St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-27
A RESCUE AT SEA.
An ola Fishing Schooner Pats Oot e
Sea In = Terrific storm to save
q Stea8er's Crew.

On the night of December 81, 1895,
the, British steamer Warwick, from
Glasgow to 81. John, n. B.. drove at
full speed ns inst the Yellow Muir
ledge, Grand anan. After futile at
tennis to savsfhemselves in the howl
inc pale. the crew, numbering 81 souls,
launched the stwo remaining boats
the next morDng at daylight. crowd
oil into them. Ind left the wreck. Ever
drenched. eyd bailing for dear life,
In momentarH peril of capsizing. be-
coming more humbcd and discour-
aged. JriftinQsfurther from land, fall
ing off into deeper troughs of the
heaviup seas the poor men finally
unve nm bopelfor survival was only q
question of Minutes, or, at most, OF
hours. At thbt crisis. when the tenn
pest was at III height, out of the scud
the sens, and the foam. out OF the
hurricane. there appeared savior
The 50 frozen men thought the ma
terialization q miracle.
A few days before when the gale was
rising. the George s. Boutwell,. fish
ing schooner from the port OF Giouces
ter. anchored in little sheltered
SPOT called Seal cove. The Boutwell,
was launched in 1869, and had beef
racked and tossed since the day OF hel
birth. She. was old and feeble, ant
her skipper, Zacharie Surette, wa
easing her up the coast. 81 had oee'
creeping from shelter to s.ieiter. es
ca ming the winter storms. When thu
furry arose. Capt. Surette congratu
lated himself on his own safety, TO
the vessel was light, and to risk ne
| in such a storm was sheer suicide, ant
he knew it. During lull in the blow
the keeper Of the North Head hight no
,iced the steamer grinding on tn
| rocks. The Boutwell, was the on'.
vessel within 20 miles or more. In
keeper ran down to the cove. jumpe
into a frail dinghy. and rowed out
with great danger to himself, and toll
the captain what he had seen. Iher
was not an instant's hesitation anon
skipper and crew.
"Don't wait to haul her up. boys
Buoy that anchor! Sharp, now! Las
the Jumbo down! Three reefs in he
mainsail, and let her go!"
Not a man on deck but knew 1t m'gh
be his last voyage. 1t was bad enoug
loaded-but light. A single cross Sc
would open her ancient seams. A
unpropitious comber might swee
her clean. 4 chance squall woui
heaye the light thing down. But Cap
Surette-the same man who piaye
his grim joke on the life-boat crew
stood by his wheel, and, regardless
The old vessels groans and protests
tions. whipped her on. He was as car
less of the furnishing elements as II
soldier who furiously, amid shrapne
spurs his faded horse into the el
emy's trenches.
i Steadily blown to leeward, at -
the two boat loads made preparation
to perish. Suddenly the Bontwe
like a huge gull. bore down upon ther
Fearing she would go by. not kno'
, ing that she came to save. the me
, in the boats stood up. extending the
hands and shouting madly. 1t too
i no little scamanship to shoot up mel
the first boat. which, but for its al
!, tanks, would have long since swampe
/, Ropes with slip-nooses were throw
, and the men, one after another. we
I drawn to the Boutwell's deck. and il
medintely slowed below. Then can
another three-miie battle for the sc
, ond boat, and another rescue, that
simple enough to mention, but ha
to accomplish and describe. Now q
= boutwell,, never before SO laden. wi
!. her SO saved ON board. made de
;. perate fight to get under the lea sho'
! and for safety, IL miles away.-He
= bert ID. Ward. in Century.