Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-01-20

had carelessly ben taken into the hold
to get the varnish. In about 20 min
utes, from the first alarm, the ship had
disappeared beneath the waves.
In that 20 minutes some most re-
markable events occurred. Promptly
upon the alarm, Capt Chadwick gave
/ orders to put on the matches and clear
away the boats. Neither order could
be obeyed. The flames burst with
! volcanic uprush from the matches and
poured in fearful volumes to all parts
OF the ship, setting the main and
mizzenmasts, with their spars and
sails, on fire; many fierce explosions
! meanwhile going on below. The
rapid spread of the flames drove the
crew forward and overheard Capt.
Chadwick, with his son Alfred, lad
OF IA years, and seaman, had taken
refuge in the fore rigging preparatory
to leap into the sea. Just then the
lower studding sail halyards burned
| off, and the yard fell into the rigging
near the captain. In this small spar
he saw his only hope of safety and
| forlorn hope it seemed But he told
the seaman to cut the sail from the
yard and launch it overheard. The
man did so, and leaped after it, The
mate, who was floating on a small
board, also swan to the spar.
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 a 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 a 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
Capt Chadwick ordered man to go
aft, crawling along by the chain plates
outside The brave fellow bravely
did his 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 Guarter-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,
IOI SuO udu just USGu pdIIlIGu, anu
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 keen lookout for whales, saw a
vast mass Of smoke and flames on the
horizon, and in a few hours Capt.
Chadwick and his men were on board
the Morgan. A few days later they
were landed in Talcahuano, Chilli.
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 providential
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 memento of Gods mercy.
THY"