TERRIBLE STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9041, 17 February 1891, Page 3

TERRIBLE STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

The Pacific steamship John Elder, Captain Jennings, which arrived at Plymouth lately from Valparaiso, brought among her passengers five seamen, the survivors of the wrecked barque Seatoller, of Liverpool. They were J. G. Hardy, steward, of Newcastle; T. S. Glendinning, sailmaker, and R. B. Gillies, ordinary seaman, of Glasgow; Silas Butters, able seaman, of Greenock; C. Swinback, apprentice, of South Shields. The Seatoller was of 558 tons register, was built at Liverpool in 18GG, and belonged to Mr John Gambles, Harrington, Cumberland. She left Glasgow on February 8, under command of Captain Jennings, with a general cargo for Valparaiso, and experienced a disastrous voyage, which ended in her total loss, The

SUEVIVOES OF HER CEEW state that all went well until they reached abreast of the Falkland Islands, and about 200 miles distant. On April 8 they experienced a heavy gale, which lasted a week, did the vessel serious damage, washed away the boats, and blew away the sails. On April 1G the gale moderated, and the ship sighted the Cambrian Duchess, of Swansea, totally dismasted, on her beam ends, and in a sicking condition. Having seen her signals of distress, the Seatoller bore down to her, and took ofi the survivors of her crew, 25 in number —her cook had been washed overboard and drowned the day before. After having got them aboard, the Seatoller steered for the Falkland Islands, where she arrived on April 22. There they landed the wrecked crew, and lay at the islands 13 weeks getting necessary repairs done. On Julj 2G, being ready for sea, she weighed anchor, and when clear of the land her course was at S S.W., i W., steering for St. John's point, Staten Island, on the east coast of Terra del Fuego, with the wind free, and all plain sail set. On the night of the 27th the wind freshened, and all hands were called to shorten sail. They stood on under upper topsails until 4 o'clock in the morning, when land was reported on the starboard bow. Then the vessel was put about, but Captain Jennings, seeing that the ship was not going to clear the land, had all hands called to set more sail on. While this was being done the ship struck the rocks three or four times, and settled down, when tho seas breaking over her

WASHED AWAY NINE OP THE CEEW and threw the remainder into the water. Four of the latter managed to reach the mizzen rigging, where they were joined shortly afterwards by the captain. Thero they waited until daybreak, when they saw another man in the maintop, and called to him to join them in the mizzen rigging by crossing over by the stays, which he did. They remained in the mizzen rigging all day, with the seas breaking over them. During the afternoon the captain intimated bis intention to try and swim to the shore. The others made a line fast round his body, and he jumped into the sea. He was killed in the attempt by the surf beating him against the rocks. He had cast oil the line before he reached the rooks, so that the men on board could not render him any assistance. Seeing that they could do nothing more, they crossed over the maintop on to the stays, and cutting the mizzen staysail adrift to shelter them, they remained there all night. In the morning they sighted a vessel, and climbed up to the main truck, and tried to attract her attention, but did not succeed. Thinking there might be a chance of getting ashore from the foremast, they crossed over the maintopgallant stay, and succeeded in reaching a part of the deck which was above the water. Two of the men tried to swim to land, but failed. A third, however succeeded, and making a line fast on shore, they all safely landed. Then they had to CMMB A MIECIPICE about 1000 ft high, and after climbing all day they reached the top much exhausted, and witb their hands and feet badly cut, having no boots and very little other clothes at the time. They then travelled in a north-easterly direction, and came in sight of a lighthouse before dark, but being unable to reach it that night, made tbe best shelter they could of branches of shrubs, and lay there all night. In the morning they started again at daybreak, and made for the beach, where they sat and made a breakfast of seaweed. Seeing that they could not travel by the beach, they got to the mountain again, and after great exertion they reached the station at 10 o'clock terribly exhausted, after having been three days without food except seaweed. On their arrival at the station they were supplied with food and clothes, and at the end of eight or nine days the major, who commanded them, thought they were sufficiently recovered to give them some work to do. They willingly went to work to saw wood in the woodshed, and on October 3rd the officer ordered them to turn to the same work as his own men were employed in—carrying poles down from the mountains. Having no boots with which to go over the rough ground, they refused to do this, when the major threatened IN VERY VIOLENT SPANISH to put them in the stocks. This was done in the case of the sailmaker, and an able seaman was put in irons and sent up the mountain to work in tbe rain. Next day the irons were taken off, and an iron shackle witb 41 links of three-quarter chain, was made fast round the man's ankle before leaving. He had been 32 hours in this condition, and after the irons were removed the man was unable to walk. Shortly afterwards tho transport Villaino arrived, and the men were sent on board. They had not been on board 10 minutes before they were set to work, and were kept at it from 4 in the morning till between 7 and 8 at night. They had