THIRTY-ONE DAYS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 670, 19 February 1875, Page 3

THIRTY-ONE DAYS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

—o— At tlie monthly meeting of the South Shields Local Marine Board, held a few days ago, Mr Alderman Glover, the chairman on behalf of the Board of Trade, presented J. W. Horner, a young seaman, whose parents reside at Wingate Colliery, near Ferry Hill, with an aluminium binocular glass, as an acknowledgmedt of gallant conduct in February last. It will be re. momembered that the barque Arracan, of Greenock, while on a voyage from Shields to Bombay, with a cargo of coals, took fire on February 17, and on that day she was abandoned by her crew. They took to the boats, and endeavored to make for th“ Ivlaldive Islands. The boats kept together until March 2, when, on account of the strength of the current, the crews of the boats agreed to separate and divide the provisions. The master of the vessel took' charge of the longboat, the mate took charge of the gig, and the second mate, David Webster, with three men and a boy, the pinnancc, and made for the Maidive Islands. At the end of two days the pinnance was injured by a heavy sea breaking on board, and could not keep up with the gig, which was shortly lost sight of. The pinnance was working to the windward until the 9th March, by which time the provisions and water had been consumed. Shortly afterwards the men cast lots as to which man should be killed and eaten, and tho lot fell on the lad Horner; but Webster, the second mate, who had been asleep, awoke in time to prevent them carrying out their purpose. An attempt was made after dark to kill Webster himself, but Horner aroused him from his sleep and saved him. On the following day, while Webster was asleep, a struggle occurred in the boat to get possession of his gun, but he was again awakened in time. Two hours after the men tried to kill Horner, but Webster threatened to shoot the first man who laid hands on him. Next day they attempted to sink the boat, but Webster and the lad mastered them again, Homer being the mate’s trusty ally all the time they were exposed in the boat. An effort was made two days after to sink the boat again, but Webster shot a bird, which was devoured by them, and during the next live days they were quieter. They subsisted on barnacles taken from the boat’s bottom, and upon the sea blubber, for which they dived. Following those five days of quiet, some of the men became delirious, and fought and bit each other, in one of which frays a man cut another over the head with a belaying pin, and blood flowed from the wound, which was caught in a tin and drank by the crew, including the wounded man himself. Horner kept watch with Mr Webster all the time, and prevented the men from destroying themselves. On the 31st day of exposure, hunger and suffering in the boat the men were picked up GOO miles from the land by the ship City of Manchestei, Captain Hardie, and were ultimately landed in Calcutta. Webster had been presented with the Albert medal of the second class by the Board of Trade.