The Somerset reporter., 1898-02-03
LAW OF THE SEA.
BY CHARLES d. LEWIS.

teTS TO WuHb is chlleu Jnb beDtlm 6Dt
of the sea, ;" and all readers of the same
feel their pulses thrill as they read of
heroic rescues. This sentiment" may
have been observable 90 years ago. and
aow and then you read of q 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 q
crew Of ID men, a superoargo and two
cabin passengers, thus bringing the to-
tai up to almost 200. Fine weather &C
oompanied 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 a 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 the 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 IN
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, l be-
lieve, and had been detained in Deme-
rara couple of weeks to ship a crew
1t SO happened that an American man
ofwar to which l belonged as an en-
slight repairs. and IL of us deserted in
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 a 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 the
glass captain and mate fell to oursing
at thdr 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 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 times their
value, the payment to be made in gold
on delivery. The captain of the brig
declined buying, az be WAS satisfied
that the shattered bulk 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 squall
came up, and that gave him an excuse
for sailing away. His urn intention
was to abandon the wreck to her fate
and as soon as we realized 1t the ten of
us went aft in IA body and assured biD
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 were 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 w ,
half gale blowing and the sea was SO
heavy that we could not transfer the
provisions. At the end of an hour Il
Hollander was for making sail agai
but we refused to touch rope. He IA
his mate, both armed with belayi'
pins, sought to drive us aloft, but
disarmed them and loohed them III thC
staterooms. Among us was man w
had made several voyages as mate a,
was competent to handle ship, and he
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
it 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 few hours
they were allowed full liberty, and not
one of us entered the cabin. There We're
many threats as to the punishment we
should receive when the ship arrived in