Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-20
Z RESCUE AT
S EA
Downright. 1903 by c. B. Lewis.]

board $50 English emigrants, had bee
for four days drifting wreck whel
sighted by the Dolphin of Bremen. /
so happened that an American man
0f-war to which l belonged as an en-
listed man put into that port for som
slight repairs, and twelve of us desert
ed to go aboard of the Dolphin. 1
does not excuse our action to say tina
the captain brought this desertiol
about by the promise of high wages
He wanted q crew and did not care
how the men came to him.
We had been twelve days out wheI
we sighted the Foam as she lay wal
lowing in the trough of the sea, com
plete wreck aloft. After brief lOol
at her through the glass the captain
began cursing his i'll luck. AS q mat
ter of fact. we had neither room, water
nor provisions TO spare, and the ship
was loaded down to the mark with
cargo. but when we heard our officers
propose to pass the wreck without no.
tice every man of the twelve was
ready for mutiny. We demanded that
communication be opened with the I'LL
fortunate people. and after a good deal
of growing the Dolphin ran down to
the wreck and sent q boat to her.
The report of the mate when he re-
turned was TO the effect that the peo-
pie were on quarter allowance, with
much sickness among the women and
children. and that they desired to aban-
don the wreck and be taken aboard OF
the ship. We had spare spars aboard.
and the captain offered to sell three or
four sticks for about three times their
value. the payment to be made in gold
on delivery The brig declined this
generous" offer, as the crew was sat
isfied that the shattered hulk could
never be worked into port. even II
fully provisiOncd besides.
Our captain was holding off, not
wishing to take the unfortunates and
vet afraid of us, when a squall came
on. and he attempted to sail away.
The whole crew. Including the second
mate, at once refused duty. The cap
tain and first mate then declared their
at end and went below, but
we were not TO be bluffed. The second
mate was Installed as captain, and two
hours later all the people on the wreck
had been transferred, 1t was in good
time, too. as Il gale came ca :hat lasted
for three days and must have sent the |
brig to the bottom.
We had mutinied and taken posses |
sion of the ship, but we felt that cir
justified it. Neither insult |
nor harm was offered the two officers.
They made many threats as to the |
we should receive when
he ship arrived in port. but we stood
irm and kept clear of any further quar-
els. Cur craft had no accommodation
whatever for passengers, and you can
imagine the mess we were in when
aptain not only fatty refused TO take
hargc of the navigation. but would
ave nothing whatever TO do with the
He could have sheltered
lany women and children in the cabin,
ut not even the sick ones were invited
0 make use of IT, Everybody aboard
ad TO BE- put on short allowance at
nee. and shift was made whereby
he women and children were at least
heltered.
After q general consultation it was
ecided to make for the Bermudas, and
n the fourth day after taking the peo-
lie off the wreck we sighted an Amer
an ship and secured from her a fair
apply of water and a quantity of -four
nd biscuits. 1t was run of seven
lys more to the islands. and during
lie last three days no adult had food
lough to keep down the pangs of hun
.r. None of us believed that we could
, punished for taking the ship out of
e captains hands to save human life,
I'd ! am sure we would not have been
eddled with but for the presence of a o
ritish man-of-war in port. AS soon
our captain could board the craft !
ID report all of us were arrested and
ing into prison to await the action Of '
o. law. | never found out Just where !
ey intended to send us for trial, but
esume it was Bremen.
For some reason or other there was
long delay, and at length matters |
IRE complicated by our being claimed |
deserters from an American man-of |
lr. The people whom we had saved |
re grateful enough. to be sure, but |
others looked upon us as a lot Of
ates who ought to have been hung
soon as captured. When we had
IN in jail five months we got word
m an American who was pretty
roughly posted on the case that we
'uld soon be sent away for trial and
It we might expect at least five |
us imprisonment apiece. |
his news decided us to make an at
lpt to lreak jail. and one night a
ck later. using tools which guard
h''u hiIbtu w DdSH III w us, WE |
we'd away the bars of window and
ned our liberty. Proceeding to the
Dor. we found an American vessel
(y to sail. and before our escape l.
: discovered we were miles mt sea-
@ of us afterward surrendered to 90,
naval authorities as deserters and 10
< our punishment. but what became to
lie others do not know. 10,
D save the lives of almost 300 fel- CO.
beings we were driven to mu- 20,
on the high seas, and while it IN
I'D seem 10 have been both noble ou
heroic action. and one that we = :
uld have received credit for. moth +
but misfortune and disgrace grew ";
Of it. The contemplate action Of IN
captain even found eXcusers, 60;
Ugh II was plain that had he had uo