mast he had an
other thrilling experience. A heavy storm
came up, and the Dane was sent aloft to as.
sist ia furling a sail. He was at the ex-
tremity of yard when the vessel suddenly
lurched, and he lost his hold. He fell into
the water, but being a good swimmer he
managed to keep adoat, and the next wave
that came swept across the deck of the YES
sci. carrying the sailor with it and lodging
him under the lee rail with a force that
broke one of his legs and knocked his senses
completely out of him.
Once more this i'll starred man was spared,
and in few weeks he was able to hobble
around the deck ON a crutch, and in due
time resumed labor. A short time afteI
that the Witch started for home The
storm must have tried her severely, for
abe sprung a leak, and in spite of all that
the men could do at the pumps the water
gained on them, and they were finally com
pelled to take to the boats and abandon the
vessel.
They floated about for five days. They
suffered from the heat, but they had plenty
of water and provisions to keep them alive
There were three boats of them. On the
morning of the sixth day they espied
small island few leagues away and made
fof IT,
The surf was running high on the shore
ef the island, but the sailors thought they
ppuld land safely, and they made the at
tempt, with the result that the entire num-
bef, with the exception Of the Dane, was
oIowned. He got hold OF an oar, and aft
- y hard struggle he managed TO reach
dry land. The island was a small affair,
but the Dane managed 10 subsist on the
perries that grew there in profusion for
nv days until picked up by the brig Else
M, which carried him 70 New London.