In the Jaws of Death.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 2, Issue 127, 10 July 1895, Page 3

In the Jaws of Death.

THE WHITE STAE LINEB, TEU TONIC, IN FRIGHTFUL PERIL.

(Home Paper.)

Terrifying as was the experiences of the passengers on La Gascogne, those on board the White Star Liner Teutonic passed through an oven more trying ordeal. Never has an ocean greyhound had such a wrestle with wind and sea as was ended Sunday when the Teutonic steamed wearily into New York harbour, masts, spars, yards, funnels and sides covered with glittering ice. Nearly ten davs before she had left Liverpool with 701 human beings aboard. Soon after leaving Queenstown tho big ship struck stormy weather, which continued, with one shortjintermission, until port was tuade. A wc jk ago last Monday the Teutonic sailed into a great storm. The wind rose rapidly until a seventymile gale was blowing and the Teutonic was tossing like a cork. All night long tho passengers Jay in terror. Tuesday morning a tempest was raging such as no one on that ship had ever been through. And its fury increased. Such waves had never been seon before. Tho treats towered in the air and the arctic wind tore off those costs with a teriiSc noise and whirle . them into spray which showered upon the vessel in the form of snow.

One huge wave leaped upon the vessel ;uid flooded the officers' mess room. It tore away the iron work. It poured tons cf water on the decks and into that compartment, and the crash of its stroke was like the splitting of a mountain in an earthquake.

The officers ran for their lives. Hcrlly had tho ship recovere i from the shock when a second wave threatened. Tin's ic?e be.ddo the vessel, as lot'g as it was. The wind snapped off the streamers at the top. Then the whole wave curled, hesitated, fell upon the vessel, tons jpou tins of water, dropping from mid-heaven and burying the shia completely. The smoking room was filled with men. In rushed the ice-cold water, swsepiDg everything before it.

The Teutonic rose from under this weight and staggered on. Captain Cameron, standing on the bridge, saw that the tempest was too strong. In all her loug history the Teutonic has never turned her face from tho foe. Tho waves have threatened, but she baa pushed straight into them ; the tempest has whirled, but she has kept to her c urse.

But this tempest was too much for her. The captain gave tho order for the change of course, and the ship ttaggered and reeled around. She had turned tail to the tempest, and her engines started at full speed. She flew lei ore it, the great waves hurling am! throwiug themselves upon the stern and the g-'eat wind makiug her roll from side to side.

For four hours, from 2 p.m. uutil 6 p.m. of Tuesday last, she ran before the wind. Eveu then she waa not out of peril, for the cyclone was all about hor and the wiuds were shifting round and round the horizon, lashing the sea to madness, so that the huge waves rose, now ahead, now on the broadside and now astern. Wednesday nigiit was a night of terror. Several lil'ebcats were swept away. The waters falling upon the decks fill, d the interior of the ship with a continual crash and roar. At ono iu?tant the Teutonic rose on her stern uutil her bow was near the perpendicular ; the next she plunged downward until her stern was where hor bow had been. And as she plunged she reeled and rolled. Next day t'io storm abated somowhat and the weather became inten e'y cold. The Teutonic had been making comparatively good headway and Thursday Fire Wand observatory was sighted. But the vessel was not seen and reported. The fog and tho snow closed in again and the wind freshened so that Thursday night was almost as bad as Wednesday night had been, Friday morning the wind wont d.iwn somewhat and the fog lifted enough for the steamer to go ahead slowly. Sho was g>>ing along about five miles off shoro. At-2 p.m. the captain sighted a fishing smack flying signals of distress. "The Teutonic bore down to within a quarter of a mile and hove to. The fishing smack was the Josie Iteeves, of New York. The smack's crew could not leave the pumps to reef the "ails when the Teutonic overhauled them. Frozen, with numb fingers and frosted ears and noses, with clothing stiff with ice, they toiled on, hoping against hope, sailing round and round through the fog and the snow. It is hard to understand how they endured so Jong While tho Teutonic was slowing down sailors and several passengers fell with axes and shovels cleaning the decks and loosening tho ico fastenings of a lifeboat. There was a call for volunteers and Fourth Officer Orten and Quartermasters Fi'zpatiick and Murray and Seamen McLaughlin and Holly jumped into the lifeboat and started away for the fishing smack. When the first officer put the whistle to his lips and blew tho call for lowering the boat his tongue stuck to the whittle. When he took the whistle away the end of the tougue came with it. It was two degree? below aero and even the passengers on the Teutonic's deck, sheltered from the wild gale that was allowing, bad to rub their ears an uoees to keep them from freezing

Those men in the little lifeboat, plunging and rearing about in a sea in which it seemed impossible for a small boat to live, had to keep at the oar.to keep alive. ?or an hour they fought with ths cold and the tempest ; then gave up and started for the ship. Those on her deck could see the despairing gestures of the wretched eight men in the smack, and they could also se< the numb and lifeless way iu whicli the men in the lifeboat were rowing When the boat came alongside, the rowers were too frozen to fasten tlv davit's ropes, and sailor from the ship had to go down and do it. Then th*men in the lifoboat were hauled up and carried below. They were almost frozen. 1 But there was another call for volunteers, and again some of the Teutonic's sailors, undismayed by what they had seen, leaped into s second lifeboat and soon wore making the hopeless fight. They could not get near the smack, and when they at last got back they were in the same condition as the first crew.

Captain Cameron saw that this method was useless and begau to si earn the Teutonic round and round the smack. He got near enough at last 10 roar t> them : ' Take in your sails !' and the fishermen realizing for the first time that this must be done went at it, and sotnewhow or other Hid it in spite of their frozen feet and frozen hands and stiffened Jimbs. But the Teutonic could not get near enough to the smack. The fishermen evidently realized this, and, maddened by this tantalizing hope of life that was escaping them, jumped into two dories—mere straws on that frightful sea—and abandoned the smack. Tbey set out to row toward tho Teutonic. The gale almost blew them clear of the water, but the maddened men rowed on. The cut of the wind was like strokes of a Jash, and as tho dories got nearer those on deck could hear the poor wretches screaming with agony at each of tins salted lash on their hands and fac^s. At last the dories came near and lines were thrown out. After a time both were made fast and were draw;; in close under the toweling, icy eidee of the steamer. Then lines with loops in them were let down, and one by one the eight men were git aboard, life still left in them but suffering and having suffered such agony that they could not themselves oxplain why they had clung to it. And the Teutonic sailed into port. And then, and not till then, did her captain leave the bridge. He bail been therefor thirty-seven hours continuously. He had stood there with feet and hands and nose frostbitten, and whoa the doctor examined him he found that his left eye was frozen and tliat sight will in all probability never return to it.