The Portland daily press., 1894-04-26
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS ARRIVES.
The Story Of the Elmiranda in
Full.

ernment Shoes--But one Man Died on
the voyage-The Other Two Are in
Norfolk Hospita1-The Bark Probably
Hopeless Wreck-Crew Saved in a
Breeches Buoy.
Captain Williams, of the bark Elm1r-
anda, arrived in this city yesterday.
His story is one of terrible disaster and
hardship. They left New York on the
9Th, and were driven by the terri BILE
storm to Norfolk, Va, where they ar
rived on the 18th. During that storm,
one sailor, an Englishman, prerished
from exposure and cold. He fell uncon-
sious on the deck. He was poorly clad,
and Captain Williams says that while the
men were struggling with him to get
him to the forecastle. the
Wind Blew the Clothes Off Him.
SO that when the captain went down to
see him about quarter of an hour af-
terwards, he found him lying dead, with
no clothing on. The other two men did
not die at sea, and are both alive now,
in the Norfolk hospital. The ambu-
them. They will probably recover.
They set sail for Portland and were
wrecked on Long Island, as has been
told. The captain says that foggy
weather and currents, due to the long
northeasterly gales, drove him out of
his course, and he was never more as
tonished in his life than when the ves-
sci struck on the sand bar, believing
himself to be at least ten miles from
there.
She struck at about 1.20 at night. went
onto the bar and pounded for six
hours. The water was breaking clear
over her from stem to stern. All the
doors were smashed in. eThe bar was
a quarter of mile from shore. The
tide rose and the vessel finally foated
over it.
That six hours on the bar was about
twenty-four to me, said the captain.
The locality was half way between
the two life-saving stations. The life
saving men fired line three times, the
first two falling short. The distance was
all OF 300 yards. Finally the cable was
all fixed, the breeches buoy pulled
aboard, and the men, one by one, taken
ashore. The Captains son, 1S years old.
who is consumptive and went on the
voyage for his health, was soused in the
cold water all the way ashore. and is
conseq uently in more or less serious
condition. Only one of the crew of
eleven was so fortunate as to escape a
sousing going ashore, and he was the
cook.
When the vessel struck, Captain Will
liams put on his hat, coat and vest,
packed his trousers and valuables to the
extent of $65 worth in grip, and made
ready to get ashore. But the grip was
lost, and during the six hours the waves
broke over the vessel nearly everything
else was lost, SO that when the captain
came ashore he was not very well pro-
vided with clothing. At the life-saving
station he was provided with new trous-
ers and shoes, but of rather a coarse
kind. Most of the crew lost everythin
Two of them had $50 each in money,
and insisted on starting for Portland,
but they were sent with the rest to New
London, the nearest port of entry, ac.
cording to the law.
Captain Pearson, marine underwrit-
er's agent, happened to live near the
scene OF the wreck and he provided the
money to pay off the crew. During the
terrible gale, when the man died, Cap
tain Williams had his fingers and
cheeks frost bitten. Some of the cloth
ing that was given to.the ship wrecked
mariners had been hanging in the life
station for 20 years, waiting for such an
emergency. The men of the station
though rough fellows, were very kind
hearted and treated the unfortunates
with the greatest kindness.
The wrecking crew from New York ar
rived Sunday, but could not get near
the vessel till Tuesday at 10 I'm. The
captain said they might raise her, but
evidently had considerable. doubts, and
nobody believed him. The vessel is to-
tai loss anyway, and probably most of
the cargo She is settling deeper and
deeper into the sand at every tide, and
was hard stuck in the sand 6 / 2 feet,
while lying in IL feet of water, when
Captain Williams was there.
With the exception of cold, the cap
tain has withstood the terrible exposure
and pulled through all right. p