The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-22
SAVED BY A LAST MATCH.
How a Shipwrcckcd Crews Killing
Thirst was QucncheG.


a sulphur match. the only one aboard
ship. and an improvlscd dlsullog 0gQa-
ratds arc the features OF the yarn 81
the wreck Of the thrce-mastcd lumber
laden schooner Johanna Swan. abandoned
of Hatteras on December 2. Capt Wal
lace Shackford and the crew 81 the SWAY
landed here yesterday from the ocean tug
u. j. Barrett. Superintendent Shacklord
Of the American line pier read on Tues
day I'm the newspapers that his brother
the shipwTeckef skipper was on the Ger
man bark Anna. bound from Bremen for
this port. bucking frosty seas and head
gales of Fire Island. The superiniond-
cnt set the Barrett after capt. Wallace
The Swan left S1ntiila River. Ga, for
New York on November is with 10000
feet OF yellow pine lumber below matches
and piled AZ feet on deck. She ran into
the great gale off Hatteras an November
70 and was hove 10 under close-reefed
canvas. \ hurricane squat on the morn
,'ig Of the next day ripped the malnsail
fr,m the iDlt ropes broke the main
boom and started the deckload forward.
The schooner was put before the nlast,
trailing the bieht of a bis hawser 10 keep
the following seas from popping her
great gust struck her. the fore sheet
parted and the fore boom broke. The
schooner preached 90. and "a combcr rolled
over her starboard bow, carrying away
the forward house and staving the main
hatch The vessel fell into The trough
and threatened 10 rOll over on her beam
ends To prevent this the mon cut away
shrOuds and stays and the masts FELL
The fore and main masts went by The
board but the mizzcn fell on the alter
l.. fI...as. Il
carving away tho yawl on the stern dav-
It's Later the mizzenmast rolled into the
sea and the men dashed thcmselves 10 the
wreck Of tho afterhouse. on November
2s they saw schooner six miles astern,
and they hoisted on two spars dashed toe
cethor q pair Of drawers and lounge
cover as signal Of distress. The
schooner kept CA her course.
The main Deck Of the schooner was ale
most flush with the seas when her masis
fell. and the men had had nothing 10 eat
since then. on November % some Of the
crew swan into the cabin and hshed oUt
several cans Of peas and beef and one
can Of blueberries. on the afternoon of
This dav they saw another schooner eight
miles away and signalled vainly 10 her.
on the morning of November ID me
tongues and lips Of the men were swollen
from lack Of water. which they had not
tasted I'm four days. The sea had mod
Grated and the men could go about The
aferdeci-
Mate Ernst Cannon. an Austrian-Amer-
lean. and Bernard LilienDlum. able sea-
man. q years ola. decided 10 make con-
denser out of n tank used for STORING
water for the shippers washbowL The
A. 3. fashioned the obi0ns tank. holding
about three gallons into square tank
holding about six quarts. I'm the TOP oi
the tank was a lead pipe. and 10 TINS Inc
mate attached one end OF piece OF nose.
He nut the other end into the covered
top Of a wooden bucket The tank was
dropped up a foot or so above me dcck
and under Il the mate pat q brazier that
he had hammered out OF a sheet OF cop
per A rain of the schooner, dry and
resinous. was cut u9 into matchwood
b,, the men and piled on the brazier All
mat was need was "A match 20 SNoft
,bo condenser converting salt water TO
fresh Cant Shackford had just one
match stored away IN dry part OF MS
clothes. ,.,,
An hands gathered around him 10 shi"a
the precious bit of sulphur from the Wind.
can't. Sbackford struck the match. IL
shattered blue and looked for an instant
as If IL were going out Then 1t blazed
brtebtly and the skipper carefully showed
n under the heaped-uD chips ana shay
ines. The men couldn't cheer because
tbeir parchel throats and NOUNS
wouldn't let them, but they looked happy.
THE water was boiling I'm half an hour.
In an hour the cover Of the bucket was
removed. and enough water somewhat
smoky" and not oversweet the mate
sovs was seen on the bottom "a give zen
man two tab,cspoonfuls At P. NJ there
were four quarts Of water in the bucket
and the men drank greedily. One OF them
became sick
INST before daylight on December tne
C.D,.,oon bark Anna came along and heard
the after bell of the wreck ringing WIG
W. The Anna launched boat and took
of an hands. They were very weak ana
were treated handsomely by the German
skiupcr-New York sun.