Friday, December
21, 1900
Taken from Wreck
Sch. Ellen F. Gleason
of this port, Capt. John A. McEachern arrived this morning and
brings details of her perilous rescue of the crew of the British sch. B. C.
Borden. She landed seven of the men at Liverpool, N. S., and brought one
sailor, John Johnson, to Boston.
Capt. McEachern stated that
he sighted the disabled schooner on December 11, 16 miles southeast of LaHave Banks. She
was flying signals of distress, and the fishing schooner altered her course and ran down
to her. The eight men comprising the crew were huddled together on the poop, and were in a
pitiable condition. They were nearly exhausted with cold and hunger, and requested those
on the fisherman to rescue them, as their craft was on the verge of sinking.
The fishing vessel was brought about, and as
quickly as possible the dories were dropped overboard and the work of the rescue began.
Some of the shipwrecked men were so weak that they had to be lifted into the boat, but all
were safely transferred to the Gleason. A heavy sea was running,
rendering the rescue very difficult.
After taking off the men, the Gleason
bore for Liverpool, N. S., where she landed the crew of the 12th. All of them were
disabled from sickness and exposure. Under the careful treatment on board the fishing
vessel young Johnson has fully recovered from his experiences.
The wrecked vessel was commanded by Capt. Walter
Rowe, and was bound from Cadiz, Spain, with a cargo of salt for Halifax. For 30
days before being abandoned she encountered fearful weather, during which her sails were
blown away, rudder disabled, pumps broken down and the vessel became leaky. It was a
desperate struggle for life on the sinking vessel, and the crew with frost bitten hands
feet and thoroughly exhausted by the exertions at the pumps, had abandoned hope when the Gleason
hove in sight and saved them. |
