Evening journal., 1897-03-25
RESCUED FROM THE SEA
Survivors Of the British Ship
Androsa Reach Boston.
SAILORS ABANDONED THE VESSEL,
The Crew suffered Intense Agony-WorlS-
ed without Food at the Pumps Until
Exhausted-Picked Up BY the steamer
Ontario o--Androsa Left to sink.

Boston, March 20. The steamer Onte- |
rio, which arrived here from London
brought into port 80 men, comprising the
crew OF the British ship Androsa. which
was abandoned at sea on March 8 300
miles west OF Falmouth, England
The Androsa left San Francisco Oct. %
Of last yoar for London. She sprung q
leak in furious storm, became unman-
ageable md was abandoned.
Captain Morgan says that after the An
drosa left San Francisco she encountered
ordinary weather until rec 49, when, TO
the westward of Cape Horn, the first seri-
GUS storm occurred A light breeze in
crensed TO heavy gale. Terrific seas wash
ed the ships decks starting the deck
houses and sweeping away many Of tho
deck movables. After this all went well
until Jan. =, when a terrific hurricane
overlook the ship, and it became necessary
to heave hor 60 under goose winged main
topsaii. In this storm the cargo shifted
and the vessel was hove down ON her beam
ends. For ten hours her main and fore
yards were dragging in the water. The
bulwarks were smashed, and one Of the
lileboats was demolished In the davits
"We used 80 gallons of oil during this
gale, said Captain Morgan, ito keep the
seas from breaking over the vessel, and
had It not been for this the vessel might
never have lived.
second Hurricane Begins.
On March /, however came the disas-
ter, when tho ship was within 400 miles
of Cork. Strong westerly gales set in ac-
companied by terrible sea. Tho wind in
creased in fury, until on the Cd It was
blowing hurricane. The sea was run
ming mountain high.
AT o'clock that afternoon the fore
and main lower topsails were blown to
pieces and shortly after this mountain
Gus wave burst in tho poop deck, carrying
away the three lifeboats and slsids from
the forward house and all tho movables
from the deck The bulwarks were swept
away as neatly as IL they had been cut by
an AK. All the ohainplates were torn of.
and the huge volume of water had hardly
swept over us when all the topmasts went
by the board.
II had previously ordered the crew hc-
low, and no one was on deck but myself
and the officers when this terrible wave
struck us We were then In "A terrible
plight the vessel was unmanngeable, and
her starboard side was down in the water
rs far as the hatches AS it then became a
battle FOR life 1 ordered the crew on deck,
and we began iettisoning the cargo to keep
the ship afoat
When the wave struck the vessel, the
second mate, David Evans was iammed
underneath the poop, and his back was so
| severely strained that we removed him IN
! a helpless condition to his berth, where he
suffered intensely for some days, until he
was able to crawl from his berth and as
sist the disabled men IN the struggle for
life.
Worked without Food.
"All that night the crew worked TO
Tighten tho vessel without food or. drink.
The next day the weather moderated a lit
tie, but still blow a fearful gale. Then a
leak was discovered. and wo fastened the
crew TO the pumps, with howlinos around
each man, and as only the weather handle
of the pump could be utilized we attached
a bellrope TO the handle so that more of
the men could work at once. ,-1
1T was only then that | succeeded in
! bringing some buscuits and canned meat
and water TO the men, who were fast be
coming helpless. Most of the men suffered
terribly from swollen feet, which became
four times thoir normalsige After awhile
some Of them were unable to stand up and
had to be carried below to their herths
That night the storm againiucreassd
and blew furiously, with no abatement
until the morning of the 9TH. On the Sd
the first mate, William Ellison, became
perfectly exhausted We feared that he
was dying Tenderly as possible wo con
yeyed him to his stateroom and gave him
such attention as we could. He did not
leave his berth until wo assisted him ont
at the time of the rescue. As soon as the
men became too exhausted 90 work the
pumps they were lifted below, given some
81,
sufficiently they were lifted back 10 their
positions at the pump as most Of them
were unable to stand, IL seemed like a
crew OF galley slaves SO ceaseless was thoir
labor. but they complained little, know
ing that their only hore Of ever seeing
their homes and loved ones lay in their
eIorts TO keep the vessel afoat until sue
cor came
Help In sight.
con Sunday, March 2, the weather
again abated and flew moderate gale
until the sth when the sky had the ap-
pearance OF another approaching storm,
which soon struck us, and 10 then became
a question of q few hours whom the vessel
would founder, as she was rapidly sinking
beneath our feet and the weak efforts of
tho crew at the pumps seemed 20 have no
effect In keeping the water down,
80 A bout . o clock that morning st0am-
er hove in sight, and as she was within
signaling distance those sailors who could
walk ran aft and hoisted the British en-
sign, union down, in the rigging to at
tract her attention.
"The steamer, which proved TO be the
Ontario, saw our signals and came within
hailing distance, when we requested to be
taken of our vessel which then had fully
/ 3 feet of water in the hold.
Promptly Captain Wise Unanswered
bis vessel around 20 our weather side and
lowered away lifehoat, in charge Of Chief
Officer W. Saunders, who. with six men,
came to our rescue. Seventeen Of the crew
jumped or were assisted into the lifeboat,
which returned to the steamer, and after
transferring them TO the Ontario deck put
of again to rescue the remainder Of Us. AS
the lifeboat came alongside the second
time Che heavy seas smashed her against
the wreck. an d her side was stove in. New
orthelcss the remaining ten Of us got into
the boat and bailed until the steamer was
reached, wlere, after we had been re-
moved TO the Ontario, the lileboat filled