The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-25
SHIPS CREW RESCUED
JUST BEFORE THEIR VESSEL SANK
TIC THE BOTTOM OF III SEA.
Twenfy-Seven Exhausted Sailors TAX
en- Of the Fast Settling AndrOsa
and Carried to Boston.

To- iON6A iiNO PVT "Nhbs
comprising the crew of the British ship
Androsa. Captain Morgan. which was aban-
doned at sea March S. 500 miles west of
Falmouth. Eng. The Androsa left San
Francisco Oct. % last year for London.
She sprung a leak in a furious storm. be-
came unmanageabIe and was abandoned.
The greater number of the rescued were
well nigh helpless from exhaustion when
taken from the Androsa. and they had been
working at the pumps ahd at jettiSoning
the cargo for many days and nights without
intermission. Several times during the bat
tie with the elements men dropped from
their places and were carried below by
their comrades. and after resting they
would drag themselves back to the deck
again to engage in the work. even though
i'm some cases they could not get upon their
feet and worked while on their knees. After
the rescue most of the men had to be put
to bed on board the steamer, but they are
now fairly well and will probably be re-
turned to Liverpool by steamer this week
by British Consul Stuart. When last
seen the Androsa was fast settling, prepar-
atory to taking her final plunge to the bot
tom.
The lost vessel was an iron shrip of 1892
tons net. built by Oswald. Mordaunt & Co.,
OF Southampton. in 1881. and was owned by
f.. +. and W. Roberts. of Liverpool. She
was valued at about s25. eco. and is said to
be nearly covered by insurance in English
companies, while American companies have
large policies on the cargo, consisting of
about 200 tons of grain and a large guam
tity of canned salmon, canned fruit, Cali
fornia wine and tallow. The cargo was
said to be the most valuable that had left
San Francisco during that year, and while
the exact valuation is not known it is es-
timated that it would reach into the hun
dreds of thousands.
Captain Morgan states that after the
Androsa left San Francisco she encoun-
tered only ordinary weather until Dec. Is.
when. to the westward of Cape Horn, the
first serious storm occurred. The light
breeze that was blowing gradually in
creased to a heavy gale. with very heavy
seas running. frequently washing the ships
decks. starting the Lighthouses and sweep
ing away all the deck movableS which had
not been securely fastened. After this
gale all went well until Jam. 4. when a
terrific hurricane overlook the ship. and 1t
became necessary to heave her to under
goose-wInged main topsail. In this storm
the cargo shifted and the vessel was hove
down on her beam ends, and for ten hours
her main and foreyards were Dragging in
the water. The vessels bulwarks were
SiildSlltu anu Olt VI the SldTDOdfu ne
boats demolished in the davits. I'VE used
forty gallons OF oil during this gale" said
Captain Morgan, Ito keep the seas
with good effect. as had it not been for
this precaution the vessel might never
have lived through that storm. When the
weather again moderated the crew were set
at work repairing the damages sustained.
and, favored with good weather for the
next seven weeks. We made rapid progress
towards our destination. On March /. how
ever, came the disaster. When the ship
was within 400 miles off Cork. Ireland.
strong westerly gales set in. accompanied
by a terrible sea. The wind steadily in
creased i'm fury until on the I'd it was blow
ing a full-fedged hurricane. the sea having
become more frightful and running noun
tain high. The barometer reached the low
mark of $3.50, indicating a continued spell
of bad weather.
AT 3 o'clock that afternoon the fore and
main lower topsails were blown TO pieces
and shortly after this a mountainous wave
swept over the ship. bursting in the poop
deck. carrying away the three lifeboats and
skids from the forward house and all the
movables from the deck. The bulwarks
were swept away as neatly as if they. had
been cut by an AK. All the chain plates
were torn off and the huge volume of
water had hardly swept over us when all
the top mssts went by the board. / had
one was on deck but myself and the Off
GERS when this terrible wave struck us. We
were then in a terrible plight: the vessel
was unmanageable and her starboard side
was down in the water as far
as the matches. We could not
make our way about the - vessel eSsn
became a battle for life / ordered the crew
on deck and we began jettizing the cargo
to keep the snip afiOat. When the wave
struck the vessel. the second mate. David
Evans. was damned underneath the poop
and his back was SO severely strained that
his berth below. where he suffered intensely
for some days. until he was able to crawl
in tho StrIppia for life
"All that night the crew were engaged in
throwing overheard boxes of salmon to
sanity without food or drink until the next
day. when the weather moderated a little,
but still blew a fearful gale. On the morn
ing Of the Sd we managed to sound the
| pumps. and found eight feet of water in the
hold. 1t was then discovered that the ship
was leaking in the afterpart. and, while the
crew struggled CALAMITY to keep her on the
surface of the water, we knew that ii was
only a question of a short time before she
would go down. and with encouraging
words | urged the men to greater efforts, in
the hope that some sailing vessel or steam,
er would come to our assistance"
When the leak was discovered we fast
ened the crew TO the pumps with bowlines
around each man and as only the weather
handle of the pump could be utilized we
attached a bell rope to the handle so that
more of the men could work at once. Part
of the crew continued jettisoning and be-
ing unable to leave their work for fear the
vessel would founder under them. they had
II was then that | succeeded in bringing
some biscuits and canned meat and water
TO the men. who were fast becoming help
less. Most of the men suffered terribly
from swollen feet. which became four times
their normal size. After a while some OF
them were unable to bear their weight or
their feet. and had to be carried below tC
their berths.
That night the storm increased agar
and blew furiously with no abatement unit
the morning of the 9TH. On the Sd the first
mate. William Ellison. became perfectly
exhausted and fearful that he was dying
AS tenderly as possible. we conveyed hin
TO his stateroom and gave him such atten,
ton as we could. He did not leave his
berth until we assisted him out at the tims
too exhausted to work the pumps they wer.
lifted below, given some nourishment. anC
upon their recovering sufficiently they were
lifted back to their position at the pump
as most of them were unable to stand or
their feet. 1t seemed like q crew of GALLEY
slaves. so ceaseless was their labor. but
they complained little and knew that theil
only hone of ever seeing their homes anC
loved ones lay in their efforts to keep tn,
vessel affoat until succor came.
O Sunday. March i. the weather agair
moderated and blew a moderate gale unit
the Sth, when another storm struck us an,
il then became Il question of a few hour
rapidly sinking beneath our feet and tn,
weak efforts of the crew at the pump,
seemed to have no effect i'm keeping tn,
water down. About 2 o'clock that mornin;
a steamer hove in sight and when she wa.
within signaling distance those sailors VIII,
could walk ran aft and hoisted the British
ensign. union down. i'm the rigging TO at
tract her attention. The Ontario took u
Off"
Her GrnnL shaft RroEen