A Thrilling Tale of the Sea.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3196, 4 May 1889, Page 3

A Thrilling Tale of the Sea.

Tho Canard atoamer Etrartn, wbioh arrived at Queenstown lately from New York, brings particulars of a thrilling talo of tlio sea. The t British ship Stephen D. Horton, 1,120 tons, with a lull crew on board laden with jute and saltpe;re, naildl from Cnloutta, and subsequently called at St. Helena for provisions, from which port she sailed, but wbb only teu days out—about 400 miles off the coast of Pernambuco, in mid-1 ocean—when the cry of "Fire!" was raised, The saltpetre had esploled with an awful report, and in less than two hours afterwards, the ship wa? from s*eni to stem in flames. Throughout tlio, dreadful scene the captain's young wife, who who on botfd, stood by the men at work, and ancouraged thorn lo preserve their presence of mind, and when hope was abandoned," she assisted tlio sailors in lowering the lifeboats without fur a moment losing self-command. One boat 1 with nine sailors and Mrs Lewis was lowered successfully, but had scarcely been launched when a panio ensued among the rest of the crew. The scorobing flames were more than Ihey could endure. Driven to desperation. eight of them jumped B wildly into the sea and swam away from the burning ship. One seaman .named Davies was overcomo. by the ' smoke and dropped into the flames, being consumed before the eyes of his comrades, whilst another sailor sank shortly after he took the fatal leap. Two boats, fully laden, then rowed away, watching the destruction of their ship, and headed fur Pernambuco, For three days and three nights the two boats, with ten persona in eaoh, were tossing about tho atlantic, each person having only half a buscuit and a pint of water per day to live ou, when, after • suffering intensely from the burning sun, they were picked up by the barque 'JVilighi, from Cardiff, and landed safely at Pernambuco. A young negro boy, only three years old, is going lo England for exhibition, He is blind, but pssseases a roraarkable memory. The youngster will answor 8,000 questions contained in a book, and any combination of figures or names told him at t'to beginning of the enteriatntnont will bo repeated it the iiiiish iAltor several trials it has at length , been decided to use tho electric light at ' Windsor Castle. Tho machinary at the Palaco is now in working order, and a portion of tho corridor will, it is understood, be illuminated by a series of incandescent lamps on tho return of tho Court from Osborne Tho first of the HG-tons for tho battleship Victoria, fitting at Chatham, has been completed at Woolwich, and is new ready to bo placed on board the Victoria which is to bo hastened forward for commission as fkwship in tho Mediterranean. Mr Henry G. Marquand, cf New York, has presontod to the Metropolitan Museum in that city 35 pictures, including works of tho highest quality by ltembrandt, Velasquez, Vnndyek Turner, Constable, and many other painters. Their aggregate value cannot bo far short of £IOO,OOO. The orowned heads of Europe are hecoming so literary that a rnagazino is proposed—in America, of course—to which only these of Royal blood shall be allowed to contribute. No advertise merits will be taken, and criticisms of eaoh number will be furnisliod to the papers by tho librarian of each Court.