Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-20
CALIFORNIA GOLD.
shipwreckcd on liz Way Home.
Such Was the Irpsfience 81 Iran,is A.
W.iis Of Brattl' boro---th, Ehd OF the
story Reads Lie Bit Of Romance.

N.iis Of HrattI,boto---th, End OF the
story Reads Lii. Bt Of Romance.
.Brav.et.ry letter Q. 'h- spin. field sunday Ke
IuDAcau
Willie the gold fields Of California 10
years ago were much inferior in rich
ness 10 those Of the klondke of Alas
ka, they were responsible for many Incl
dents and experiences frsught Yijh great
danger one such experience was that IN
dergone by Francis A. Wells Of Brat
tlebOrO. who speu, five years in the Golden
state during the craze which followed the
discovery there Of the yellow metal. Des-
pite his experience, however. be retains the
enthusiasm Of his early days and SAYS if
be were only 20 year. younger he would
start for the frozen fields Of tle klondike.
Francis A. Wen. was born in Leyden,
Mass, FEB. u, 1929. Having finished his
school DAYS he took up carpentering in or
der 10 earn a livelihood but in 1872 he de-
termined TO seek his fortune in the gold
fields 81 the West He went 70 New York
and boarded steamer and in due time ar
rived al the ,thmus Of Panama. He
crossed the istbmus partly by rail and part
" bX boat rO~ed by natives, and left on
the steamer Golden Gate for San Francis
co, where he arrived in "a days from the
time he left New York. He marched in
land ~ Weayersyille aud began placer min.
ing near Trinity river. The first days la
Dor were not especially remuneratiye, and
the winter months were unusually severe,
the heavy SHOWS blocking the trail Of the
pack mule trains 50 that for days at a time
no provisions could be procured. He de-
termined 70 try carpentefing once more and
for the next two years be received from -
fn : 4 10 ia -
Then hard times came and be returned TO
mining, this time at Yreka in the north
part OF the state. Better luck rewarded
his efforts there, and in two years more he
was satisfied to return home
Early IN September, ISL. lie left San
Francisco on the United States mail steam
ship Sonora. In a satchel which be carried
were the fruits Of his labOrs in the mines
and on the inside OF waistcOat which he
wore were chamois skin pockets also filed
with gold nuggets. He arrived at the
isthmus Of Panama in safety, and having
crossed the isthmus he embarked at As
pinaIl for New York on the steamer Cen
tral America, Lieut.. william l.. Herndon,
United States navy, commanding. There
were 600 passengers on board aud over 81,
600, 600 in treasure. The vessel passed Ia
ydna safely.
Then began those strong bead winds To-
which the vessel finally III 1T its fate. The
last reckoning Of the ship was taken on
September 10. That night the passengers
were awakened by the violent lurching Of
the ship. Everything on deck Slid to the
lower side and the passengers were all or
dcred on deck TO right the ship, but with
out avail The foremost was cut away,
but with no better results. The water was
1.n1
fast becoming unmanageable. The pumps
were manned and the heroic effort for life
began. Slowly the ship sank and the pas
sengers were beginning TO despair when
the sail Of the brig Marine Of Boston was
seen in the distance. Now there was in
tense excitement and the calmness OF de-
spair gave way to shrieking, crying and
weeping. The brig answered the signal
Of distress and turned its course toward
the doomed vessel. The transferring of
passengers was a slow process and only 80
women, 20 children and a number of men
were able TO reach the brig. Despair
again overcame the passengers and many
of them jumped overheard, while others
locked themselves in their staterooms.
Suddenly and with a mighty effort the
sinking vessel reeled and crashed and in
another instant it had sunk beneath the
waves with its cargo Of human beings.
A short time previous TO the sinking Of
the ship Mr.. Wells secured one Of the cabin
doors and threw himself upon it, thinking
that when the ship sank he would float
about upon the water. Instead, however,
he was caught by one of the chains which
held the ships smokestack and was drawn
under to great depth. Pulling himself
from under the chain he began to rise and
managed TO hold his breath until he reached
The surface. The darkness Of night had
now settled down over the sea and with ii
had come thunder and rain and vivid and
incessant fash Of lightning. During the
flashes Mr.. Wells could see the bodies Of
men on all sides floating in the water
After about an hour he saw what seemed
TO be raft and releasing his hold upon
the door he swan TO it with great exertion.
He found it to be portion of the wheel.
house and upon it were five persons
Again and again they were swept off into
the water until three of them became ex-
hausted and went down.
Mr.. Wells and his other companions con-
tlnued 10 he swept from their peculiar raft
until daylight appeared and the barque
Ellen Of Norway came TO their relief. The
raft iloated TO the vessel and they were
taken on board. They were taken TO Nor
folk, Va, narrowly avoiding another ship
wreck as they approached the city, and ar
rived in New York September 10. Mr.
Wells reached 3rattleboro soon after
bringing with him only what gold lac car
ried in the pockets of his wastcoat, his
satchel having been lost in the wreck. He
entered the Estey Organ. factories in 1866
and was employed there until two years
ago. In lSGS a singular coincidence oc
CURED at the organ works. A Pole, whose
name WAS A iolph Frederick, went to work
there and in the course OF few weeks he
stated that he was one Of the surviy RS of
the Central American catastrophe. He
was thrreupon introduced TO Mr. Wells.
when, to their mutual establishment, they
recognized each other as having iioated
about on the same fragment Of the wreck
the whcrlhou,e Of the Central America.
Mr.. Wells married December :, 1859,
Augusta +. Blanchard of BrattleboTo, a
native Of Gu lforI, and daughter of War
rem and E,vlrA Blanchard. Their home is
at 81 High street.
The Hayes Place at WeaIhrr-hcId sold.
The very handsome country place in
WeArh lhrld Boy, formerly occupied by
the iltr Francis 3. II Eyes, has been
bought boy Mr.. PraIsall OF New York. Mr..
ami Mrs Prar>ail have been taking an ex-
teldrd drive during the summer, in search
of "A place for a country residence. Driy'
ing past The Hayes place, both were inn
pressed with It's appearance, and reached
lat IL ola. = ..,,