Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-25


NJ bread and moldy beef. Cap
tain ]. Nevius Kay, his young
wife, nine seamen and "Whiskers,"
the cat, of the British barkentine Flor
ence B. Edgett, arrived at New York
recently from st. George, Grenada, on
the steamship Grenada. The barken-
tine sailed for Buenos Ayres from Bear
River, N. S., on August II. with 500,-
600 feet Of spruce deal. She ran into
hurricane on September IS, and in
an hours time was dismasted and dis
mantled. The crew stuck to her until
October Is, when they set sail in life
boat. Ten days later they arrived at
Grenada, having sighted not a single
vessel until the night before they land
ed at Genada.
1--WE were in latitude 100 north
and 1890 west longitude when the hur-
ricane struck u.s." said Captain Kay.
"The winds, which were northeast, had
been increasing on September II, and
the next morning while l was shorten
ing sail heavy squall struck us and
carried away lot Of canvas, started
the deckload and carried away the port
bulwarks. The gale increased, and in
half an hour We were flooded fore and
aft, the skylights We're broken and the
deckhouses stove in. Then the mizZen
mast snapped off at the hounds, and
it wasn't long before the manmast
and foremast followed suit, carrying
away the starboard lifeboat, the head
gear and jibboom and splitting the
forecastle. The after cabin was full
of water, and it was impossible to get
about the deck. Two men were sta
toned at the wheel. The mems chests
were broken open and floated about
the cabin, the chronometers We're
smashed and the provisions were
soaked. All the ships papers and
what money 1 had We're lost.
"When the hurricane had spent its
force we fixed up jury rig with the
aid of the stumps of the main and the
mizzen, and we made little headway
until October II, when the rudder was
carried away, leaving us helpless. The
next day, the remaining lifeboat hav-
ing been repaired in the meantime. we
decided to take our chances in the little
boat.
"The boat had n twenty-foot keel and
two masts. We carried forestaysail,
foresail and spritsail for main
sail-just like Chinese junk. Nobody
had any belongings TO take away from
the ship, and our only cargo was fifty
pounds of bread, fifty pounds Of salt
beef and about thirty-fve gallons of
water. l fixed up a cabin for my wife,
so We We're all fairly comfortable, al
though, on account of being so close to
the water it was very hot
1--WE made good headway, having the
advantage of the trades and logged as
much as 40 knots a day. For our
daily rations we had two quarts of
water and two pounds of bread. Some
of the men were sick, hut nobody
grumbled. My wife stood the hardship
better than any OF us. The watches
Were divided as on shipboard, and we
were constantly on the lookout for
some vessel. l have been sailing in
those latitudes for twenty years, but
that is the first trip | ever made with
out sighting something.
81 had compass on board, and l
verified my bearings by the North Star.
When the compass had deviated a half
point judged that had made about
half the distance to the mainland, so l
steered n straight course for the coast
of South America. The night before
we made st. George we saw three
steamers some distance Off, but could
not attract their attention. The next
day we made the harhor. and when
our little boat was rowed i'll n big
crowd of Africans was lined up on the
shore. We got dry clothes, somebody
photographed us in group. and five or
six churches took up a collection for
us that amounted to S75 or more.
Those natives never saw ship
wrecked crew before, and whenever
any of us went out on the street big
crowd would collect and follow Us
around
The Florence e. Edgett was built ut
Digby, n. s., twelve years ago. She
Is of 491 tons register. and is owned
by Troop & Son. of st. John, n. +. The
men were sent back by their different
Consuls, and Captain Kay has put tie
case before the British Consul. Some
of the men are at the Sailors Homo.
in Cherry street. and others scattered
around with friends in the city. Cap
tain Kay and his wife viii stop In
prooI.Ivn -Nayy Torl- rTip,ne