Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-06-15

New York-After drifting in mid.
ocean in an open boat for two weeks
chewing tarred rope in lieu Of food
and drinking rain water when he
could get it, Louis Vollet a fisherman
from st. Malo France, was picked up
by the liner Carmania from Liverpool
and brought into port
The rescued sailors experience is
one of the most remarkable sea tales
qf mndern dave, and rivals any of
and Clark Russell.
Violet, one of the crew of the fish
ing barkentine Mimose of st. MalO,
which was fishing off the Grand
Banks, got adrift in a fierce gale
and snowstorm while he and a fellow
fisherman were out taking in the lines,
and in the heavy sea his companion
was thrown overheard by the lurching
Of the boat and drowned
On Monday, June 10, the Carmania
lookout called the attention of Captain
War; to an object in the sea at some
distance, The captain with the aid of
his glasses discerned a dory tossing
about, and made out the figure of
man sitting in the bow and holding
an oar aloft as if for a signal. AS
the big liner approached the tiny
craft the man was hailed through a
megaphone, but he gave no informa-
tion that he heard, and sat rigidly in
the bow of the little craft like a fig
urehead.
Captain War; decided that it was
too rough to lower boat, and there
was but one way in which to get the
man aboard, and that was for some
one to swim to the dory and get Il
line on it.
1t did not take Seaman James
Breen, who among the crew is known
as Sunny Jim," more than a few
seconds to volunteer, and he stripped
for the feat, and fastened a life line
to his waist. Then the big steamer
was maneuvred in such IL way as to
bring her as close to the dory as
possible without running it down.
When within 100 feet of the small
boat Breen jumped from the deck in
to the sea, amid the shouts of the
hundreds of passengers who thronged
the rails.
Slowly but steadily he swan to the
dOry with its silent figure and made a
line fast, then gave the signal to
those on the steamer to haul in. The
little boat was brought up alongside
the liner, and then Breen took the
life line from his own waist and fast
ened it to the unconscious fisherman
With a good heave by other men,
bers of the crew the apparently life
less body of the man was hoisted to
the deck, and he was at once carried
to the hospital and put in charge OF
Ship Surgeon Toynton. Breen was
next drawn up the side of the steam.
er, and as he landed on deck and
shook the water from him he got a
rousing cheer from the passengers
For nearly 20 hours the rescued man
lay in the hospital without regalnng
consciousness, and when he finally
was able to speak it was to complain
of the pain in his hands and feet,
which had been frozen After he had
taken nourishment and his strength
returned in a measure, he said he did
not remember anything after the
ninth day that he was adrift, as it is
a superstition with a sailor that If he
is not rescued on the ninth day his
case is hopeless.
Violet has a wife and two children
at st. Malo. He cannot remember the
name of his companion who was lost.
He will stay on the Carmania until
the French consul here is communi-
Gated with, and arrangements made
for his welfare. He will probably be
sent to hospital, and later returned
home.
His rescue was witnessed by several
hundreds of passengers who cheered
wildly. A collection on the fisherman's
behalf was started by w. D. Inglis
Wright and B. w. Hathaway. two first
cabin passengers, and nearly 500 was
realized