The Washington times., 1905-04-14

NEW YORK, April H.-To set out
from st. johns, n. F., for this port, anu
to arrive here after one hundred and
sfxty-two days. during which Barbados
had been visited. is the extraordinary
experience of he crew of the schooner
Laconia. which has come dropping into
pert, one of the most weary looking
:erns that ever furled sail off the Hook
to take tow to a berth in harbor.
Il was on November ! of last year
that Capt J. T. Troop, master of the
Lacenia. sat down TO write a letter TO
his wife. residing at 500 East Ninth
street, Brooklyn. In his letter he said
that the last plank of the white pine
cargo which the vessel was to take from
Newfoundland to New York was on
board, that he expected to make the
run in about twelve days at most, ana
that in all events ne would be on hand
wncn the Thanksgiving dinner was
served. He had rot seen wife or chill
family reunion
Dinner Waits Long.
Great preparations were made in the
Brooklyn home but the twelve days
came ana went, Thanksgiving, and then
Christmas and New Year Day came
around and no word of the Laconia.
Yesterday, Just 162 days after the
schooner had sailed for this port. she
came into harpor-came in with an
extraordinary story of the sea.
The schooner is riding off the Erie
Basin, and though the captain has gone
ashore. there are enough left on board
to unreel the yarn of the long voyage.
Il is of a vessel that set out short
| handed, no trouble being expected on
what was thought to be short run
down the coast from st. Johns to New
| York. But hardly had she cleared har-
Dor before she was struck by a cyclone
| hich swept her far out upon the At
| lantic-swept her Wild flying thing
| with headsails gone and without which
she could not round to, but must needs
run before the gale.
1t was a circular storm, and, accord
ing to the sailormen who described it,
the sorely beset schooner thrice swung
| around the compass like a cat chasing
| its tail in play, only there was no. play
! for the short-banded crew, which chung
| tc the decks as best they might, max
! ing haSty scrarnbles into the rigging as
| the djsintegratjng. deck load of lumber
| swirled to and fro. smashing deckhouse
and ripping away boats and buiwarks.
| The cyclone finally wheeled eastward
! leaving the battered wreck piunglne
| and lifting over the swell which ii mac
left behind. The WORKOUT crew sough,
| their berths to be awakened shor'
| time later by the call of all hands save
ship. and reached the deck to find an
| other gale laundering over the seas, the
! vessel, with her stern to the gale, rae
| ing for life ard with pursuing seas coli
| ing over the poop and bursting II
lclcuds of foam over deck house anc
/ deck load.
| The main boom had been carried away
the foretopmast was hanging from the
car. the miZzen had been sprung ant
! only the swollen band of the close-reefet
foresaii held the schooner on her High
before the storm.
| dangerous leak had been sprung
and four men were sent to the pumps
This was in the early watches of TIL
might. with blackness everywhere, save
where the breaking seas whitened ove
the decks.
Long Tale of Danger.
So runs the long tale of danger ant
distress. There were five more heavl
storms to encounter. and the men now
Hooking back upon their trials, wonde
how they managed to Withstand TIL
many hardships which these entailed-
making such repairs as were possible
during the interval between gales, toll
ling at the pumps night and day. achin;
for an hours sleep doing off between
half starved from the meager diet tina
was left, miserable, WORKOUT, and won
de-ipg IL their trials were ever to end
zon until Christmas Day. This wa
made ont ~ ne the British stea m sh,