The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-11-16

that the man who had hrst sigualed az
was only a sailor working bis passage
but It was his iron viii and dauntless
energy that practically pulled the sur
viyors through for the captain had col
lapsed and this sailor had become the
ruling spirit
@.rhe name Of the schooner was the
Island Belle. There had been eleven
souls on board when she started on her
voyage the captain, bis wife and two
children, the mate and four sailors a
negro cook, the strange sailor.
aIrom the start they experienced bad
weather, and the captain. after losing
most Of his canvas. had transferred his
wife and children to passing steamer
that had offered assistance. Then the
little schooner continued on her way
having been supplied with neeessarles
.sThen the great struggle began. With
pitlless persistence the bad weather
continued. The sails and spars, which
were now almost beyond repair were
Of small use. and The vessel drifted
farther and farther to the north. The
cold began to freeze the spray upon the
rigging into ice. Then came a sudden
violent squat, which carried away the
mainmast and the wreckage disabled
the rudder. The schooner was now
helpless, and the captain ordered that
the sail be taken from the foremost
Four men went aloft, bur before they
could complete their labors the fore.
mast snapped short off and all came
down together in an appalling tangle
One man went overheard, one broke
his thigh and two were wedged in
among the mass of wreckage. The otli-
ers were too exhausted to help their
companions and they persisted miser-
ably
"Benumbed with the cold, the sur.
yivors could form no idea where they
were, though the increasing cold show.
ed that they were being driven north.
They kept at the pumps as long asI
their strength lasted, but still the wa.
ter gained and meanwhile the ice was
accommodating on the deck. The wreck.
age beneath which the two dead men
lay buried retarded the water from
flowing or To such an extent that it be-
came a solid block Of Ice, and through
this icy sepulcher the dead men, won
derfully magniiied, could be discerned.
"The sailor with the broken thigh
died within few hours, as did later
the negro cook. whose hands and feet
became frozen. The survivors huddled
together In the deck house, and as by
this time the ships stores were ex-
hausted they were obliged to have re-
course TO the cargo. which consisted Of
sailed fish. This had TO be got out OF
the hold. and the matches were conse.
Quently taken off But they found the
food almost UNBEATABLE, because Of the
salt and in order to get it down they
trailed it behind the schooner as she
drifted TO get the salt out Of it.
1.-THE furnished men found that even
then It was hard to swallow, but the
dog seemed to thrive on it and willing
II impaired the warmth Of his body to
his frozen companions. Fortunately
they had drinking water in sufIiciency.
thanks 70 the wonderful forefhoughtl
Of the American, who had collected
quantities Of snow during the driving
squalls
Gradually the severity Of the wealth I
er began to abate, and the Ice slowly
melted, With anxious eyes they watch +
ed the heavy block in which the dead
men were entombed gradually dimin-
ishing, the vessel slightly lifting in
consequence.
"The welcome change In the tempera
ture increased day by day, and eyentu-