Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-05-30

, and kerosene. When the vessel reach
ed latitude Al south. longitude. IL
east, OF Cape OF Good Hope. on Sep
TENDER 3. Il encountered a cycionic
storm Of such u~nabating fury that for
days the Thornliebank threatened to
20 under.
As the storm worked It's havoc. the
men were compelled TO lash them
selves TO n another. after the fashion
OF Alpine climbers. to prevent their be
ing sent overheard.
Let Us quote now from the plain.
unvarnished record Of the Thornlie-
banks perilous trip
In the evening the ship gave a sud
Ten lurch. plunged into the seas and
for a moment was submerged from
stem to stern. Every one on board
thought she was laundering and the
sailors dropped on their knees and
prayed. While the vessel vas sub
merged, e~yerythins movable was wash
ed overheard.
After a fine struggle on the part Of
the men. Captain Smith succeeded in
keeping the ship Of before the gale
for safety. using oil from port and star
board and thus diminishing the force
OF the gigantic waves. After a day
hlled with awful dread, the weather be-
gan To moderate and the ship was put
on her course again. The officers no
ticed o after she had resumed her
course that she was moving sluggish
". so the wells were sounded and Il
was found that there were eleven
inches Of water below.
After successfully battling with a
terrific hurricane. 20 realize that death
oy drowning was scll a matter Of Dos
sihility nerved the crew TO redouble
their efforts to bring the vessel TO a
safe harbor Slowly but surely the
water was gaining When he ship
o the heavy plunge that carried
away her d~eck-house and smashed sew
eral ~skylights. she started some OF her
rtvets. With the donkey-engine gone
there was no other alternative than TO
use the hand pumps. and from that
day. September 10, to November 30.
they were kept going night and day
two and a half months Of incessaut
pumping.
Not for an instant were the pumps
allowed TO remain idle. With half the
crew below decks working to keep the
water down, the other half was labor
ing above decks 10 bring the vessel
TO safe harbor. On November 6 the
Thornliebank rounded the South Cane
and the course was shaped for New
Zealand"
In other words, the sieve-like Thorn
lebank was brought by t~ireIess and
hghting seamanship to her destination
after an eight thousand mile struggle
with death.
Here is another real tale OF the sea
In actual sailor lore. they characterize
the story as that Of The Fire wom-
an Of the Sea" The latter. concretelv
was-or rather IS, for they say she IS
still alive at the age of elghty-four and
living in Massaehusetts-Mrs ID. q
Bates, the widow OF a weIIknown
American sea captain. She later mar
ried Lieutenant James F Hyde. OF the
United States army. For years there
was a superstition among American
seamen that wheneyS Mrs. Bates
went TO sea a hoodoo fire was sura N
break out on the vessel that carried
her.
According to the chronicles of the
American Seamen's society, Mrs Bates
had more narrow escapes from the
hoodoo fires that pursued her than
Kate Claxton ever dreamed Of Mrs
Bates always went 70 sea with bar
captain-husband.
Their first trip was made in tssn
when her husband was in command
OF the Boston ship Nonantum. ON
July q Mrs. Bates left Baltimore on
the Norantum forSan Francisco The
ships cargo was a thousand tons ~
coal and a huge quantity Of provisions
listed for Panama When the Nonar.
tum reached the latitude OF the Rio ss
Ia Plata flames broke out in he hold
and for twelve whole days Mrs. Bates
her husband and the rest OF the crav
stuck TO the burning hulk and nv
lighting desperately with the FIRE iuaI.
ly managed to bring the vessel to the
Falkland islands before the flames ate
through its sides.
A mile from shore the fire conquered
the fighters and the Nouantum began
to fall apart as all hands got clear IN
the small boats.
After weeks Of waiting, the party on
the barren island We're picked up by