The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-15
THOMAS N. ME DEAD.
SOLE SURVIVOR OF THE SHIP
 JOHN RUTLEDGE.
Who Suffered a Terrible Experience at
 Sea-The Late Captain Charles H.
 TOwnshend was Commander of the
 Steamship Which Rescued This Sur

was lost and whose terrible experiences in 1856 attracted attention, is dead at Fair Haven, Mass.
 After nine days in an open boat, and when he had killed his crazy shipmates, Nye was rescued by the packet Germa- mia and taken to New York.
 | The late Captain Charles Hervey Townshend of this city was first mate of the Germania (and later captain), and the following is his record of the incident made at the time:
 February 30, (1S56).-Fine breeze from the w. N. W. Ship under reefed sails. Ship standing to the northward. It had been blowing hard the night be- fore and tremendous sea was heaving up from the N W. At meridian was relieved by the second mate. After dinner I went into my room to write the Log Book up. I should think it was about 3 p. m. when the second mate came to my room and said he was for ward with some men rebending the outer jib, and thought that he saw a l boat ahead with signal of distress fly ing. l took my glass, went on deck, and went into the weather fore rigging, and thus I made out ships boat with a man sitting in it and to all appear ance frozen stiff. I ordered the other watch to be called up. the lee boat to be cleared away ready to be lowered the main sail to be hauled up, and went and called Captain Wood, who was asleep, having been up the greater part of the night before. He came on deck. l We got all ready to lower the boat and stood towards him until when about a mile from him the wind veered to the l N. N. w., and, as we could not fetch him on the other tack, we hauled the main topsail to the mast, lowered the starboard quarter boat, and four men and myself went to his relief. After leaving the ship we could not get sight of the boat, the seas being so high, but were directed on our course by Captain | Wood standing on the veranda deck l4pOinting with his telescope towards the object of our search. The reader can judge the height of the seas. (When we were midway between the ship and boat and in the trough of the seas the staysail truck of the Germania was out of sight, Another thing which was not l agreeable was the intense cold, every drop of spray which touched the boat seemed to turn to ice. I think that never suffered so much with cold as when in the boat.
 From the time we first saw the boat until We were within three rods of her the young man in her did not move, l and I had made up my mind that he was dead, but 1t proved to the contrary, as you will see. Previous to our reach ing the boat had an opportunity to judge for myself the condition that I would find her frozen crew, as every roll of the sea added horror to the, scene.
 l There sat man in her stern with his pea jacket buttoned tight to his chin and on his head was his South Wester | Gas sailors call their waterproof hats) slouched over his eyes, with both legs in water up to his knees, barefooted and frozen white. In the bow was one oar lashed to the stem, blade up, and to that a stick about four feet long with the back of a shirt lashed to 1t, and a spring arm stay running from the top of the oar blade to the boat s stern, on which hung two shirts, red and a white one. He had raised them that morning, hoping some passing ship might be attracted and rescue him from the jaws of death.
 In the bow lay man with his hat off, eyes wide open, staring you in the face, and from the expression of his l cba I,o a dreadful death. In the stern lay an- other, stiff and cold in death, and about midships lay two women, with their long hair washing from side to side with every roll of the boat, eyes and mouths wide open, firmly cIasped in each others arms, so firm that it was with difficulty that they were separa- ted.
 Upon the sternsheets lay the ships Log Book, compass and chief officer S quadrant and epitome, and floating around in the water was a number of belaying pins, bottles, blankets, shawls and wearing apparel of both sexes, also a coil of rope, bolt of canvas twine and in the bottom a hammer. knife, ships bell, binacle lamp and many oth- CT things showing Encouragement and suffering.
 When We approached within four rods of the boat I called to him. He looked up and showed his care-Worn face and crawled on his knees to the bow of the boat. I called to him, tell ing him that I could not board him bow on, but to give me rope so that we could tow the boat. He caught hold of the boat rope or painter and tried to clear it. It being foul in the middle of the boat, (the women that lay in mid ships of the boat lay on it), he gave it a feeble jerk and made the following expression, which was the first words I heard him utter, God damn the rope I can't clear 1t. For Christ sake, let me get into that boat"
 By the time he had finished what he had to say our boats came together. He sprang head foremost into the boat, striking on his head, and said, "O damn the boat. Let her go. She is good for nothing."
 He then said, My name is Thomas W. Nye, of Fair Haven, Mass. I left the ship John Rutledge, which was lost in thirty-five miles of ice, on the even. ing of the 18th of February" That the ship was bound from Liverpool to New York with a heavy cargo and 195 or 14C