The Portland daily press., 1895-06-13
FIRE, SEA and SHARKS.
Battle for Life by Grew Of the
Carrie b. Long.
BARK STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ON
VOYAGE TO HAVANA.
Masts and Spars Fell While the Cargo
of OIL and Acids Blazed and Exploded
Sharks Seized Swimmers.

Masts and Spars Fell While the Cargo
of O1 and Acids Blazed and Exploded
Sharks Seized Swimmers.
. New York, June 12-Six men who
fought for their lives through fire and
water arrived here last night from Nassau
on the British steamer Antilia. They
were the survivors of the ill-fated
American bark Carrie E. Long, which,
laden with acids and petroleum, was
bound from Philadelphia to Havana,
when, on May 81, she was struck by
lightning and burned to the waters edge.
Those who escaped were blistered by
heat, bitten by sharks and worn and ex-
hausted by long battle against the sea.
There was death for them on board the
bark and in the waters underneath They
came here worn to the bone, forlorn and
penniless. They told the story last night
of how they had struggled, how they
clung to burning wreck, of how they
had seen their shipmates die, and how
they had landed on the desolate coast of
Gun Cay.
1t was squally on the night of May 2l.
The Carrie E. Long was speeding along
under shortened sail over dark waters and
into a blacker night. The lightning
flashed from cloud to cloud, and at nine
O'Clock the crew were blinded by a flash
which lit sky and sea.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
They were hurled from their feet when
tbe holt 81. q
plosion followed, The decks were thrown
up as by volcanic force and flames shot
from every hatch. The hull was an I'M
quenchable Tophet.
Spars and sails were soon on fire.
Captain Rolf who was standing aft,
seized life buoy and plunged into the
sea. He was never seen again. The
vessel rocked and swayed. She trembied
under the forces which were raging be-
meath her decks. Yards had toppled
down, boats were hurled from their
chocks and smashed upon the decks.
Second Mate Tip Stanley and Seaman
James Corcoran and Lars Iverson, rushed
for lifeboat. 1t was on fire. They
swung the small boat into the sea. 1t
capsized within few yards of the vessel
and the three men struggled in the sea.
Tip Stanley struck out from the vessel.
calling to his shipmates that he was go
ing to try to reach land Corcoran and
Iverson abandoned the boat, for it had
been smashed, and even if they had sue
ceeded in righting it, it would have been
useless. They took the line which Sea-
Il md IL
on the ship of fire.
The hull burned and the night wore
on.
Tip Stanley, when he struck out from
the small boat, swan toward what he
believed was a distant coast He had
swum nearly mile when he found two
small oars He clung to these and threw
aside his clothing to make swimming
easier. He had gone about a mile fur
ther when he made out man struggling
in the water several hundred yards
away. He called to him and found that
it was Huston.
you come to me and .I'll meet you
and give you this other oar, he called
to Houston. The man was worn out.
he tried to make a final effort, but
was only six feet from the oar which
Stanley was holding out to him he sunk
from sight.
Stanley drifted and swan.
He hailed Cameron feebly swimming.
Cameron recognized him, then he went
as Houston had
Stanley was floating when he felt a
sharp nip on his leg. He was attacked
by shark. He got his leg away from
the grip of the monster and forced one
of the oars down the creatures throat
when it rolled over on it's back There
was a battle between the man and the
shark. The teeth of the fish dug deep
into the blade of the oar. Stanley run
the stick further down. He struck it
over the head with the other oar. He
left the carcass behind.
Stanley's feet struck a rock at four
O'Clock in the morning, and he was soon
on the shore of Gun Cay. He saw two
figures half a mile away nearly. They
were those of Joseph Corcoran and Jack
son, who had clung to the BOBBY catch
and drifted ashore.
The Shlpwrecked men fell in with an
old negro named Butler and his son. who
owned the little schooner Sisters The
negro had seen the fire. Stanley went
with him to the scene of the wreck. The
fires were nearly burned out
The three men, blackened with SCOT.
weak and in wasted terror from the
sharks, We're still clinging there. They
hailed their comrade with cry that
made his heart glad, and the old negro
said the Lord was good. The men were
hauled on board the schooner, and there
was reunion on the beach of Gun bay
which would have brought tears to anv
eye.
No trace was ever found of the captain.
The men were forwarded to Nassau.
where they took passage on the Antila.
CCMNE sQIIt Riho