The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-08-04
RESCUED IN MiDocEAN.

RESCUED IN MiDOcEAN.
Grow After Drifting for Months in tho
"seaweed Sea-" Il Saved.
From the San Francisco Examiner:
q all the tales Of the 'Seaweed Sea"
That have been cleaned, the most Curl
GUS Is told by Captain Louis Penning-
ton, a New York shipmaster who has
for many years been engaged in the
trade between this metropolis and the
Azores. Upon the sideboard in his din
Ing room stands silver service, pre-
sented to him by grateful survivors Of
lost ship that had been drifting for
months along the edge of the North
Atlantic whirlpool a region of
Gains, and where only silence and
loneliness abide. The stiffness of the
m1d-Atlantfc exceeds that awful and
lndescribable silence of the African
desert that Pliny in vain attempted to
portray. Here is the story Of Captain
Pennington as I have it from Major
Tremper of Kingston, who, as steam
ship man himself, is courageous to the
verge of rashness, though he never has
Ventured upon an exploration Of the
"Saragasso Sea-" eve sailed from our
wharf in Brooklyn in the stanch little
steamer that had commanded for sew
eral years, and expected to sight the
Horta lights in about nine days." be-
gan Captain Pennington. "The weather
was fine, because the month was June,
and the voyage for the first two days
was wholly uneventful. went to bed
early on the third night and slept
soundly, but when I awakened in the
morning and looked at the compass
that swung over my bunk was amaz-
ed to find that the course of the ship
had been changed during the night and
that instead Of steaming east one point
south we were proceeding almost due
southeast. Naturally, my first thought
was that the compass was defective,
but I sent for the officer on watch to
ask an explanation. The information
he gave me was startling in the high
est degree. He said that during the
middle watch I had come on deck in
my pajamas, distinctly given the order
to change the direction of the ship, and
that the new sailing directions had
been passed to the next officer, who
had taken charge when his watch ar
rived. I felt that could not be true!
Never before had been charged with
walking in my sleep. I was in per-
feet health, and never had believed in
omens Of any kind, but when I re-
sented the charge the officers reply
was decidedly annoying. He merely
suggested that I send for the second
officer who had the watch and for
the man who had been at the wheel.
This I did. In a few minutes both.
these men appeared before me. I
questioned them separately, and they
confirmed in every way the statements
made to me by the first officer. I was
very much impressed. No motive
could possibly exist for inventing such
a story, and became convinced that
for the first time in my life, as far as
I knew, had actually given a COM
mand while Il was asleep L imme-
diately gave orders to have the shib
put back upon her course, but as soon
as I reached my cabin the impulse 10
go forward in the changed direction
became so strong that I returned to
the wheelhouse and countermanded the
order. For three days we sailed in
southeasterly direction. Late in the
afternoon of the last day, and at a
moment when I had definitely con-
cluded to put my steamer back upon
ha~
out at the masthead reported derelict
low down on the horizon, to the south
ward. The ships course was changed.
and we made directly for the floating
object. Already sea grass had been
observed in large quantities. Packs
OF it, many acres in extent, were pass
3D. and the bright green which thew
impaired to the surface of the sea pro-
duced brilliant effect against the dark
blue Of the ocean. After a few hours
we came within hailing distance of
dismasted brig, and discovered seven
men on board! We ran as close as
possible, and sent boat for the sur
vivors. The brig was British, and
was bound from Honduras to Lon
don. Her sails and masts had been
carried away in cyclone four months
before. A boats crew, with the first
mate, had set out to reach the coast
in the hope of securing succor, but
they had evidently been lost, because
no record had ever been made, as 7
very well knew. The survivors on the
brig consisted of the captain, five pas
sengers and the cook. The rest of the
crew having deserted, either had shar-
ed the fate of their companions or had
been picked up by sailing vessel
bound on long voyage. The people
aboard had not suffered for want of
food, because the brig carried in the
hold a large consignment of salt beef
that had been shipped at Galveston on
the outward trip. One of the passen-
gers was an ingenious man. He had
rugged up device with tarpaulins for
catching rain, and had thus maintained
the water supply. The gratitude Of
the rescued men was great, however.
and they testified their appreciation
by presenting me with a handsome
Il