The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-20
LAW OF THE SEA.
By CHARLES D. LEWIS.

All writer's Of sea stories devote chap.
tiers to what is called "the sentiment
of the sea-" and a,l readers of the same
feel their pulses thrill as they read Of
heroic rescues This sentiment" may
have been observable 30 years ago, and
now and then you read Of a rescue
worthy Of 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 a 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 in 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 "crack on"
and do their best, and so it comes about
that aid is seldom extended when there
is reasonable excuse for lodging it.
In the year 1880 the brig Welcome
left the port Of Liverpool for the West
Indies, having on board 1870 men, WON.
en- and children, who were going to set
tie on one Of the islands. She had a
crew of 10 men, q superoargo and two
cabin passengers, thus bringing the to-
tai up to almost 300. Fine weather &C.
companied the craft until she had ac-
complished two thirds of the voyage.
. Then 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 extinguished after hard fight a
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 tho rudder had
been carried away and there was four
feet of water in 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 a
Holland captain and mate, and believe
the craft was Of that nationality. She
was bound from Demerara to New
York. loaded mostly with sugar, ] 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 belonged as an en-
listed man put into that port for some
slight repairs, and IL of us deserted in
a body to 60 aboard Of the Star. We
were all sailors. IL does not excuse our
action to say that tho 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 as 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 tho
glass captain and mate fell to cursing
at their i'll luck. AS a 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 Oh quarter allowance, with
much sickness among the women and
children, and that they desired to aban-
don the wreck and bs taken aboard Of
the ship We had spare spars aboard,
and the Hollander offered to sell three
or four sticks for about three times their
value, the payment to be made in 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 80
pounds Of bread, but just as we were
ready to transfer the goods squall
came up and that gave him an excuse
for sailing away. His firm intention
was to abandon the wreck to her fate,
and as soon as we realized it the ten of
us went aft in 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 wo wero 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 a gale blowing and the sea was so
heavy that we could not transfer the
provisions. At the end of all hour the
Hollander was for making sail again,
but we refused to touch rope. He and
his mate, both armed with Delaying
pins, sought to drive us aloft, but we
disarmed them and locked them in their
staterooms. Among US was man who
had made several voyages as mate and
was competent to handle ship and no
was installed as captain and given an
able seaman as mate. We had hoped to
get the provisions to the wreck before
night, but the gale continued, and we
had to stand by her for 80 hours before
1t was safe to launch boat. We had
mutinied and taken possession of the
ship, but we felt that circumstances JUS
titled it. Neither harm nor insult was
offered our officers. After a few hours
they were allowed full liberty, and not
one of us entered the cabin. There were
many threats as to- the punishment We
should receive when the ship arrived in
port, but we stood firm and kept clear
Of any further quarrels.
When wind and sea finally subsidized,
We boarded the wreck, to find that one
woman and four children had died in
the last "a hours and that the living
were entirely out of food and water.
There was no doctor aboard, the leak
was hardly to be kept under, and it was
plain that another "a hours would send
the wreck to the bottom Of the sea. 1t
was therefore resolved TO transfer every.
body to the ship Our Captain and mate
raved like madmen when they heard of
this decision, and the last named be-.