Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-26

13caton. March 25.--Twenty-sevcl
happy men arrived in Eoston I,arbo
Yesterday, glad that they were Ell
counted In the land OF the living.
They were the rescued crew OF tn,
British ship Androsa Of Liverpool, boune
home from San Francisco, and to Cap
tain Wise OF the Wilson line steamer
Ontario they owe their lives.
The disnantied ship was sighted about
Goo miles from their home port. The,
had been l27 days on the voyage. ant
everything was going well until hur-
ricane struck them March 2. 1t tore
through the rigging Of the ship, stripped
the yards and created havoc generally.
The story OF the ships experience
as told By Captain Morgan is one OF
thrilling adventure and suffering, and
an escape from death that was we'll
nigh miraculous. He said that the veg
sci sailed from San Francisco for Liver
pool on Oct. Is. and although several
heavy gales We're encountered the shin
passed through nothing more than the
ordinary Cape Horn weather until
March /. when she was about 400 miles
from the Irish coast
'On that date" he said, "a strong
northwesterly gale set in, accompanied
by a terrible sea. The wind steadily
increased in fury until the End it was
blowing full-fledged hurricane. The
fore and main lower topsaiIs were blown
to pieces and shortly after this noun
famous wave swept over the ship, burst
ing in the poop deck. carrying away
the three life boats and skids from the
forward house. and all the movables
from the deck. The bulwarks were
swept away as cleanly as If they had
been cut by an axe. All the chain plates
were torn OF, and the huge volume of
water had hardly swept over us wher
all the topmasts went by the board. I
had previously ordered the crew below
and no one was on deck but myself and
the officers when this terrible wave
struck us.
we were then in terrible plight; the
vessel was unnanageable. We could
not make our way about the vessel with
any degree of safety. but as it then be-
came a battle for life ordered the crew
on deck. and we began iettisoning the
cargo to keep the ship ahoat.
'Ali that night the crew was engaged |
In throwing over boxes OF salmon to
tighten the ship. and they were worked |
necessarily without food or drink until
the next day when the weather moder-
ated little. but still blew fearful gale.
On the morning of the Srd it was dis
covered that the ship was leaking, and
the crew struggled CALAMITY to keep her
en- the surface OF the water.
When the leak was discovered we
fastened the crew to the pumps with
bowlines around each man. and as onlyi
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
Iettisoning the cargo and. being unable
20 leave their work for fear the vessel
would founder under them, they had mol
for two days and nights.l
That night the storm increased againI
md blew furiously with no abatementI !,
Until the morning OF the 7th. Il
about 9 o'clock the morning of the 6
It'll a steamer hove in sight, and thoseI !,
sailors who could walk ran aft and 5
loisted the British ensign union down. /
n the rigging to attract her attention.
rhe STEAMER proved to be the Ontario. It
Promptly Captain Wise lowered a e
ifeboat in charge of Chief officer w.
saunders. who, with six men, came to {
,ur rescue. Mate Saunders finally, with {
great difficulty. succeeded in getting !
alongside of our vessel. Seventeen of G
he crew jumped or were assisted into d
he lifeboat, which returned to the y
teamer, and after transferring them to Y
he Ontario's Geek. put off again to res i
'ue the remainder of US. As the lifeboat $
anne alongside for the second time the 6
leavy seas smashed the boat against v
he wreck and her side was stove in.
Nevertheless the remaining 10 of us got +,
nto the boat and bailed until the /,
steamer was reached, where, after we +
lad been removed to the Ontario the
Ifeboat in which we were rescued filled C
md went to the bottom" r.