The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-03-22
SAVED FROM THE DEEP.
A Long Overdue Ship Towed Into
New York Harbor.
THE CAPTAINS HEROIC WIFE

when Nearly All the Grow Were Disabled
with scurvy She Aided ia sailing the
Vessel, serving EEht Hours az the
wheel without Moments Respite.
New York March 22.-The long over
due American clipper ship II. Il. Oakes.
which left Hong Kong on July a. $50
days ago, with general cargo Tor this
port, and which had been given up as
lost was towed into port yesterday by
the British tank steamer kasbek, Cap
tain Muir, which picked her up last
Thursday. The crew were sick with
scurvy, and six had died. Captain
Reed of the Oakes, reported that his
crew were all laid up with scurvy, and
that the provisions were well nigh ex-
hausted. He was unable to navigate
the ship with the hands at his COM
mand, and begged that he be at once
supplied with fresh food and vegetables
and taken in tow for the nearest port.
The weather, which has been threat
ening now became boisterous, and
northery gale sprang up Neverthe-
less preparations were made to pass a
hawser to the Cakes when the boat
T.
manila hawser was paid over out over
the Kasbeks stern to the yawl, but
tremendous wave washed it into the
propeller. which was turning slowly at
the time, and before the engines could
be stopped the screw was so entangled
that the engines, with the full power
of steam, could not move it again. An
effort was at once made to free the
screw, but it was so deeply submerged
and the sea running so high it was
found impossible. For eight hours the
engineers staff Iabored to clear the
propeller, and finally disconnected the
shaft and found that by placing a
small block Of wood between the coup
lings the screw could be made to turn
BY that time the OalSes had drifted
out of sight, and Captain Muir Of the
Kasbek, despairing Of being able to
tow her with her disabled screw, deter
mined at least to find her and supply
her with provisions. All night he
searched the horizon for trace Of her,
and at a. m. Tuesday she was again
sighted. The sea was rough at the
time but Chief officer Helshem again
volunteered to attempt to board her
and as the engineers reported the pro-
peller to be working well it was decid-
ed to send a hawser aboard Accord
ingly a line was dragged by the boat
and after a deal of hard work two
hawsers were made fast
Mr. Helshem and his boats crew of
three did most of the work on the ship.
They found only the second and third
mates able to help them The provis-
ions they brought were a godsend to
the scurvy stricken survivors Of the
ships crew. From the time the hawser
was passed aboard until New York was
reached no incident of Importance oc-
Cured.
Captain Reed of the Cakes. told a
terrible story of suffering and priva-
tion. When the Cakes sailed from
Hong Kong the crew We're apparently
in the best of health, with the excep-
tion Of Captain Reed who had been
ailing for some little time, but who.
under the careful nursing of his de-
voted wife, thought himself on the
high road to recovery. When about six
days out in the China sea a terrific
typhoon was encountered, lasting sew
eral days, during which the fore and
main topmasts were sprung. The yes
sci was obliged to run before the gale,
which had no sooner blown itself out
than it was followed by a second ty-
phoon, which blew with great fury for
"a days. The vessel had then got well
/ out in the North Pacific, and so far off
/ her course that Captain Reed decided
| to shape his course via Cape Horn.
Cape Horn was rounded 167 days out.
| In the meantime the Chinese cook had
! been taken down with a severe cold,
and died on Nov. II. Afterward a sea-
man named Thomas King was taken
i'll and died Jan. u. Thomas Judge
another seaman, was taken i'll witt
cancer Of the stomach, and later Mate
Stephen G. Bunker showed symptom.
of scurvy, dying Feb. 4, and Georg,
King, an old man. died on the 9th or
the 18th Judge succumbed, making in
allssiX deaths.
One by one the old soldiers were
obliged to quit work, until, on March 1
nobody was left except the second anG
third mates the captain and his wife
All were well nigh exhausted, and
when a strong northerly gale sprung
up on that day the brave woman was
obliged to take the wheel, and foI
eight hours, without relief and with
/ out as much as a drink of water, she
/ kept the ship on her course. The pro.
/ visions We're running short, although
! a supply had been obtaind on Jan. 1.
/ from the American ship Governor
/ Robie, from New York for Melbourne
when off the Island of Trinidad, and
the crew We're left without other thar
the barest necessities.