LADS SEA ADVENTURE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 September 1908, Page 1

LADS SEA ADVENTURE.

THRILLI«(I EXPERIENCE. William Bowlefcji .Devon youth, haa had a thrilling; experience on his first yoyage which, tie. never, will forget. For • daw. iand twp'Jnights he was tossed about in ''a strip's in the 3tistol Channel, being'jpicted 'up when ' half dead from ©xpd6ursahd*hunger.' He was landed at Barr^by'the steam-bargo Ludovick. J I* P'P • -''- Relating his experience, Rawles eaid his parents live at^BSrnstaple,' and a little over two month*, ajJso;iiß.walked from that place to Plymouth; ttt-iry'-and get a berth at sea; ' ' „. "' * "I was just giving .up! when ons ' day the three-masted jscpopner Ella Owens, of Cardigan, wa6 ; 'ifljttijg'out. A man on deck jshouted ont>-!DS"you want to come onboard ' and I- jumped in.and took my chance, and we*, wentotound to Swansea. "On the Thursday I went ashore, taki ing the ship's bbat'uf order to row across tha dock, "and whsn'l.returned*.a couple of hours later:l cottjd l .not find the. vessel. * No one seemei to. kni>\!r. where she had gone, and I thought she might. have sailed out into the bay, Si- rowed out to the pier in order to look, for her, and when near the end of Swansea Pier a big wave came and washed* me out into the bay. "I had only one bar to row with, and could not. therefore,* row back against, the strong current, I was washed out to sea. I shouted; but failed to. draw the attention of .anyone.^n.shore, a strong wc^tox-ly Qstla felowix*^' ili» e_&a. wa& MlUning very higli. .aiid I was in a perilous ; position. . '_ "The small boat rode, the waves splen- . didly, but was tossed abont like ; a cork. > I was drenched by the rain, and I gave . up hope as night came bn of being picked I up until the morning. . I spent that night i in the bottom of. the boat, clinging to the seat, bailing out the water. SAILING SHIP FAILED TQ SEE I THIM.. "I knew I was in danger of being run i down by any' vessel,. so I kept a sharp f look-out. When daylight came, however, i I found I was on the . open sea, but no . vessels were coming near me, ,and 3 throughout. that day I was tossed about | I on tho waves. ' ' s "In the evening a sailing ship appeared , a mile away. I* thought if was my last . chance. I shouted'; and as the ship came . nearer I thought they would pick me np. p You can judge my -horror, whenno one c apeparihg on deck the vessel passed withe out seeing me. r "I had been suffering from. seasickness v and was getting veryjweak. The pangs of g hunger were gnawing, and my thirst was painful owing to the sea watet which had r got down my throat!;- ' I had a terrible ■ 1_ struggle to keep in the boat, as the waves ;. broke in and almost washed me out time 0 after time. .'.*'•' i „ "It was only when the boat got on the a crest of a wave 'that-.l:coul.d, see ' anything around me, and.then I noticed that 0 all shipping was about ten mile „ away. .7-.'J :,■] j. "I was bruised, ;tiredjt.hungry, and in a despair, when 7 the ' night came on for a j aecon'd time. 'As T. lay in the bottom of the 3 . boait lookinjgj'np atrthe slqrj -I prayed for t_ the light to giv* me another chance, and c " indeed theJnigh); I seemed very short. It , was scarcely an hour that the darknessP_ continued, and when the light came my " hopes began to risejagain; . —' j* "I canriot'telljyou'.'with what, joy I JJ saw the Ludovick making towards me and felt strong anns/.drafging me over the b*ulwarjks v bri'tq.the''d*ecE' They gave j me brandy and food, and! am stronger rs »**■" PPPpPypypr P. b- • -- :'--■-'- P. -1* *-'■■*'-

, JJJ. ', ■' * '•: ■'' ■ ■ , •d A I*ndod^'ini^iw4lj^edJjfroni the Marble Arch to theiSlMtyr'e Memorjal, Ox--16 foMr S^ndl^iinfieight- hours jand 51 it minutes, beating-the ' record by one. a hour and eight minutes. .