The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-22
SAVED FROM THE DEEP.
a Long Overdue Ship Towed Into
New York Harbor.
TEE CAPTAINS HEROIC WIFE.
Whom Nearly All the Grew We're Disabled
with scurvy sho Aided In Sailing tho
( Vessel, Serving Eight Hours at the

Vessel, Serving Eight Hours at the
New York, March 22.-The long over
due American clipper ship T. F. Oakes.
which left Hong Kong on July 4, $50
days ago. with general cargo for 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
msnd, and Segged that he be at once
supplied with fresh food and vegetables
aud taken In tow for the nearest port.
The weather, which has been threat
ening, now became boisterous, and a
northerly gale sprang up. Neverthe-
less preparations were made to pass a
hawser to the Oakes when the boat
with load of provisions was sent. A
manila hawser was paid over out over
the Kasbek's stern to the yawl. but
tremendous wave washed 1t 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
bf steam. could not move 1t again. An
effort was at once made to free the
sorew. but 1t was so deeply submerged
and the sea running SO high 1t was
found impossible. For eight hours the
engineers staff labored to clear the
propeller, and finally disconnected the
shaft and found that by placing a
small block Of wood between the coup
iings the screw could be made to turn
BY that time the Oakes had drifted
put Of sight. apd Captain Muir, of the
Kasbek despalrlng Of being able to
tow her with her disabled screw, deter
mined at least to fnd her and supply
her with provisions All night he
searched the horizon for trace of her,
and at q. 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 1t was decid-
ed to send a hawser aboard. Accord
ingly line was dragged by the boat,
and after 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 provs-
ions they brought were 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 Oakes, told a
terrible story of suffering and priva-
fion. When the Oakes sailed from
Hong Kong the crew were 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 ves-
pei was obliged to run before the gale,
which had no sooner blown itself out |
than it was followed by 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 1877 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 |
III and died Jan. r. Thomas Judge, |
another seaman, was taken III with !
cancer Of the stomach, and later Mate
Stephen G. Bunker showed symptoms
OF scurvy, dying Feb. A. and George
King, an old man. died on the 9th. On
the 17th Judge succumbed, making in
all six deaths.
One by one the old soldiers were
obliged to quit work, until, on March /,
nobody was left except the second and
third mates, the captain and his wife.
All were well nigh exhausted, and
when strong northerly gale sprung
up on that day the brave woman was
obliged to take the wheel, and for
eight hours, without relief and with
out as much as drink of water, she
kept the ship on her course. The pro-
visions were running short. although
q supply had been obtaind on Jan. 10
from the American ship Governor
Robbie, from New York for Melbourne,
when off the Island of Trinidad, and
the crew were left without other than
the barest necessities.