Connecticut western news., 1895-10-17

Howard c. Smith and Captain Darling
 Cling to Wrecked Boat All Night. Drifted In the Storm Until the Tide
 Swept Them Ashore.
 PORT JEFFERSON, N. r., Oct. 15.-Dur- ing the storm that lashed Long Island sound into a turbulent sheet of seething white two men, olinging to the loose rig ging of a capsized sailboat, drifted with the wind and tide far from the land for II hours.
 Howard c. Smith, who is stock broker at 26 Pine street, New York, came here to arrange for repairs to his steam yacht Halcyon, which is in winter quarters He missed the last train for New York, and, being anxious to get home, hired B. K. Odell's 20 foot sailboat to cross the sound to Bridgeport, Conn. MT. Smith lives in Stamford.
 He asked Captain Selah Darling, who was in command of the Halcyon during the summer, to sail the boat. They left the harbor at p. m. The wind was blow ing full sail breeze from the southeast. Without warning the waves began to dance to the tune of gale, and soon the sound was alive with flashing white caps. The sea began to run high, and irf a few moments the little sailboat was bobbing up and down like a cork.
 When they were two miles offshore, opposite the Oldfleld light, the wind changed to tLs northeast, and squall all most flattened the sail on the waves. Turning the tiller over to- MT. Smith, Captain Darling crept forward to shorten sail. Hardly had he reached the mast when the boat, quivering under the shock of another squall, careened to leeward. At the same moment a wave dashed over the side. It picked up both men as though they were feathers, washed them into the sea and upset the boat.
 Both grasped the loose rigging which the wind had blown over the side and drew themselves over the rail, where they held fast for their lives.
 Clung to the Boat Eleven -Hours-
 The fury of wind and sea increased. Rain fell in torrents, and the night was filled with the shrieking of the storm. Sev- sn sound steamers passed them-palaces of light they seemed to the struggling men-but their cries were lost in the bowling of the wind.
 From Oldfleld light to Mount Sinai they drifted. Then the flood tide carried them, in spite of wind and wave, in the direc- tion of Flax Pond. Several times the storm tore the capsized boat from their grasp, only to hurl it back to them upon a towering wave.
 Of time they had no reckoning. Self preservation, from rational intelligent impulse became blind instinct, in which their minds played no part. After few hours of misery they became too dazed to think, and, with ropes holding them fast to the boat, they drifted, waiting for the end.
 Of Flax Pond the wind veered to the north, and before they realized 1t they were carried toward the shore. Summon ing all their energies, they threw away their outer clothing. kicked of their shoes, and freeing themselves from the boats rigging struck out. They landed safely, but almost dead from exhaustion.
 Alter a brief rest they set out, half clothed, to find farmhouse. In their bare feet they walked four miles, until they reached the summer home of the Rev. John H. Darlington, pastor of Christ church, Brooklyn. The house was closed. Hard by they saw farmers cottage. and, walking as fast as their bleeding feet would permit, they reached it.
 Farmer George Ms. Smith gave them food and dry clothing; and after they hadsrested themselves drove them to this village. Howard Smith went on board his steam yacht and got fresh apparel. The sailboat is a wreck on the beach near Flax Pond. ~ d.
 Captain Darling said: "s have followed the sea for the last 20 years, but never have had such an experience. For II hours we chung to the boat. But for the kindness of Farmer Smith we must have perished."
 Howard Smith lost satohel, a large amount of money and a valuable gold watch, which was presented to him by his grandfather