TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE ON A FLOATING WRECK.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2650, 6 July 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE ON A FLOATING WRECK.

Till'. Atlas Lino steamer Claribel, on her last voyage to New Vock,saved part of tile crew of the vessel J. S. Moulton while that vessel was a floating wreck and surrounded by sharks, which were expecting every moment to receive their prey. The J. S. Moulton had previously lost her captain and a sailor, who were washed overboard. The J. S. Moulton was going to Jamaica, and when 1 '20 miles oil Capo llatteras a terrific gale was encountered. The seas were running mountains high. The captain and mate were on deck, when the man at the wheel called to them to look out. Just then a tremendous wave camc over the ship, carrying away the only boat the vessel then had, the quarter rail and the steeriug gear. Before the men could properly recover from the wave, another struck the vessel from the opposite direction, carrying overboard Captain Cole and a seaman named Thompson. Both were never seen again. The mate was afterwards found with his head entangled in rigging, where lie had been hurled by the sea. A rope was then tightly wound round the poor fellow's neck, and lie was being gradually strangled. The J. S. Moulton was left a floating wreck, and for four days she went drifting about. Most of the crew were in an injured condition, but they could do nothing to modify their sufferings. The fresh water had gone, and tiie only food that the men had was a few biscuits soaked in the salt water. They had practically given up hope of ever reaching land alive when the Olaribel was seen bearing down to their help. The Claribel had herself been in the storm and had lost all her boats. The captain, therefore, took his steamer as near to the floating wreck as he could with safety, and then sent lifebuoys attached to ropes. By these means the survivors, five in number, was rescued. The shipwrecked people, before the abandonment, could see numerous sharks swimming about in the water. The decks at that time were awash, and the ferocious monsters threatened at any moment to go on the deck. The wreck, it is said could not have remained afloat more than V 2 hours longer, so that had the rescue not been effected the poor fellows would have been food for the sharks the next day. The passengers and crew of the Claribel were most kind to the shipwrecked people, who were left at Fortune Island, The Atlas Line steamer Alvena subsequently took them from the island to New York, landing them at the latter placc on the 20th nit.