A TALE OF THE SEA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9939, 16 January 1900, Page 1

A TALE OF THE SEA.

A terrible tale of the sea, but ono •wliich reflects tho highest honour upon the humane courage of British seamen, comes from America. On Sunday, September 26, the American sailing vessel, Carrie A. Lane, from Florida, for Noanks, Connecticut, with a deck load of luMber, sprang a leak during a northeasterly gale, tho lumber shifted, and the ship rolled over on her beam ends. But cutting away all three masts tho vessel was righted, but all her cabins and store-rooms were flooded, and she lay upon tho water a more doomed hulk. The captain lashed himself and his wifo to the "mizzen-mast, the other officers and men fastened themselves to whatever promised security against the waves that were breaking over the deck, and in this position the unhappy people faced tho prospoct of slow death from exposure. In this pitiful plight, exposed to all the fury of a storm which never abated, they passed two days, their torments only relieved by the beautiful devotion of the captain s wife, who made light of her sufferings in order to keep ■up the spirits of her companions. About half-past 2 a.m. on the Monday a large American passenger steamer, her cabins and saloons abluze with lights, approached the wreck, as the rescued people aver, quite close enough to discern their distress sigrial, and then steered callously away. During Monday a Spanish brig sighted the drifting hull. She mado a gallant effort at rescue, but was unable to get in position for lowering a boat, and when night closed in tho wreck drifted away in the gale. Rescue came on Tuesday. In the afternoon the Cardiff steamer Rhodesia came in sight, and after a struggle of several hours against the hurricane, succeeded in getting to windward of the wreck. Then she lowered a boat. The seas rose to a fearful height, and it was a battle of life and death to get to tho wreck and back. Scarcely had the rescued people been cot on board the steamer when the boat was crushed like an eggshell by being hurled against the steel sides of tha ship, and the brave men who had effected the rescue themselves narrowly escaped drowning. Next day the Rhodesia steamed safely into Baltimore.