Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13
SAVED by 4 DREAM.
Vision of IL Sail brought Hope and
Rcscup 10 Cnstnwnys.

| Rescue TO Cnstnways.
The American brigantine, May T. Kimbal
sailed from Mobile for Guantanamo, Cuba
on August 30. Head winds bothered her anC
she was still in the Gull off South Florida
on September 22. At one bell of the forenoon
watch that day, relates the New York World
a bowling gale jumped out of the southeast
Under naked poles the brigantine ran before
| it. Soon the seas had charge of her decks
and all hands manned the pumps.
| A chain pipe leading down into the chain
| locker was knocked away by the sea and
the cap that covered the mouth of the pipe
went floating from the side. Captain Bowers
ordered the second mate to close the aper-
ture with canvas. 1t was too late. The
brigantine began TO sink. Captain Bowers
ordered all hands aft and sang out to the
mate Mr., Flood, to fetch the ak that waa
| in the cabin
While the mate and the steward were car
rying out the order the second mate with
another ak chopped away the main rigging.
SpaIs, braces, cargo and a confusion of
wreckage crashed over the side smashing the
boats.
An onslaught of destroying waves knocked
James JeflCrs and two shipmates, Elijah
Cash and Peter Madison. all negroes, over
board. Though that wave brought them face
to face with death, it really saved their
lives. JeffeIS caught hold OF one of the top
sail yards that drifted near him. With a
reyerbcrating crack like thunder and rip.
rip. rip" the compressed air burst the cabin
roof OF and 1t shot into the air. A large
splinter from 1t was driven by the force of
the explosion four inches into Jeffers right
leg.
All three sailors. Madison, Jeffers and
Cash, gained the cabin roof and, turning,
they saw the brgantine's five remaining men,
Captain Bowers, the two mates steward and
a fourth seaman, Peter Mitchell standing
together on the weather bulwark, which was
one foot above water.
At 5 p, m, while the five men on the rail
were looking wiJtfully at the frail raft with
the three castaways, the May r. Klmball
sank with all who were left aboard. The
raft on which the three sailors depended for
life was fifteen by ten feet, with a broken
skylight. to which they clung with despcra-
tion. The men had no food, no drink, no to-
b2cco and very little hope, JeneTs Ia an
EpiscoDalian. lie told his fellow-castawayg
that their only chance for life lay in prayer.
So JefferS prayed, and On the second day
after the shipwreck Cash and Madioon be-
came converted and confessed their H!nD
For six days the turbulence OF the waYe9
did not abste. There was not a minute when
tho castaways were not half submerged.
Many times they were washed off the rcof |
but regained their raft. There was nothing
to do but pray and keep watch for sail.
On the fourth day hunger plngs became |
almost inolerable, Soon after the desire !
for food gave way to thirst, and the men be- !
gan to drink plt water, which increased thelr !
Gunerng9. At p. m, OF the sixth day a |
schooner was sightel a mile and a hall /! Q I
laeward. but she made no response 10 thlir !
signals, The men then resigned themselves /
TO death,
That night a piece OF board became de- !
tached and wounded Jeffers in the other leg |
feet were badly swollen from the
constant beating OF the salt sea. On the
seventh day Madison became dcllrious. At
midnight OF the same day Jefers dreamed .
hat he was close to land and called 10 the
lther boys Come. let's go ashore" he
showed a board underneath the raft, but
ound no bottom. Before they could restrain
lim Jeffens jumped into the sea. lie was
Tx feet away from the rait when, by swim
ming on his part, and by his brother Geamen
ormlng a human chain, he was pulled back
I was twelve hours before he came out OF
iis deirlum.
On the eighth day a small butterHsh was
ossed by wave upon the cabin top, Cash
With his knife divided the Ssh into three
qual parts, and the famished sailors ate and