The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1908-01-16
LEONOhA wreck
SURVIVOR BACK
IN This CITY

Rudolph Almeida, the Providence cook.
who escaped from the schooner Leonora.
wrecked on Diamond Shoal OFF Cape Hat
teras. last week. Is back at his home. SS
Link street.
All the neghbors. who are largely sea-
farers, focked into the little tenement TO
congratulate his young wife and hear how
Almeida got ashore through l2 miles OF
raging surf and survived a partial drown
Ing Of four hours duration.
Almelda says that all went well until
Monday, Jan. 8. when the gale. which was
10 wreck the schooner and send five OF her
crew TO a terrible death. began TO shrek
Its ominous warning. Almeda tells the
story oil dreadful eyents which followed.
AT i o'clock. q week ago today. we
struck. The schooner. pounding In the
sand IL miles off shore. In great seas
which constantly broke across her decks.
was doomed. and there seemed to be no
.hopo for US. The night was dark as pitch.
Capt. Cook said We'll. boys, our only
chance Is that the old schooner will
hold together until the storm lets go. and
now we must take to the rigging" The
seven OF US followed the captain UP the
shrouds OF the foremast. The mate went
himself. while the rest of us lashed our
selves about halfway up the rigging.
Here we stayed only a short time, for
the rigging gave way and We had TO
climb down on deck again. all except the
mate, who remained on the masthead.
We couldn't stay on deck. where we were
washed around like chips. and we then
went into the main rigging. In a little
while great big sea came roaring over
the vessel and broke the mast support
ing US squarely In two.
THE upper part fell forward. strlk-
ing the mate on the other mast, prob
ably killing him instantly. for we dimly
saw his body drop down and overheard.
Again driven from a place of tempo
rary refuge. we crawled as best we could
TO the mizzen. the only mast left stand
In, and climbed up into the rigging
While we were clinging there. l heard
one or the sailors praying, but none OF
the rest said q word: We were putting
all our efforts into holding on while our
last hope was whipping back and forth
with the violent motion OF the sea.
No one. unless II was the man who
prayed, gave any evidence OF being
afraid For myself. I simply couldn't
seem TO realize that death was so close.
While we were hanging to the mizzen,
the hull of the schooner began to break
up beneath us. The bow went first Then
the cabin. directly beneath us. was wash
ed from its fastenings and as II went
overheard 1t struck the mast, breaking
II on at the step. and we were all thrown
into the sea when II fell
II am not much OF "A swimmer, AMI
can't remember that / tried to swim. In
short time wave threw me squarely
on top OF a big wooden water tank which
had been washed from the deck. threw
my arms and legs around the tank and
held on, but IL kept turning over and over
end half The time was under water. The
thing seemed as IL II We're trying to
drown me. and at last let ii 60
Right after that I was thrown slap
across long, wide plank striking ii so
hard that 1t nearly knocked the wind ont
OF me. / wound legs and arms around
this plank and after ] found that IL
would support me I took a short piece
OF rope which was around my waist and
lashcd myself fast
The surf was running 90 feet high and
as rode up and down those great hills
and hollows, with the awful noise OF the
sea in my ears. every wave was throw
ing me rapidly toward the shore. 1e miles
away. ] was four hours on the plank,
they say. / didn't seem 10 feel cold.
didn't seem to feel much of anything or
10 care much what happened 10 me.
AT last / was thrown up on the beach.
j did not have strength enough left TO
move; just laid there and dropped off
into unconsciousncss from which l was
not aroused until "a hours afterward A
life saver. patrolling the beach with a
Coston light. spied me. He signaled for
help. and they carried me TO the station
where received the best OF care.
The Russian sailor. Harry, the only
other survivor. came ashore on one OF the
cabin doors before did"