“CAPT. TIBBETT GLAD TO BE ALIVE”
“The Crew of the Mildred Safe in Port. Londonian Passengers Not So Lucky”
NEW YORK. Dec. 8, 1898 — Within a short sailing distance of this port and twice beaten back, after a two months’ voyage, was the story told by the little schooner Mildred, which has arrived here fifty-six days out from San Blas, Central America, with a cargo of cocoanuts. The crew was forced to use cocoanut milk in place of water, the meat for food and the shells for fire. Captain Tibbett, of the schooner, said as he landed: I “Thank God, it is all over now. I never expected to get in here alive.”
According to the account of the voyage given by the captain, the Mildred, as soon as she left San Blas, encountered rough weather, December 5th the little schooner, out of provisions and with the crew exhausted and discouraged, arrived off Cape May. There she fell in with the pilot boat Philadelphia, which supplied her with provisions and water. For a number of days the provisions and water on the Mildred had been exhausted and the men had lived on Cocoanuts. The shells, as well as some of the woodwork of the ship, were burned in the galley fire, in order to give warmth to the men, who had for nearly forty days been in the midst of a series of storms. The little food furnished to the crew by the pilot boat was enough to keep them from starvation and to give them courage to proceed on their voyage to this port. Once more the Mildred started on her way. only to meet a heavy storm again. This time the captain put in for shoal water and anchored. The storm increased, and both the anchors of the Mildred were carried away. Captain Tibbett then ordered all the sail remaining set, and managed to work the vessel out to sea. Finally the tug Projector was sighted and she brought the Mildred into port.
*Noteworthy
1935 – The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, later renamed the Heisman Trophy, is awarded for the first time. The winner is halfback Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago.
1946 – The Constituent Assembly of India meets for the first time to write the Constitution of India.
1950 – Cold War: Harry Gold is sentenced to 30 years in jail for helping Klaus Fuchs pass information about the Manhattan Project to the Soviet Union. His testimony is later instrumental in the prosecution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.