Year: 1876

from tne New 1OrK Mercury.


The survivors of the crew Of the
ship Great Britain, who recently
reached Liverpool, tell terrible story
of suffering. The vessel was bound
from Dolroy, n. S., for Liverpool.
About 600 miles from the Irish coast,
the vessel was struck by tremendous
storm. She had before this shown
symptoms of becoming water-logged,
and on the day previously the captain
had put all hands to the pumps, and
she was to great extent freed; but
this did not avail, and before the
masts could be cut away, she capsized.
The captain had previously ordered
the men aft on the poop, SO that in the
event OF disaster occurring they could
escape into the mizen rigging, and
fourteen of them managed to do 50,
but the captain and the remainder
were thrown into the sea. The cap
tain, after severe battle with the ele-
ments, was also fortunate enough to
reach the rigging, and the fifteen re-
manned in that position nearly an hour.
when. the maintopmast and the mizen-
mast giving way, the hulk righted it.
self. Those who had escaped drown
ing clambered upon about twenty feet
Of the poop deck which was left, and
there they were doomed to remain for
over eight days.


The Captain, upon perceiving the
chance of the vessel being waterlogged,
thoughtfully directed that a quantity
Of provisions should be stored in the
booby-hatch, and this was being done
when the ship capsized. The second
mate, Absolom Chilcott, and the stew
ard. James Barbour, were indeed down
i'll the cabin at the time for the pur-
pose OF bringing up an additional
quantity OF bread; and were never seen
afterwards. The provisions which
had been stored in the hatch were
thrown into the sea by the upsetting
of the vessel. and neither food nor
drink remained for the sustentation of
the survivors. Saturated with water
and covered by every wave, they were
thus left in mid ocean incapable of at
tempting escape beyond the hosting
of piece Of sail upon spar, with the
chance of attracting the notice of any
passing craft. They were reduced by
hunger and starvation to such pitch
that they were at length compelled to
drink each others refuse, and when
| the cook died, on the seventh day. he
was cut open, his liver taken out and
divided. One of the ordinary seamen
next succumbed; and on the evening
before the rescue of those who sur
vived, the Captains son, Robert, and
a young man, Wicklof, died.


The Captain had alternately hugged
the two boys to his breast to preserve
them from the piercing cold, and his
own son died while in his father s
arms. Shortly before the cook died
q steamer, with black funnel and bull
warks, brig rugged and not over
large-it is believed she can be identi-
fied-passed within u comparatively
short distance. and was hailed, but
she took no notice, and proceeded on
her voyage. Up to this time the cook
had maintained hearty spirit and
was the most cheerful of the desolate
party, but he afterwards dropped,
and, the Captain thinks, died of q
broken heart induced by the presumed
heartless conduct of those on the
steamer. A bark also was sighted,
but she was at too great distance
from the wreck to distinguish it OF
the signals displayed. At last the
ship Greta came upon the wreck, and
with great difficulty and much gallant
ry, took off the surviving eight.


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