The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-22

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abIod.
NEW YORK, March 2l.-Tho long
overdue American clipper ship T. F.
oakes, which left Hong Kong on July
4th, 259 days ago, with a general cargo
for this port, and which has been given
UP as lost was towed Into port this morn
Ing by the British tank steamer RaSbek.
Captain Muir, which picked her up last
Thursday in latitude 2S.1O, longitude
GS.H. The crew were sick with Scurvy,
and nix had died. The KaSbei was
bound from Philadelphia for Flume. Aus
tria, with cargo OF oil and left tho
former port on Saturday. March 70.
On the following evening at II o'clock
blue lights were seen, and Captain Muir
ordered the steamers course altered ana
nails At o'clock she was close along
side the snip and stood by until day
break, when signals were observed fty-
ing from the ship asking that a boat be
sent alongside as the ships crew were so
helpless as to be unable to man their own
boats. Chief officer c. p. Helshem and
three seamen at once put OF In the kas-
bek'S yawl and went within speaking
distance heard q tale OF suffering alid
sickness from those on board the ship,
such as made them shudder. Captain
Reed, OF Oakes, reported that his crew
were all laid up with BCurvy, and that
tho provisions were well nigh exhausted.
He was unable to navigate the ship with
the hands at his command, and begged
that he be at once supplied with fredh
food and vegetables and taken In TOW for
the nearest port.
Mate Helshem returned % the KaSbek
with the message and Captain Aluir az
once decided to take the vessel IN tow.
The weather. which had been thTeaten-
ing, now became bOisterous, and north
erly gale sprang up. Nevertheless pre-
parations were made TO pass hawSer 70
the Oakes, when the boat. with a load OF
prOvlsionS was sent. A manila hawSer
wss paid out over the KaSbek's stern 70
the yawl, but q tremendous wave washed
II into the propeller, which was turning
slowly at the time. and before the en-,
gines could be stopped the screw was 50
entangled that the engines with the full
power Of steam could not move 1t again.
Lost Again.
An effort was at once made to free the
screw, but 1t was 50 deeply submerged
and the sea running 50 high, twas found
impossible. For eight hours the engin-
eer's stan 'Iabored to clear the propeller
and finally disconnected the shaft and :
fonnd that BY placing a small block Of
wood between the couplings, me screw
could be made turn. By that time the
Oaks had drifted out Of sight and Cap
tain Muir. despalring OF being able 10
tow her with his disabled screw, deter
mined to find her and supply her with
Ali night ne searched the horizon for
trace OF her, and at 6 a. M, Tuesday, She
was again sighted The sea was rouGh
at the time, but Chief officer Helsnem
again volunteered to atteupt to board
bsT and ne The engineers reported the
propeller to be working well, II was ue-
cIied to send hawser aboard. Accord
lngly q line was dragged by the boat
and after a great deal OF hard Work Two
haWBers were made fast
SIT. Helshem and hIg boats crew OF
three did most Of the work on che snip.
They found only the second and thlrq
mates able to help them. The provlsi99tns
they brought were God-Send % tne
scurvy-strlcken survivors OF the anips
crew ana they began to gather hope thae
thcv mirht live 70 see the land again.
Fr1m tie time the hawser was passed
aboard until New York was reaehed, no
incident OF Importance occurred.
CaDtnin Reed, OF the OakeS, told a ter-
rIble story Of suffering and prtVation.
when the o axes called from Hcn6
Kong. the crew were apparently IN une
best OF health with the exception Of cap
tain Reed, who had been aillnE tor some ON;
little time but who, under the caretuI
nursing Of his devoted WIFE, thousht
himself on the high road TO recovery
sailors Die oFsCurvy.
when about six days out in the China
sea a terrible typhoon was encountered,
lasting several days, during which the
hose and main topmasts were sprung
The vessel was Obliged to run before the
gale, which had no sooner blown ITSELF
out than It was followed BY second "
phoon, which blew with great tufy Ior
twenty-four days. The vessel nad tnen
got well out in the North Paelnc ana -
far OF her course that Captain Reed de-
clded to shape his course VIA Cape Horn
rather than by the Cape OF Good Hope
hoping thereby to make better time. The
weather remained firm: In fact, nothing
but light, battling airs and calma were
pxperienced until Cape Horn was rounu-
cd. 167 days out.
In the meantime the Chinese cook had
been taken down with severe Colu thllA
died on November II. Afterward sea-
man named Tom King was taken uoWp
with what appeared TO be suurvy, ana
died December 26. In quick succession
seaman Thomas Olsen was taken III ana
dicd January IL, Thomas Judge, Anotner
seaman, was taken III with cancer OF tne
stomach and later Mate stephen g, Blnr
ker showed symptoms OF Scurvy. me Ihs
latter died February I, and was quicklS
followed by George King, an old man
who died on the 9th. on the l1th Ju1ge
Succumbcd making In all SIX deaths
one by one the other sailors were oDilgsa
10 quit work until on March ], noDSly
was left except the second ana Slir1 SliirS1i
mates, the captain and his wife. Al
were wcil.nlgh exhausted ana when
strong northerly gale sprung up on tnat
day the brave woman was oDltGeu y
toEe rho wheel and for eight hours wlths
ont relief and without az much ns
drink of water she kept the snip on ner
c,mrsc. The provisions were running
sbort although a supply had been OBS
t"Inei on January IL from the American az
sbin Governor ROble. from New YORK I9e
Ssibournc when of the island OF TTinl-
5,5 and Inc crew were left without 0tner
% Nan fhe barest necessities a shsrp
,nSkout was kept for passing vessels; ous
nothing was seen until the kaspeK move
IN slEht,