New-York tribune., 1909-07-13
DRUSIE'S CREW HERE
TELL OF HARDSHIPO.
Water and Food Spoiled When
.S0uthenster Struck.

-rb ro-,,s3e small British sailing vessel Of the
type called in sea parlance 'jackass or1g' "hlch
cleared from Paspebiac, Quebec, about TWO weeks
ago with some 1880 feet of shingles and 80 quln-
tale of dried fish for Barbados will never reach
her destination A southeasterly gale caught her
on Wednesday. and a high and confused sea turned
her on her beam ends Her shingles are hoatng
somewhere in latitude 3s17 north. longitude 99'4o
west while her master and crew Of FIVE men were
hro5gbt 10 port Yesterday on the steamer America.
of La VeIoce Line, which picked them up from
their wrecked vessel on Saturday.
Apart from exhaustion caused by lack of food.
thirst and overexertion at the pumps. the men
from the Drusie were IN fairly good condition when
they landed yesterday.
Captain Thomas James and John c Lequesne'
the thirteen-year-old son of the owner OF the
Drusie. barely escaped drowning when the little
vessel went over on her beam ends Captain james
and Young Lequesue were in the cabin when
succession of high combers from the southeas-
hurled themselves against the brig her cargo
shifted and without any warning she rolled over
and her topmasts went under. The skipper ana
the owners son were thrown against the SIDE or
the cabin, and water poured in rapidly AS she
turned the cabin door was jammed. and there was
no escape from the rapidly filing cabin
The skipper groped his way through sea water 10
place where he knew there was an axe, and found
it Just as the water up TO his waist rev
powerful strokes broke open the door and captain
James, dragging the boy. crawled up on the over
hanging cargo of shingles on the weather siue'
He then ordered the cargo lashings cut. and as the
shingles rolled off into the the brig came up
bit.
The crew then attacked the stays with their
knives and axes and when these were released the
rnasts snapped and the Drlsie though leaking pad
". rishted herself Young Lequesne who through
out the hour and a half that the Druse was on her
bea m ends cIung 10 the wheel suddenly struck
in the back by a spoke the brig rghted herself
and ne complained of a severe pain yesterday
The seas demolished the wa ter butts and the fresh
-vTgl NTH
of the Atlantic The food IN the galley was soaked
with salt water and for a while it looked bad for
the crew Of the Drusie.
our hopes rose. said Captain James, when the
cook found six cans Of tomatoes for We knew we
could hold out few days on them They would
help quench our thirst as our fresh water had gone
and there was no suggestion of rain. but the seas
got into the every time we opened one we
were running under double reefed foresail and storm
trysail when the cross and that southerly gale
sent us over When We got rid Of our masts and
cargo we tried TO steady our ship with jury rls'
but It was about as good as nothing.
We had matches and were unable 70 make
fare at night In fact. We had nothing with which
to signal except red and white quilt. and we kept
that 1Ip and watched IL carefully throughout the
day and hauled il in at night We drifted about
until Saturday morning, when We sighted a steamer
about six miles away. and did our best TO signal
her She did not see US, however and steamed on
her course. I could net well make her out. but
think it the Minnehaha. of the Atlantic Trans
por- Line. which got in ahead of US to-day
About o'clock in the afternoon we saw the
America and it did not take her long to see and
come for head l tell you it felt good to know
that some one had seen Us. for could not have
kept long aHoat on the Drusie. They took
board and Schiaflno treated with much hos
pitality"
A boat containing six men, in command of En-
anuel Fu.le. the CHIEF officer Of the America
senr out 10 the Dr7Isa. When the captain and the
crew We're taken of in the small boat Of the
Italians. three Italian sailors went aboard and set
FIRE tho derelict When the America had steamed
about miles further on her course the little
jarkass brig OF Quebec was in flames
The rescue Of the Drusie's crew is the second
10 the credit Of Captain Schiaf1no. Several months
ago he saved the lives Of the crew Of the wrecked
Italian brigantine Umberto L When leaving Naples
on The trip just ended. Captain schhfino received
a medal from the King Of Italy for rescuins the
J-n5erto's crew.