Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-03-12
LAW OF THE SEA.
BY CHARLES b. LEWIS.

All writer's of sea stories devote chap
ters to what is called 1.-THE sentiment
of the sea- and all readers of the same
feel their pulses thrill as they read of
heroic rescu,s. This sentiment may
have been observable 80 years ago, and
now and then you read of rescue
worthy CT heroes, but as matter of
fact shipowners and sea captains are
anything but sentimental in these days
of money making. OF ten ships who
sight Il signal of distress at sea eight
will sneak past it if possible, and the
other two will be more interested in
the salvage question than i'll the saving
of life. Shippers want their goods ship
ped as soon as possible. Shipowners
overload and underman their vessels
and yet want them to make quick voy
ages. Sea captains must "crach on"
and do their best, and so it comes about
that aid is seldom extended when there
is reasonable excuse for dodging it.
In the year 1880 the brig Welcome
left the port of Liverpool for the West
Indies, having on board $50 men, WON
ell and children, who were going to set
tie on one of the islands. She had
crew of d men, a supercargO and two
cabin passengers, thus bringing the to-
tai up to almost 200. Fine weather ac-
companicd the craft until she had ac-
complished two thirds of the voyage.
Then a gale sprang up which dismasted
her and sent her drifting back over her
wake. The gale had scarcely abated
when fire broke out and though it
was extinsuished after hard fight
great quantity of provisions was con-
sumed and much of the fresh water was
sacrificed. Not a spar was left aboard
for jury masts, and as the rudder had
been carried away and there was four
feet of water i'll the hold the people
realized that the wreck could not be
abandoned too soon.
Soon after we of the ship Evening Star
sighted the wreck. We were sailing un-
der the Holland flag, commanded by
Holland captain and mate, and believe
the craft was of that nationality. She
was bound from Demerara to New
York. loaded mostly with sugar, l be-
lieve, and had been detained in Deme-
rara couple of weeks to ship crew.
1t so happened that an American man
of-war to which l belonged as an ell
listed man put into that port for some
slight repairs. and II of us deserted in
a body to go aboard of the Star. We
were all sailors. 1t does not excuse our
action to say that the Hollander brought
this desertiOn about by the promise of
high wages. He wanted crew and did
not care how the men came to him. We
had close shave from being captured
by our captain, but got to sea all
right, and us the weather was good and
the wind favorable the Hollander
"cracked on" to make up for lost time.
One morning just after sunrise we
found the drifting brig square in our
path and only two or three miles away.
After brief look at her through the
glass captain and mate fell to cursing
at their i'll luck. AS matter of fact we
had neither water nor provisions to
spare, and the ship was loaded down to
the mark with cargo, but when we
heard our officers propose. to pass the
wreck without notice every man of the
ten was ready for mutiny.
We demanded that communication be
opened with the unfortunate people,
and after good deal of growing the
Star ran down to them and sent boat
aboard. The report of the mate when
he returned was to the effect that the
people were ON quarter allowance, with
much sickness among the women and
children, and that they desired to aban-
don the wreck and be taken aboard Of
the ship. We had spare spars aboard,
and the Hollander offered to sell three
or four sticks for about three tunes theil
value, the payment to be made i'll gold
on delivery. The captain of the brig
declined buying, as he was satisfied
that the shattered hulk could never be
worked into port, even if fully pro-
visioned The Hollander then agreed to
sell one cask of water and about 30
pounds of bread, but just as we We're
ready to transfer the goods a squall
came up, and that gave him an excuse
for sailing away His firm intention
NdS w tnt "ltCh W HcI ldt6,
and as soon as we realized it the ten of
us went aft i'll body and assured him
that unless he bore up and furnished
relief we should refuse duty and take
the consequences He clustered and
threatened and brought out his pistols,
but we We're firm, and at length he
gave orders to put the ship about.
We had to beat up to the wreck, and
by the time we reached her there was
half gale blowing and the sea was SO
heavy that we could not transfer the