The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-10-09
THE SEWALL'S THRILLING VOYAGE
Crew and Captain Spend Days and
Weeks on Half Rations
One or tn Sailors Given a Fatal Fright.
PIusky WIFE Of the Captain.
stirring Adventure.

The ship Benjamin Sewall, his
tOricaI vessel in the American mer-
chant marine, entered san Francisco
from New York after a sensational
passage. All but one Of her boats was
gone and havoc had been wrought on
her deck. She had no stores left, and
there was not place in her standing
or running rigging that had not been
repaired during the run.
The Sewall was POI days making
the run, but part OF that time she was
in distress off the coast Of Chile and in
the port Of Tame in that country I'M
dergoing repairs. She left New York
nearly seven months ago with ten
men before the mast. Her owner and
captain, Arthur Sewall, was on board
with his wife. When the ship arrived
Yesterday six OF the original crew
were left on board.
On MAY 18th, in latitude 81 deg. S
min. south and longitude 90 deg. %
min. west, the first storm broke On the
SewalI. 1t lasted for five days, in
which the decks were continually
awash. On the 18th the seas stove in
the after hatch, the gale tore the miZ-
zen lower topsail from the bolt ropes,
and q sea filled the cabin with water.
The crew, the captain, the mate and
the captains wife huddled upon the
after house, the only bit OF the ship
that was out of water, while the cy-
clone whirIed the vessel round and
round. At times the wind was dead
aft, and at times the ship was for an
instant in reality hove to. The after !
hatch was stove in q second time and |
the main hatch went with 1t. The |
forward companion way was torn |
away, and again the cabin was filled |
level full. The captains wife never !
lost ner nerve, and worked with six |
seamen for hours bailing out the cabin. |
The first storm left the ship almost a |
wreck, but the crew had not had time |
to cease talking of the miraculous es- |
cape when a second gale came upon |
them. This was on June 18th, when |
the vessel was in latitude 50 deg. 2 |
min. south and longitude so deg. 20 |
min. west. For three hours there was |
a squall, with hail, snow and rain, |
and then the fierce wind veered to |
force. The lower miZZen topsail, |
though closely furled, went first. On |
June 9Th the angry seas were again |
sweeping over the Sewal's deck, and |
the ship, even with the close reefing, |
was on her beam ends and in immi-
nent danger of going under.
In one of the berths below Benjamin
Garrison, a sailor, sick with fever,
was lying. The rush of water washed
him out of the berth and half crushed
him. His clothes were torn off, and
he was left in such an overstrung and
nervous condition that later he died
from the shock. a sea broke open the
doors of the galley aud almost killed
the Chinese cook.
On June 9Th the gale was in the
northwest. Everything movable was
washed overheard and the forward
house was smashed again. The water
got into the galley and carpenter shop
and carried away the cooking utensils
and tools, swept off the sidelights and
bullseyes, aud all but killed the Chi
nese cook.
When finally the gale subsidized the
ship was almost out of stores, even
after drying everything that could be
dried. There was little water, too.
All on board were put on the closest
possible allowance, and the captain
headed for Juan Fernandez. Head
winds made this course impossible,
and the Sewall was then headed for
Ancud, on the island of ChillOe. East
erly winds made this course imprac-
ticable, aud thus days were used up
and death seemed to stare the SewalPs
people IN the face. The captain then
headed for Corral, Chile, but this
course had to be abandoned. Finally,
when the ship had been headed for
Tame, Chile, and when starvation
seemed to- be only moments away, on
June Goth St. BIary's Island, at the
entrance of Conception bay, was
sighted. The SIX men who had been
sick after the storm had by that time,
with two exceptions, recovered. The
na nj n ir1fG xrrifn |
nurse.
While approaching Tame on June
10th, in latitude 80 deg. 43 min. south
and longitude 30 deg. min. west, the
Sewall passed an abandoned bark, a
four-master. The sea was too rough
to get near enough to see what ship it
was.