New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-09
BATTERED BY THE SEAS.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF THE NAY
FLINT IN 4 HURRICANE.
ALMOST EVERYTHING TORN FROM HEE pEckS-
sHE SAILS 2oco NILES UNDER JURY


RIG TO THIS PORT.
Bruised and battered in struggle with
tropical Atlantic hurricane, the May fIlnt Dig
gest Of the worlds fOur-masters. arrived mere
yesterday That she arrived at all was due to
her stanchness. the pluck Of her crew ana
what her captain called dogs good luck
one vessel which pa ssed ner in the hurricane
had reported that she had gone to the bottom
with all on borrd. Later she was passed by
the Craftsman. which early this week rought
the news to New-Orleans that she safe and
making her way for some United states port
under jury rig.
She was off the Azores month ago, wnen
she into the hurricane that almost destroyed
her, and she made the 1000 miles from there
to this port under a rig patched up from broken
spars in WY that did credit to the ingenuity
of her crew.
The May Flint was formerly the steamship
Persian Monarch, which was wrecked on the
Jcrsey coast several years ago. She "tayed
there for three months before she was pulled
off and changed into a four-nasted ship she
sailed from Philadelphia on August - TOT
Hiugo. Japan. with 10000 cases of OIL Captain
Nichols being in command. She had arrived
on September : at point four hundred miles
west-southwcst Of the Azores. when a tropical
Scarcely was time given the crew to stormlish
the sails and fix thc staysails % keep the Dig
ships head to the ind. She was then hove to
for twelve hours. during which time the wind
blew With great fury. creating sea that swept
the vessels decks almost continuously. The
strain uuon the spars at last became more than
they could stand. and they began spiinteriHg
or and tumbing about on the decks. Every
thing above the fore and main lnasts ana the
mzzen topgallant- mast was torn from IFS fasteh-
Ing and fell carrying away all the upper rigging
To add to the confusion which had by this
time made ali management; Of the vessel ABOUT
impossible. the boarding seas smashed IN the
forward port bulwarks and the aft starboafd
Hfcboat and sent members Of the crew who
were caught under the curling white crests
tumbling about the unstable decks Captain
Nichols and the chief mate stood tn their posts
while the were knocking things to pieces
about them They had to cling 10 the bits In
order TO stay with thcr ship. but they could do
scarcely anything to stop the destruction by the
elements The spars and rigging, which had
gone 10y the board huns over the bulwarks by
the wire stays which could not be cut. There
they pommelitd and thrashel about while the
tremendous seas were beating the huge ship
~ the end of twelve hours the wind began to
ahatc. and soon Captain Nichols was able to
get his cr'y To- WOra clearing the Wreckage
He rlggoi jury topmasls TO the fore and main
masts. and patched up the other broken spars
suiiiciently TO carry sail. Three days the men
had been working upon these repairs when the
Craftsman bound for Ncw-Orleans hove III
sight She saw that the May Flint was In dis
trrss and lay to to ask IL she needed assistance.
Captain Nichols told the officers that "nen he
had got hls dismantlei craft into condition he
should proceed 20 the nearest United states port
Tor repairs Meanwhile. he asked the Craftsman
20 take or two passengers hom he had on
board and also n take a letter for fbn; Co.
of NcN-YOrk owners of Il vessel to w-Or-
leans to mail This the Craftt did and on
her arrival at New-Orcans this week news was
nrst had trat the Flint had not foundered
The day f,liuwl lg September II the Flint was
IN condition - start ON hoy twO-thOusand mile
voyage for this port II was naturally slow
on. bus it vas without ncid nj. ON Thursday
morning the Flint WAS picked up ofS this pOr,
bv tn. tug Robert Haddon whose captain saw
visions of big salvage IL had caught 4 Tartar.
however ior before n" had proceeded far his
coal 9nd water gave out under the strain OF
towing such lev.lthan. The Haddon had 70
drop hsr twenty-five miles southeast Of Sandy
HOOK Lightship. and start ahead Tor NewNork
10 got L fresh supply ~ coal and water. To
make ,he harDor u was found nee, ssary to feed
the Haddou's furnaces with water casks. nen
coops and other movable articles about decks.
when rcpicu.stcd. she started back for the
Flint but meanwhile that vessel had been
picked up 10y tux sent down hy Fllnt = 60. 40
lrirg her IA.
Shc came 10 anchor of Liberty Island AZ
O'Clock last evening. and Cart1in Nichols hur-
rled ashore 10 Flint & CO. II was then that he
told nis story.
The Nav Flint was built III 1850 al Dunbar
ton scotland and is of 3.2SS tons register. She
is IlON feet long. rs feet beam and 2I9 feet
deep.