Connecticut western news., 1897-07-01

sent the following graphic description of the wreck of the British steamship Alden:
 Two days after leaving Colombo the Alden was struck by severe monsoon, with squalls, violent and incessant Day by day the weather grew thicker, and the passengers became more and more alarmed. At 3 o'clock on the morning of June the vessel struck upon the Rasradresa reef, on the east ern coast of the island of Socotra. l The engine room was instantly food ed, and utter darkness ensued. Wild with panic. the passengers rushed from their cabins and fled terror stricken to the upper deck in the scantiest cloth ing. The women and children scream ed in fright and confusion, but the men retained their self possession and cour- | ageously assisted the officers and crew to do their best to save the vessel and to inspire calmness.
 But it was soon seen that the steam CT could not survive the shock, and | that the only chance for safety lay in | the boats. Lifebelts were distributed, distress signals given and the boats on the lee side prepared for launching. | Those on the weather side had already been washed away. In the meantime, | elapse before it would be possible to launch the boats. the passengers glad ly accepted the assistance of the crew to obtain more clothing.
 | The storm continued to increase in | violence. Huge seas washed the vessel l with terrible force. Daylight brought no relief and only served to reveal still further the awfulness of the situation. | Lifeboats Swept Away.
 Misfortune followed misfortune. A | lifeboat was lowered, only to be swept | away immediately with three Lascars and the first officer, IIr. Garden. The | gig was dispatched to the rescue with MT. Miller, the second officer; but, to the | despair of all, both boats were rapidly swept away.
 The only remaining lifeboat was then lowered, amid a scene of intense emo- tion. A cry of anguish broke from the lips even of the men when this half capsized, throwing the sailors and the stores into the sea. After great efforts the boat was righted, and the women | and children were lowered into it, with | the exception of Mines. Gillett, Pearce and Strain, who heroically decided to share the fate of their husbands, and l Misses Lloyds and Weller, who remain ed on board. The boat, manned by a | European crew, left in a tremendous sea and drifted rapidly out of sight.
 Vast waves still swept the wreck, | dashing the people about and leaving | them almost prostrate on the deck. One | by one, men, women and children, | grown too weak to withstand the repeat ed buffetings, were washed overheard in sight of those who were momentarily | expecting the same fate. Among the | first thus ingulfed were MT. and Mrs. l Strain and their two children, the | Misses Lloyd and Weller, the mission aries; Mrs. Pearce's baby, with its Chi nese nurse, and then Captain Hill whose leg was broken, but who had borne himself calmly and bravely, was washed overheard with several of the | native crew.
 Days Spent on the Wreck.
 All day the victims were picked off | one by one, until o'clock in the after noon. when those who still survived retreated below. Many were badly hurt and passed the night in suspense and bodily pain, huddled in the small cabin | which they expected would be their | tomb. None of the survivors who were l seen cared to talk of this terrible night
 The storm abated slightly on the morning of the 10th, and those who | were able to move began to search for food, hunger until then having failed to assert itself over more acute priva- tions. This proved task of the great est danger, as big seas were still sweep ing the vessel. The fourth engineer. | while trying to procure water near the | poop, was struck senseless and almost washed overheard before he could be l! dragged to a place of safety. Artificial | respiration and similar expedients were | resorted to, but it was five hours be- | fore he was restored to consciousness. ] MT. Pearce was only saved from being | washed overheard by the prompt ac- ton of his dauntless wife.
 | The search for food resulted in their | getting very little of 1t, and this was shared out equally and in very small | portions. All the time the desperate men kept a sharp lookout But no ves- | sel was sighted until the 18th, and even then the distress signal was not seen. | On the 17th and again on the 20th ether vessels were sighted, but the signals | either were not seen or were ignored.
 These unhappy episodes caused pain full and half crazy scenes of rage among those who had previously been self con- | trolled. Each day it was necessary to curtail the allowance of rations. Mrs. | Gillett did the catering and contributed | greatly to cheering up the ships com pany.
 | Sea Thirty Feet High.
 The weather usually moderated in the morning, but always increased in vio- lence during the afternoon. Frequently a sea 90 feet high would sweep the deck from stem to stern and carry | away portions of the vessel. On June 25, when things were at their worst and | the food supply was almost exhausted, ! Messrs. White, Kelt, Cave and Valpy | bravely ventured across the we'll deck to the storeroom and got fresh SUD- | ply. That evening two steamers were sighted. One proceeded without pay ing any attention to the distress sig nal.
 The other anchored under the lee of the island. As soon as she was sight cd a Lascar mounted the rigging and | signaled her. In reply candles burned at her portholes, and at daybreak on the 26th a suspense of seventeen days was relieved by the spectacle of the steamer rounding the point and heading toward the wreck She dropped anchor about a mile away.
 A very heavy sea was still running, but the wind had moderated slightly. With heartfelt joy, mingled with tears of the men and hysterical sobbing of the women. they saw the lifeboat lowered. It took her three-quarters of an hour to reach the wreck. Every one rushed to the broken side of the ship. It was the lifeboat of the Indian government steamer Mayo and in charge of Lieu tenants Dobin and Goldsmith. They skillfully avoided the tremendous wash and rescued all the survivors in two trips.
 The island of Socotra is situated in the Indian ocean, 120 miles east of Cape Guardafuit, the eastern extremity of Africa. It is about 70 miles in length