A Porilous Adventure.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3396, 10 November 1879, Page 2

A Porilous Adventure.

On June 1 last Air Loui-; G. Goldsmith, a Dnue, conimencHl tho hazardous and unwise nit-'nij-fc to cross Hie Atlantic in a email boat ISl'i in length ovor "!! and Oft iJin b^ain, accompanied by his wifu. Having laid in sufficient provisions for five monllts, with the necessary additional gear to enable him to undertake so long a voyage, Iho litile craft, which was named Uncle Sam, and was sloop-rigged vvilli jib and main sail and square sail to run before the wind, started from Boston for Denmark, it being tho intention of the adventurous sailor subsequently to proceed by tho Suez Canal to China and California, and, having circumnavigated the globe, to return to America. On leaving Boston he sailed down the coast to Nova Scotia, and reached St. John's, Newfoundland, early in August, where ho was detained by stress of weather. Ou Aug. 11, however, the Uncle Sam started with a fair wind from the west; a::d after getting outside the Narrows, the fishing schooner Oceana, of Marble Head, fired a salute, and the voyagers were invited on board to dinner, which was accepted by Mr Goldsmith. They re-embarked immediately after the meal and proceeded to sea, followed by many good wishes for their safety. The weather at this time was fine, with a fresh breeze from the west, before which the little craft ran uudi-r jib sail during the night. As it was impossible for Mr Goldsmith to attend to the boat without sleep, and as his wife was unable to leave her berth through sickness, he systematically caught a few snatches of rest at intervals in the daylight, when the boat could lie to or could proceed under jib sail, the nights being always devoted to steering and keeping a sharp watch. The indisposition of Mrs Goldsmith, which at first was thought to arise from sea sickness, assumed a far more serious aspect when they had been at sea a few days, and lrd to the belief that it was an attack of inflammation of the bowels. This circumstance added greatly to the difficulty of Mr Goldsmith's position, as he had to discharge the duty of a doctor, and also to take charge of his craft. Nor had he any medicine which was adapted to the euro of inflammation, and but for his subsequent timely rescue, and for assistance rendered to Mrs Goldsmith, it is highly probable that she would have succumbed. As the boats approached the banks of Newfoundland a dense cold fog prevailed, which demanded additional watchfulness at the Lolni; and notwithstanding this, on the evening of August 1-1, the little craft was as nearly as possible run down by a brigantiue, which was close upon them when discovered, and did not blow any fog-horn. After the lucky escape, the captain of the boat blew his fog-horn during the whole time that the fog prevailed, until his lips were quite swollen from the task. Nothing further occurred of any importance until Saturday, the 16th, when the' Uncle Sam entered upon an experience of Atlantic weather. A gale of tremendous force from the northwest sprang up, which necessitated the taking in of all sail and the setting of the square sail with one reef in it, with which the boat went gallantly before the wind. The sea, however, ran so high that there was great danger of runuing the boat under the waves or turning her over, and her owner stood ready with knife in hand to cut the halyards at any moment. In consequence of shipping heavy seas into tho cockpit, and much water running into the cuddy where his wife was lying sick, Mr Goldsmith abandoned sailing, and lay to with two drags overlaer bows. Jaded, and with clothing saturated, he lay down to rest, the barometer standing at 28 80. Shortly afterwards a tremendous sea struck the boat, which shipped a quantity of water, almost filling the place in which he was lying with his wife. Without stopping to asceitain the cause of this, he commenced to bale out the water, feeling assured that if another such sea struck them the boat would go to the bottom. At this time his wife was sitting with the water almost up to her shoulders, bufc by dint of perseverance he baled most of the water out, and the boat righted, when he found that his drag rope had parted, and that he had lost two drags and two oars to which they "were lashed. Ihis, however, was not the worst misfortune. Upon examining the lockers which contained his food, Mr Goldsmith fund that the water had forced its way into these reeeptables, and had destroyed all his bread and provisions, except tinned meats, and all his clothes were saturated. His wife continued to grow worse, and at ten p.m. on the night of the 16th, when he took charge of the tiller, with nothing to be seen or heard around him but the raging of the angry waves and the heavens as black as pitch, he began to contemplate the desirability of returning to the hanks of Newfoundland (about 100 miles), where he hoped to be picked up by some fishing smack. " The gale continued throughout the 17tU and 18th, and as three of the cleets with which the inainsheet was fastened had given wuy, Mr Goldsmith felt that if the fourth broke he should be utterly hopeless. For forty-eight hours he had not slept, his i nly food being some canned mutton, and up to that time he had sighted no vessel during Ihe continuance of tho gale. About three p.m. on the 19th, after having been for seventy-two hours without rest, he lay down for a sleep, when a heavy sea struck the boat, and upon rushing on deck to discover whether any mischief j had been committed he Baw a large barque on the starboard bow, and after chasing it for an hour his little craft was observed and measures were taken to rescue both him and his wife. The vessel proved to be the barque Queen of Nations, belonging to Messrs Fernie, of Liverpool, commanded by Captain F. W. Edwards, with timber and deals, bound for Liverpool, and was reached in latitude 47 36 N, longitude 43 20 W. The woman *as hauled on board with a bowline, and afterwards Mr Goldsmith was rescued, but in consequence of the heavy sea running he was not able to recover anything from the boat, and lost clothes, money, thermometers, barometer, and some valuable letters of introduction, The boat was afterwards scuttled. Under the kindly treatment which both parties received from Captain Edwards and crew, Mrs Gc Idsmith gradually recovered ; and except suffering from the effects of an accident which befell him, Mr Goldsmith was landed apparently not much the worse for his perilous adventure. They both speak in rery high terms of the treatment they received from all on loard the Queen of Nations, but for whose timely arrivaljthey must have inveitably perished.—Liverpool Mercury.

To make a fine eye water—stick an onion on it.