The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31

.,mbcr 20. 1865. five passenger
\ ...ps lay at the wharf In Sa-
.nnah Ca, all bound for New
York
o.. a,rcady taken passage on one
= ...U and my baggage and some
,,.r.. .! fruit which | was taking on
ar friends were safely aboard.
tn, ) ,hern fruits were luxury just
aft,. ., civil war.
A. twenty minutes before the
hour departure, willie wandering
on ,., lock- | met the captain OF the
st,uu..I y Constitution. also about to
sal v.. was an old acquaintance, and
IN b, ling my destination he very
kind. invited me To sail with him.
,G,rl. me a free passage. The rate
.b.u. zen 500 1t seemed well worth
say.rl and hustling to the office OF
the snip where | was booked | sue
,,ed,G .u cuaXlng the agent to return
my fare. and had barely time TO trans
Ter u.r hand baggage before the lines
wet, cast off and the whole fleet was
,ttamuu down the bay. Little did ]
realize what a costly trip it would prove.
, A. We reached the open roadstead
and approached the ocean the weather
the teeth Of a stiff northeaster, with
heavy seas running wild, which kept
thing lively on board ship. A dense
:or also rolled in. hiding our companion
ships from view. and soon we were
tott.u- around ON gigantic waves, APP
lr,a,'y solitary and alone, with liz"
wind bowling madly through our rig
sing
Ne, ,ong after an omlnous thump.
thump. hump at the stern revealed
The fact that something was the mat
ter with the propeller shaft, which
threatened to tear out the sternpost,
nectss.'ljinE a slowing Gown in speed
and a. the storm seemed to be increas-
Ing To- fury our captain decided to make
his way as best as he could into the
nel rt,ring harbor Of Por; Royal. s. c.
wh,r, We safely anchored, and found
We had hut followed the good judgment
. II our companions of the fleet which
had preceded us. BY morning the vio-
'enr, # the storm had somewhat abated
and ts, sun made occasional desperate
Effort 20 penetrate IN" heavy fog which
stl., lung over the ocean. Though the
seas were still running high al! again
started on their way. We, however,
could only proceed at half speed the
mach merry being still out Ct order, an6
We were soon left far behind.
Toward evening. owing to the violent
pitching Of the ship, the steam pipe con-
ge,ton with the boiler burst, AID soon
We We're drifting helplessly with wind
md ,de
- reason of continued fog II was
mi --.h.c to determine our position
.. FIN, captain lost his baarins
'r,y. The ,Ugineers meantime kept
..la 40 work n an endeavor to patch
800 .a, machinery.
~. following day the engineers were
dj., GOO -'t mp a little steam and the
ship V.~ put under way at very slow
speed the captain simply guessing at
rs .r-a. He supposed he was heading
directly uut TO sea and thus would clear
a long sand bar which he knew made
oar from the North Carolina coast for
ten miles, a very dangerous locality
Z W. mus. have dr!fted much further
than De- had thought, for about 3 o'cloCi;
n .Hr morning we were all startled out
NUf o.r sleep and nearly thrown from
oar ..r'l> by the violent pounding OF
the s..p upon the bottom.
Thr0o after thump followed in quick
sG,y'-, ..a at shorter intervals, each one
causing the vessel 10 SILVER in every
timber as o. rose higher and higher
IN 'G. sand. forced on by her momcn-
tum. Finally she stopped with her nose
hsn 10 sand bar, her stern still swing.
.nE .r deep water.
cur captain Immediately got out rec
and hg' lights and fired rockets into
he sky aS long as they held out, bu
without any response. Daylight fount
rs resting easily on the bottom, still
surrounded ny fog. This would occa
N."na,'' # slightly and several times
.rN'ai,4 The dim outline of some
seam'- Iassinr seward from the har
Dor ut VI r,head City, when hopes OF
rescue would I'll our hearts. only TO b'
dashed as each one gradually slippe'
way. While they We're barely visible
% Us W We're lying so low in the waite
nd Nh" cog was so dense that we cyl
emily were invisible to them.
Toward noon the sky seemed brighte
ma To- waves somewhat diminished. a
he cam 80 solicitation of some of tn
'assen- IS the captain, though agains
us Own Judgment, finally assented Il
dunchHg one of the lifeboats.
The i.p' was lowered, but on striking
'' ware II an
wung 4 the painter. A sailor was lie
own '. rope and endeavored to bal
I ont ..' The waves dashed in taste
han .. could bail and he was pulle'
n G, when the boat to our dismay
yoke say and drfted out Of sight.
Dr.. .rGght out the abandoned pilo
louse, 'l,rc I made my bed on tn
arr B., half reclining against tn
'.de, a.. 90 last fell sound asleep. Sud
ien,y vas awakened about o'cloc
n Oh. Hurn.ng by the wind howlin
IKE G.' let loose. Looking out ! sa'
'he w.. mad shifted to another quartz
ana lowing up a terrific gale wit
me ..s dashlng all over the ship.
Ey. 'ly our time had come, and
rant ush was made for the boat
ut 1t .ts too late. A great wave cam
''.N- %, lifting them all from the decl
ma o.. receded 1t brought them dow
"sa.H n a crash, smashing them
Nr..h'' crushing them like egg shell
,t'Oi" IT. eyes. 1t was then every ma
'or J. III. The scenes OF terror an
Shi''r despair that rose even aboN
me 4 the storm can never be fol
golfer. tS group here and there wei