New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-30

BENJAMIN H. WEEKS.
Me-, whence she halls, in 1890. Her skipper was
Captain Fremont Kimbal. She left New-York
for Port-au-Prince on July 25 with lumber and a
general cargo. Unloading there, the schooner
went to Port Liberty. Hayti. where she took in
cargo Of logwood and then. on October H. proceed
ed for this port.
The vessels Ill luck began at Port Liberty.
where one Of the crew. Richard Bunting. an Eng
lishman, was lost overheard and devoured by the
sharks The crew consisted. when the Lord sailed,
of the skipper Mate Warren. three sailors before
the mast-"Nick' Rodman, OF Brooklyn; Andrew
Smith and Weeks and cook. Besides these there
were two passengers. n man named Bryan, Of
Brooklyn formerly cook on the schooner Wood
ruff who was III and returning home. and a man
whom Weeks knew Jack who was working
his passage home. The rescued sailor has sweet
heart waiting for him in Norfolk. Va. and the
wedding had been set for the week after his re-
turn from Hayti.
Weeks Is an intelligent sailor, thirty years Old
ard halls from Sneeds Ferry, Onslow County,
NJ c. He has been fourteen years before the
mast
THE SAILORS STORY.
After leaving Port Liberty" he said yester-
day. when spinning his yarn, I'VE had fine
weather until the 18th. Then 1t began to blow
fresh east wind, and the next day at 10 a. m.
we hove to under doube-reefed mainsail
and stormtrysail. for the wind had become
almost a hurricane. We remained hove to until
the 23d and all the time were taking water fast.
and every man OF us had his turn at the pumps.
It was of no use. and about o'clock In the
morning OF Wednesday the Lord was badly
water-logged, and went down on her beam end.
All hands were on deck except me- and was In
the fo'c'stle trying to catch wink Of sleep. /
endeavored to cut away the yawlboat. but had
left my knife forward. and then all hands tried
to get back the lazzarette hatch. which had
burst off
CRAWLED TO THE BULWARKS
I'VE all crawled to the windward bulwarks."
he continued save Jack. who got left to lee
ward in the mizzen higgins. He was washed
overheard and clung to a floating plank; but
he was weak. and guess he didn't hold on long.
That left seven OF us. and then old man Bryant,
who was sick from St Domingo fever, went
next and was drowned before our eyes. The
mate and the cook taken by the same sea
that swept off Bryant. but they managed to get
back Not much said. for the roar of the
squall was horrible: but once in a while the cap
tain yelled to the mate between the seas. and it
gave us all courage The mizzenmast snapped
first, even with the deck. and the foremast and
mainmast soon followed. During this time all
hands were lashed to the weather rail"
Weeks In places was cut to the bone by the
ropes that held him aboard the laboring wreck
When the roof OF the forward deckhouse. which
about twenty by fifteen feet. went over
board Weeks thought 1t good chance to DO
likewise. and said to the cook who was lasned
alongside OF him. i've got a good mind to go to
that house"
ITS a good chance" replied the cook. laconi-
..ffG IL hA vF- "a
II padded like a good fellow, said the sailor
with a smile "and | got there none too soon.
The house was to leeward, and would spin
around every few minutes, that | had 10
cling hard. All night aoated the deckhouse.
sometimes all under water and all the time half
under water. Early next morning. Thursday !
nOated back near the waterlogged schooner and
| could only see three men aboard OF her. Her
anchor and heavy chains threw her head way
down. and she Almost stood up straight In the
water Then drfted apart.
What did | think about? Well, heap OF
things I'm not a religious man, but when I'm
home I'm shouting Methodist. and TO tell you
the truth, while | didn't do much praying.
said considerable to the same effect sooner or
later. I'VE always heard tell folks could live
nine days In almost any pred.cament. and felt
sure that I'd be saved long before that On
Thursday while was sitting. half nodding with
my feet In the water big shark made break
for me AMI nearly got my foot. but landed nigh
and dry out Of the water He didn't trouble me
any more, and didn't any others. Friday
morning about the peep OF day. saw the smoke
Of steamer but ! said TO myself. No use 10
look for that fellow; he's gone. | was nearly
dead with hunger. and the thirst something
terrible. Not long after the steamer passed 1t
looked az II a rain squall were coming up. and
| tore out the insidcs of clock that hung III
the deckhouse. hoping to catch some water, but
only few drops fell. and caught as many as
| could In my cracked and bleeding mouth. Lots
OF hedgehogs, something like porpoises played
all around me. and | tell you they helped my
lonesomeness nightly.
A SCHOONER IN SIGHT.
Suddenly. about o'clock on Friday morn
ing something seemed to tell me to jump up
and look that way and would see a schooner
I was mighty weak but jumped up and there.
sure enough, was schooner TO the su'th'ard
heading straight for me- The wind was from
the southwest. I lashed two long poles to-
gether with the lining Of my coat-all that |
had on were n coat and blue shirt-and tied
my coat TO the end OF It, This | waved hard.
She bore down toward me. running free be-
fore the wind, and then took a rest The
schoonar rounded uD to wlndward. and when