Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-06-27

ZvsJx-Fz-yyr77-BP7y
it, but it was found to heye been dam
aged by the thunderbolt. 1t filed fast
/ and capseized. Stanley then leaped
from the deck and began swimming for
Gun Cay. one of the Bahamas. ten miles
Off. When about two miles from the
burning vessel he picked up TWO oars
| that had been dashed together, and,
| tearing off his undershirt, tied an oar
under each arm with the remnants and
padded toward the lighthouse on Gun
Cay.
When within about seven miles of it
he overlook Seaman Charles Houston,
who had also decided to risk making
| shore He asked Houston if he had
anything TO support him, and Houston
said he had not Stanley unlashed one
of his oars and showed it toward Hous-
ton. who in an en0r. TO grasp it, sud
denly disappeared. Stanley thinks that
| he was dragged down by shark.
About one mile further on he met Sea-
man Donald Cameron, who said that rs
was exhausted and could not keep up
much longer. Stanley offered him an
oar. but he sank before he could take
! hold OF it,
About q mile further in Stanley came
across the buoy which had held the
captain. Stanley believes that the cap
tain was dragged from his buoy ana
| devoured. The reason Stanley thinks
this way is because he himself was at.
tackled by two sharks within four miles.
| OF land He says one OF them caught
/ him by the heel just as he showed the
| blade OF one of his oars in the man
! eaters mouth. He was ten minutes
/ battling with the creature, which dld
not like being prodded with the oar
He did not get ashore until daybreak.
When he struck the shelving rCck OF
the beach with his foot ne fancied thar
he had trod upon q shark, and kicked
so vigorously that he hurt ms 1901 Sc
verely and the shock made him un.
! conscious. He thinks he was about -Wl
hours living there with the surf washin!
the lower part Of his body when IN
ligbthouse-keeper and some OF the ma
tiyes of the island found him. BE Wa'
then without any clothing, and tne1
suDplied him with some and gave hin
hot drinks and something 10 eat.
What happened after Stanley left the
vessel was told by James Corcoran, the
man AT the wheel. Some OF the seameh
were bracing the ma!nyarG and Corcor-
an had lust walked across the poop
when the fash came, and one OF the OIL
tanks exploded. He went below with
several other seamen and brought the
sick mate up on deck. They searched
vainlv for hatch covers on which they
might leave the vessel, but all the haJch
covers had been blown oil. C0rcoran
changed his clothing and ran forward
through the flames. They got the mate,
and wrapping him up in an old sail,
carried him out on a bowsprit. Just be
fore they did this the foremost burned
away and fell alongside
The fire swept forward and began
burning the heel of the bowsprlt; Cor
coran and Seaman Michael Mcnamara
lowered alongside the burning bark and
held the sick mate on grating and
Jumped overheard after him. Ihey
transferred him to the foremast Whlch
was floating fast to her by the WIRE
shrouds. Ii was frighfuily hot on the
part of the spar furthest from the nam
ing hulk and the men had to throw
water over each other and dive ire
ouentlv 10 prevent themselves from be-
ING burned. All of them splashed water
on the mate. who was too sick for the
exertiOn of swimming
The bark was now mass OF tre. HAN
an hour after the foremost went by the
board one of the oil tanks blew up Ihen
two tanks burst almost simultaneously.
Then there was a spectacular shower on
burning oil that made all of the five sea-
men seek safety below the surface. III
this fountain of fire it is surmlsed lhaI
the mate persisted.
sharks. attracted by the blaze,
swarmed around the bark, and added
to tbe terror of the men who were cling
ing to the floating spars. There was
Mace under the starb0ard bow COM
narativelv clear Of fire. and there Cor
coran Mcnamara and Steward Jackson,
clinging TO the spars and throwing
wafer upon one another, remained FOR
ne9rlv three-quarters Of an hour. Then
they were forced by the flames to seek
refuge elsewhere Fortunately they
had, in VAIN eIoIC ~ '.HC--O' -"
inst after she was struck by lightning
cast over one of the bowers.
The main and mizzenmasts, with
spars attached. got entangled in the an
Choir chain. and TO this fact Corcoran
and the other survivors, except Stanley,
owe their salvation. BY clinging to the
cable and descending a short distance
under water whenever they We're
threatened by the burning oil on the
surface. they escaped death. The nre
subsidized considerably by dawn. It's
glare had attracted from the shore a
little navy of small boats filed with ma
tives. The ship-wrecked men shouted,
and one Of them who had a coat waved
Il Then the boatmen saw them and
took them aboard and rowed them to
Cum CAY. whence they went to Nassau.
Hartford News.