The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-12-31
CREW OF LORD
Of AVON SAVED
IN GOOD TINE
CAPTAIN TELLS OF TERRIFYING
CHRISTMAS DAY WEATHER
AND HOW HIS CREW TRIED TO
SAVE VESSEL.

Captain A Lawrence, of the schoon-
er Lord of Avon. and his crew OF six
men. were safely rescued by the
schooner scanneiI and landed in Mo-
bile. where the captain told the story
of the terrifying experience through
which they went on Christmas day,
fearful that each minute would be
their last one. Their dinner on the
day when turkey and choicer viands
are eaten throughout Christendom,
was q bit Of salt pork and a salt
water soaked bit OF hard tack or sea-
biscuit. Arriving at Mobile, the skip
per told the story as follows
Story by Capt. Lawrence.
captain A. Lawrence, commander of
the Inflated Lord OF Avon, seemed to
be laboring under q great strain and
was hardly IN condition to be inter-
viewed. He told this story, however:
We left Pensacola the Saturday be-
fore Christmas with a heavy cargo
of lumber for Cienfuegos, Cuba. and
had beautiful weather until Sunday
the southeast. ALI Sunday night we
labored in a heavy sea and just be-
fore daybreak Monday morning the
vessel begun to take water. / tried
TO change the course and head for
Mobile, but every time / would sue
ferent wind would strike me and I
would be driven back.
Were Fighting Heavy Wind.
All day Monday We fought a heavy
wind and a head sea until late in
the afternoon the wind began to shift
and in an hour, had gone entirely
around the compass and was blowing
gale out OF the southwest. Tues
day was the same thing and we be-
gun using both pumps, still thinking
that we could make Mobile or some
other gulf port. Christmas morning
dawned stormy and a heavy gale was
still blowing from the south west.
About 10 O'Clock Christmas morn
ing the wind increased and the yes
sci began to fill up through cracks
in the hull caused from the battling
OF the lumber against the sides. We
were still using both pumps and this
is responsible for the fact that we
lost no men. While the men were
on deck and at the pumps, huge
wave washed the bow and entirely
swept away the forecastle and gallery,
CARRYING everything away clean.
"Just previous to this we had
thrown off almost half Of the deck
load to tighten the vessel and give
her more buoyancy, but we saw after
the washing Of this wave that IL was
no use to try anything but the pumps,
and I felt sure that 1t would do no
good but we kept at 1T, stopping only
and a bareback. contrast to the
Christmas dinners that were being
eaten aIl over the world.
After our dinner we found that the
only water we had was a small break
er holding about one gallon that was
slowed away on top OF the cabin
house. Even the water kept in the
cabin had been polluted with salt.
We suffered untold agonles from thirst
all Thursday night and Friday morn
rf hA no 4n h1
forcibiy kept from drinking the brack-
fsh water that was coming aboard.
Sighted Schooner Near Her
about 10 O'Clock Friday morning
miles from us that was evidently try
ing 90 make her way TO us. and our
hopes began to revive. All day we
watched her as she would tack and
gain little distance only to be driven
back by the gales that were still blow
Ing. We watched her until dark and |
had began TO give up hope again, /
when she suddenly appeared almost /
alongside and hailed US. asking II we
wanted to be taken or. We, Of course. |
did, and launched boat to go to her,
but In the meantime she had already .
launched one and was coming to US.
I'VE were taken on board and given
every attention by Captain Thorndyke
and his crew. and I want to say that
had the schooner Scanneu not ap- I
be here to tell the story
Il don't know If the vessel was |
saved. but IL she wa.s never want /
to see her again after passing through /
such an experience. feel an old /
man today and don't know yet what /
am gonfg to do / had planned to /
spend a month or 50 at home In PEN
sacola after returning for this trip, /
but can't tell yet. I viii stay in /
Mobile for few days to settle few
business matters and to get over the I
experience and then I guess I will go /
back home. / did all I could to save t
the schooner and feel that her loss I
was due to no carelessness OF my own Il
nor of my men. They all proved brave Il
fellows and there was not a whimper II
out OF a single one when we were Il
fighting the pumps every minute, with Il
no food, no water and no protection
from the weather"
Reported 20 Washinqton. II
washington. Dec. 30.-Commander
+. L. Beach, Of the tender vestal. at II
Pensacola. Fla, reported to the navy II
department yesterday that the British II
schooner Cheslie was waterIogged in II
latitude 81 degrees rs minutes north