Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-18
HAD A NARROW ESCAPE.
Since Then Commissioner Evans Has
Not Feared Storms ut Sea.

since Inen tom missioner Evans H0S
Not Feared Storms ut Sea.
The commissioner of pensions surveyed
the storm that was approaching and said:
You boys know 1 can't swim, but some
how or other a storm has no terror for
me- He was a guest of friend of his
on the yacht Lotus recently and was in a
reminiscent mood when the crew began to
shorten sail at the approach of the storm.
NO, a storm doesn't scare me bit and
it is strange, too since 1 have had several
1868. March the sth, at o'clock in the
afternoon that the good ship Josephine
under the command of Captain J. B. Lock
wood, was wrecked in the Gulf of Mexico
l was a passenger on that boat; it was it's
first trip. The occasion was excursion
given to General Hancock and staff. The
general was unable to go along with us
on account of illness. but many members
of his staff, with their wives and friends
made up d jolly party, and We left New
Orleans to go to Brazos de Santiago, Tex.
The first day We encountered a storm.
which developed into u bowling gale be-
fore the steamer ran ashore. 1t struck
US at the mouth of the Southwest Pass.
That was the course the steamers took in
those days, the Eads channel not having
been. opened. Every bit of sailing craft
put for harbor, and we followed suit and
ran into Galveston. The storm had abated
again, but that night terrible gales sprang
up from the northwest and without eX-
ception it was the most severe night l
ever spent in my life. The boat was a
new one, the property of old Charles Nor
gan, and had just been built at Whining
ton, Del. She was a stanch craft, and 1
felt no uneaSiness at all as to our safety
until the next day, when the ship ran on
a sand barand we were left at the mercy
of the winds and tides AS entered
the harbor at Brazos We ran around in u
circle for some time to get u pilot, for our
captain didn't know the channel. None
of them dared come out to us save Bill
Lightburn, a Greek pilot, and as brave a
seaman as l ever saw. He said it would
be impossible to cross the sand bar which
makes out from the mainland, as the water
there was quite shallow and the wind
from the northwest had made navigation
that way almost impossible. The repre-
sentatives of the company. however, were
aboard, and they decided not to take any
further chances at sea, but to beach the
vessel this sand bar and then take
chances of saving the passengers. The
captain urged this and used as an argu-
ment the stanchness of his vessel. So
made for the sand bar and struck it
head-on a terrific blow. The jar
strong that the main steam pipe was
broken, and in a minute the ship was
entirely enveloped in smoke. The ladies'
and there were upward of fifty of them
were horribly terrified and chung to the
men In speeches. agony. There was an
all of the trip, and he turned otherwise
serious tableau into one of rare merri-
ment. AS the ship struck he made his APP
pearance on deck with his clothes under
one arm and holding a satchel in each
hand. The old fellow weighed about 300
pounds and we forgot our perilous condi-
ton for moment and laughed heartily
at the ludicrous picture he presented.
Far off in the distance, l judge about
half a mile, we could the wreck of
the old Nassau, General Benjamin F. But
ler's transport, which he used during the
war to carry troops from New Orleans to
Texas. The captain was fearful lest the
increasing wind and tide would carry the
boat out to sea. and he determined to send
cable to make fast to the old wreck and
hold his ship in position. He called for
volunteers, and the second mate. a brave
little fellow named Smith, undertook the
periious trip. We all assembled to bid him
goodbye and God speed, and 1 could see
from the expression of the captain that
he didn't expect Smith would be success
full in his undertaking. Smith carried
ball of marlin, which he unwound as he
swan toward the old wreck. His purpose
was to reach the wreck and draw after
him a hawser of sufficient strength to hold
our stranded vessel The waves were run
ming almost mountain high when the
doughty little seaman struck bravely out
for the wreck. At times he was lost
tirely to view. but, with a logged deter
mination that won the admiration of every
soul on board, he plucfily worked his way,
and finally we saw him away off in the
distance clutch the mast Of the old Nassau
and wave his hat. We answered it with
ringing cheer, and pretty soon we saw
him lash himself to the mast and COM
mence pulling out the hawser. At length
he made it safe and when the captain told
us that the worst danger was passed and
that the boat could not get away, great
shout went up. Later the captain sent a
boat and crew to rescue Smith. and when
he came back tell you. sir. the reception
he got from all on board must have made
III 1n 1nnt a1 ME
worn from his hard battle with the waves
and the salt water had shriveled I'D his
flesh until he looked an old and haegard
man. The women threw their arms around
him, and the men shook his hand erate-
fully. Later we made I'D nne purse.
which he modestly accepted.
well. to make long story short, we
ran line from our boat to Padre Island