A FLOATING WRECK,

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1413, 10 February 1873, Page 2

A FLOATING WRECK.

The flew Jflrk^m^s publishes a shock? ing narrative, supplied by Mr James Dugan, a passenger in the schooner Lancaster, from Prince Edward Island bound for Cape Breton. He states that on the 19th oUSftrttamViar thn Tnr^niaE^fall jp wun a disabled vessel— a well-shapedT strongly-built hull, but the bulwarks and staunchions had been badly dealt with by the elements, and the whole was much weather beaten. On boarding it a dismal sight presented itself. Splintered spars entangled in canvas and rigging geirpand the planks of'a boat torn asunder by the wind and sea, were scattered around in sad confusion. More dismal still werd the scenes which further investigation brought to light. Below a heap of mqtlejr rigging, L and ' broken by the weighVolf a spar which lay across it were the- bone* of a human being— a skeleton; The'akuli ancj ribs had been alnjos't pn a level witb, the deck. Further search" revealed five other skeletons. A slight covering of crisped flesh remained on four, showing that they had died more recently than the . other two. Not a single remaining pot or vessel of any nature in the cooking department of the ill-fated craft contained the least particle of food. This discovery se?me4 to satisfy the captain of the Liw caster that all on board had perighed from hunger. . It was ascertained thstfr foe vessel had been rigged.a brig. The hull bore no name on its sternpost. "On the bowsprit the word "Glenalvon" was barely legible. In the forecastle, which was almost filled with water, a most unearthly stench waif discoyeyed,; |nd only two men couldlie found to 6htei and; i& main long %o^o nns^de. T io' report on what they had seen there. There" were two. cor-pges on the floor, and one stretched across a « bunk," The wheel house had been earned away, and the fastenings of the rudder broken. This, as the captain remarked, was the work of some tremendous sea. The jibboom was gone^ and the' entire crafty as she fchen 'appealed, was the inojjt complete wreojc- Cfapiajn Martiri'had seen" or heard of in lua nautical experience of nearly forty years.' Entering $q gabin a foiil qdour\?« && ci>vere6y but not ijitgnse enough to torbioj a thorough inyestigatibp. " ftowai%' the the 'end o,f the steps Jgading down to the _ cabin a fetid pool of- watej Vas §een.'an| the men had to wade througnlt id order to reach every portion of the cabin. Between a stationary table and agqucji the. he.ad qf a cqrp|e protruded fcqin a, berth in the wall, in"a state of decay. 4 buttoned jacket of good material, blue pantaloons, a flannel shirt marked "T.F " and one boot covered the corpse. The chronometer on the cabin pointed to halfpast four o'clock, and on the stationary table was an open Bible turn** downward, a revolver with two cßambers loaded, and, a bottle containing a piece °J P£P8 r .QR which yras. written, "Jimfe guide us to some helper. Merciful Golf don't let us. perish." ;qjhe words were dgtaphed, and a hiatus. ooounaj^feetween every two or three of them, ifßch showed tliat the writer must have been either in the lowest state of debility or driven to madness by hunger. In the captain's state room his corpse was found lying bent on the floor, as though he had fallen from weakness. On his bed were scattered books, papers, &c, but otte sheet attracted particular attention, it was dated Martinique, May 30, 1872, and ran thus :— " Dear Knte— l will post this letter here to assure you of my well-being, but do'fibt 'attempt .fa hagard an answer to this port, as you will not find «je|j^| a week hence. I- have kept all my strong promises to you, in spite of a thousand bad advices from my comrades. I drink

a little beer, but that is all. Yeur precious photograph is a little silent angel ; at least, I think it so, and I read your letters over a hundred and a hundred times again. You say in yours dated from 16 Hope street, Liverpool, that the old man was altogether turned in my favor when he heard of my having passed the Board. Now, mind and keep him so until I get home again, when everything will be comfortable and jolly. Write to Hal's addreW>in St. John's, New Brunswick, for should it not reach me there, Hal, j _^_fieast, will know where I am. Wisnl^you good health and cheerfulness j and good fortune, my own darling, Kate, I am for ever jrour own Robt. C. Hart." j The ship's regular papers were not found open ; but Captain Martin took in charge a neat writing dfisk found in the captain's trunk and locked. There was a slate on the table in the cabin, which table was covered by guards such as are used at meals. The slate, intended for taking down the login the rough, contained only blurred and illegible writing. The captain's trunk contained numerous letters, which captain Martin intends to give up to the authorities at Sydney. He proceeded to perform the sorrowful services of a burial at sea. For coffins a quantity of old canvas was brought, and rude bags quickly formed out of that material. _ A long board was laid upon a sound portion of the bulwarks, and two bags to which weights were attached, and rattled as they fell. A lamp was held by a sailor on each side of the temporary hearse, and after Captain Martin had read the usual service, the plank was lifted upward, whereupon the coffin bags and skeletons slid into the sea. The ceremony over, the party put back again for the Lancaster. Captain Martin has procured every possible clue, all of which he will give to the authorities at Halifax or Sydney, so that the true history of the Glenabon may be learnt.