Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-23

Capt. Chadwick waited in the bis
tering heat until the main and mizzen-
masts had gone by the board, and, no
one else remaining on board, he
clasped his young son in his arms,
and, committing himself to God,
plunged into the sea, and joined the
mate and man who were clinging for
dear life to that slender studding
sail yard. Presently young sailor
swan up to them, but, finding the
weight of another hand too much for
the already overloaded spar. soon
found a resting place on piece of
wreckage not far away. This lad
was Marshall Johnson, now the we'll
known marine artist of Boston. How
long the four would have been able to
retain their hold on this slender sup
port, rolling and pitching in choppy
sea, is very doubtful. But, happily,
unexpected help came to them in a
way well-nigh miraculous.
When the crew were driven for
ward by the flames, the wheel had
been abandoned, but the ship was
steadily keeping her course before the
wind. 1t was important for safety
that she should be brought to, and
aft, crawling along by the chain plates
outside. The brave fellow bravely
did has duty, and soon hove the wheel
to port bringing the ship up into the
wind. He was at once envelOped in
flames, and, selling the wooden graf
ing on which he stood, jumped over
the taffrail into the sea; but, instead
of the sea, to his amazement, he
landed in the ships quarter-boat. The
miraculous had happened. The intense
flames had SO precisely burned the
falls and gripes which held the boat
that she fell into the water on an even
keel. and drifted under the stern
just in time to catch the leaping sailor.
: The boat was on fire, but not badly,
for she had just been painted, and
the flames were soon extinguished
In this boat the captain and his son,
| the cook, six seamen, and two boys
wree saved. The second mate and five
others were lost For the saved, re-
| lief was near at hand. In the far
distance, a sailor,-in the foretop of
the New Bedford whaling bark
Charles w. Morgan, Capt. Atherton,-
on a keen lookout for whales, saw
vast mass of smoke and flames on the
horizon, and in a few hours Capt.
Chadwick and his men were on board
J ! In A Io~ jaf he
were landed in Talcahuano, Chill.
When we consider the swiftness Of
! the destruction and the marvellous
| incidents ON which the rescue turned,
we must consider this one of the most
remarkable instances of a fire at sea.
The lodging of the studding-sail yard
| in the rigging just at the moment Of
extremity was SO plainly proEidential,
it is not surprising that Capt. Chad
wick, having saved the little spar
which saved him and three others,
should mount it on his home flagstaff,
as a memento of Gods mercy.
And then, the quarter-boat! 1t
would defy human skill to build fires
and burn the falls and gripes, the
four distinct fastenings of the boat,
SO simultaneously that the boat should
strike the water on an even keel
And then to time the fall of the boat
and sweep her into position under the
ships stern precisely as needed by
the man leaping from the flames, who
! aione Of the ships crew was in a p3-
SitiOn to secure the boajf.
We can family imagine the thrill in
the heart Of the sailor boy, who as
ne stepped into dry suit on board the
Morgan, drew from the pocket of his
trousers coin bearing the inscription,
In God We trust.-Sea Breeze.