The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-05
A TALE OF HORROR
FEARFUL HARDsHIPs OF CREW OF WRECKED VESSEL.
Pitched Into the Sea by Rolling of the Ship, Life Boat Is Secured
 as if by a Miracle.

Pensacola, Fla, Jan. 4.-(Speoial. )--- Six days in an open yawl boat with waves constantly dashing over them and with only a few tins of canned beef and one gallon of water, is the experience of Captain Bodden and the six members of the crew of the Amer lean schooner Nokomis.
 The men reached here today. being brought from St, Andrews where they were washed upon the beach in an al- most unconscious condition with limbs swollen and benunbed and almost dead from exposure. They were found by a party from a small settlement nearby and given attention until they were able to be placed in a boat and brought to Pensacola where the vessel is owned
 The story of the suffering of the men is terrible one. The vessel put out from Gulfport about two weeks ago for Cuba with cargo of lumber Shortly after getting to sea a leak was discov- cred and although the pumps were started the water continued to rise in the hold until there were several feet. A heavy gale then came on and the men began to. throw of the deck load. The vessel Iconttnuedato make water and she soon listed heavily.
 Thrown Into the Sen.
 Iht IIiElA LiAGtl sQGCtQSQj to apauuOft I0e ship and gathered food and nautical instruments. placing them on the cabin house. Just then big wave swept over the vessel, turning it completely over and throwing everything into the sea, Almost by miracle one of the life boats, jug of water and q few cans of meat were saved.
 The men then set out for shore and for six days and nights with the seas Pnnninn fatT ffrh pulled the open boat, sometimes not knowing in what direction they were going. Towards the close of the sixth day land was sighted and although an effort was made to keep the boat off the strength of the wrecked crew was not sufficient and a big wave cast the boat and its contents upon the beach able to move, being almost dead from cold and hunger.
 A portion of Captain Bodden's state- ment is as follows: Sunday night at 9 o'clock the Nokomis listed. Then we got all the navigating instruments to- gether with baggage we could collect in a hurry and places the same on the house of the ship Very little provis- ions and three gallons of water were in our possession.
 Reached LIfebOat.
 "Afterward the vessel set up in her right position and remained for about ten minutes: then she turned complete ly over, dashing everything and every body Into the waves. The men climbed up on her sides in time to reach a boat, which was on the davits.
 without sail or compass, we de- cided to try for land. All day Thurs day 1t rained so we could not see the sun. We hardly knew where we were going but toward night the sun came out and we saw her set. As the wind was northwesterly We made it to the east with braver hearts, but cold and chilled bodies For two days and two nights we made for the east
 Saturday morning the wind came out from the east, and we made 1t to the northward. Sunday morning as soon as day came we observed the shore, but did not knew where we were. We kept off shore with great difficulty, but at last great sea cast us ashore near St. Andrews Bay.
 We procured q few matches and made a fire. We were almost frozen, toes, feet and hands. As soon as the heat got to us, the pain we endured was terrible. Our limbs swelled terribly. Those of the men who could manage to creep along we sent inland, and they discovered a small house.
 When we separated. we were un- easy about them. We could not go to them, and they could not come to us. About 10 o'clock that night we heard footsteps and afterward realized that four men stood by us. At first we thought it was our own men, but it proved to be four men from the little settlement who had come to rescue us, and had brought an OK cart along to convey us to the town"