Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-08-15

hOTIOF IN mI0-OCc0ms
The British steamer Capac, from VAL
paraiso, brought to Philadelphia Thurs
day night seventeen shipwrecked mar
liners and the news of q terrible dis
astcr that occurred on July Is short
distance south of the equator. The mar
liners are the survivors of the crew of
the British ship Prince Oscar, which was
sunk after collision with an unknown YES
sci, which also went down, but with all
hands on board. Six of the Prince Os-
cars crew were drowned soon after they
left the sinking ship by the capsizing Of
the small boat into which they scram-
bled. From the size of the unknown YES
sci 1t Is thought she carried crew of ut
least twenty men. The seventeen sur
vivors were huddled into one small boat,
with neither food nor water, but were
fortunately picked up by the British ship
Dharwar, from Melbourne, Australia, for
London. From that ship they were trans.
ferred to the steamer Capac and, with
out money or clothing, they were landed.
Captain Clipperton, the English consul,
will care for them until they can be sent
to their homes.
Midnight Disaster.
The disaster occurred shortly after mid
night in latitude 0:30 south, longitude
2S:2O west. The Prince Oscar, which was
bound from Shields, which port she left
May q for Iquique, laden with coal, was
going at a clipping gait on the port tack
before q brisk wind and with all canvas
set. 1t is estimated by the crew that she
was making about six and a half knots
an hour when suddenly there loomed up
directly under her bows four-masted
vessel. The mate asserts that the
stranger had no lights burning, and after
she was sighted it was impossible to alter
the course of the Prince Oscar.
The iron hull of the latter struck the
unknown full amidships, knocking her
almost on her beam end and crashing
through the woodwork until her PROV
was more than half buried. The stranger
went over almost on her beam ends as
the Prince Oscar backed away from the
rebound. AS the crew of the Prince
Oscar stood peering through the darkness
they saw the stranger partly right herself
and then she rapidly began to sink. They
listened in vain for some signs of life,
but not cry for help nor word Of COM
mand came from the stricken vessel.
The pumps were manned, but there was
no hope from that source. Life boats
were ordered cut adrift, and the men were
told to jump and swim for their lives.
They all went overheard and with the
exception of two unfortunates reached
the small boats. Captain Henderson, who
was the last man to leave the ship, went
over in his night garments and swan
fully two miles before he was picked up.
Three Days of Hardship.
Both boats lowered about the,scene Of
the wreck until daylight came, when they
headed they knew not where. Twenty
four hours later a heavy sea struck the
boat commanded by the mate and cap
sized it. The occupants. eight in num-
Der, were thrown into the sea, and the
already overcrowded craft which Captain
Henderson commanded put quickly to the
rescue. They were successful in getting
four of them aboard. The rest were
drowned.
There were now seventeen men in the
small lifeboat, with nothing to eat, moth
ing to drink and barely room to stretch
their weary limbs. The sun was broiling
hot, and their hunger and thirst were al
most unbearable. Toward evening of the
second day one of the crew discovered a
small cask of fish oil slowed away in the
boat. This was dealt out to the survivors
in small doses, and they used it to moisten
their parched lips and tongues.
For three days and nights they floated
thus on the bosom of the South Atlantic,
and just as they were about to abandon
hope they sighted the ship Dharwar from
London, bound for Melbourne. They sue
ceeded in attracting the attention Of
those on board and were soon on her
decks.