Show Wedding Nearly Caused Death Thrilling Experience of Preacher Who Tied Knot A w wedding ceremony by the Rev H. H F. F Crofton nearly res resulted fed In his death by shipwreck after atter 3 a. a terrible struggle against the waves It was in AUg August st 1892 when I was as rector at Turks Islands in the West Indies said said the Rev Mr Crofton I Iwas Iwas was sent for for to marry a couple at a small settlement of about Inhabitants inhabitants tants at Cockburn Harbor being part of a group called the Calcos Islands and separated from the island of Grand Turk where Turk where I was resident resident resident-by by two ty-two miles by ocean I had had many narrow escapes In traveling on this piece of water in small boats which are the only ones to be got as a rule and Aug August st being what Is called In the tropics a hurricane month I was advised advised ad ad- not to go The couple however r were ready and waiting to be married there was no resident minister of any any- kind there and I did not like to disappoint i point them True they might have got I civilly married at the Registrars Registrar's of office of- of fice tice and waited for the religious ceremony ceremony cere cere- mony to take place at my next regular visit but the people of the Turks and Caicos Calcos islands have as a rule an unaccountable unaccountable un un- accountable prejudice against this way out of the difficulty though It Is commonly com com- resorted to In the Bahamas Well I got down to Cockburn Harbor Harbor Har Har- bor all right and the couple were wele duly married and seemed thankful to me for coming coming- The bridegroom kindly of offered offered of- of to send me back on the Sunday Sunday- for the ceremony took place on a Sunday Sun Sun- day day In In a little decked schooner boat of or his caned called the Seagull about fifteen feet long and five tons burden This was was a a. small boat enough In all con con- to be trave traveling on ocean waters waters wa wa- In the hurricane months but it was a case of Hobsons Hobson's choice choice either I had to take tak this chance or walt wait at Cockburn Harbor for perhaps a w week ek or ten days Sailing Without a Compass I started on the S Seagull agull at about 9 p. p m. m on th Sunday night George Lockhart a brother of the bridegroom acted a as skipper another man as mate and crew all In one and the passengers consisted of myself and a friend of mine a Mr Algernon Stubbs The weather was a a. little cloud cloudy when we started and nd we had the usual sout southeast e st trade wind to beat against Because they know the Turks islands channel so well and can generally get the Grank Turk lighthouse in about six hours when when they get about half halfway halfway way across the Caicos sailors have a rather rathe car careless less habit of sailing without without with with- out a a. compass This neglect nearly proved fatal to us We had not been sailing long when the heavens became black with clouds and the wind began to blow from the northeast in fitful gusts the sure precursor at that time of the year of a hurricane But we wew w were re In for som something worse than a hurricane The wind shifted round all the points of the compass rendering navigation fearfullY difficult and durIng during dur dur- ing the whole of Monday we knew not where we were Just picture to yourselves your your- selves the we were In A small comp boat w with th no pro pro- visions In the of a tropical storm neither the nor any of theother the theother other three of JS s knowing in the least where we Wl to our having no compass and and to the bewildering changes In which drove us hither and During the whole of Monday londay we not catch a glimpse of the sun SUllo Tie sea lashed by the I tremendous gal gaH was running moun moun mountains mountains' high and the he thunder and lightning light light- I ning were InC Slant Fight Against he Storm Anxious as I I. I was concerning our ourI I safety I could rot help admiring the intense grandeur of the scene before me It will rem ln photographed ed on m my memory till I cje Cle I never saw such sucha a sight in my life It seemed as if all the elements were either fighting with each other or thai the I sea and wind wina thunder and were combining together to destroy destro the poor little Sea Sea- gull LuckilY unlike nany of the boats I have had to take m mt quarterly voyages in the Seagull was decked Had this not been the case I should not now De be alive to tell the for the seas were continually breaking over it But the brave little boat ros superior to them all although It shivered from st stem m to stem sterl when some ally heavy sea struck It We were fortunate also atso In having a a. brave and skipper I can see George Lo now nov never for a moment disheartened even even when he lost his bearings bearings ut jut in spite of the constant to which he was subjected mant manfully llY at his post at the tiller with his mus muscles les strained taut an and his face set grimly Algernon Stubbs and the other otha- man also kept their courage up In fact we all encouraged encouraged en en- each other o 0 the best of or out our ability although the outlook was black enough in all The best that I expected ed was that tie be Seagull would be thrown up somewhere on the shores of San Domingo Water Everywhere l thing to Eat We went on like till Tuesday morning The sky was still sunless and gloomy but the sea and the wind had had gone down a little lIttle though not enough to take away all danger danga- The pangs of hunger now began t make themselves themselves them them- selves felt and added to the wretched wretchedness hed- hed ness of our situation N NJ land or rock or vessel could be seen seen nothing but a a. waste of angry waters melting away into a gray horizon All of a Sudden we noticed far away on the horizon what I nuy describe as asa a greenish or emerald lue he among the blackness of the sky T Tte other sailor who was an old Nassau Immediately immediately im Im- mediately jumped up excitedly shoutIng shout shout- Ing White water Nov Noy the term white w Water ter is applied by the natives to the clear shallow water you yov find in the tropical cays and banks This reflection in the clouds clouds the sailor said was probably the reflection of the Ule shallow water oC the Caicos Calcos river Then we ran Into the smooth and and hospitable waters of the Caicos Calcos banks and soon the hearted kind people of Cockburn Harbor were welcoming us back as It were from flom the grave grave for they ha had never expected to see any o ous of ofus us alive allye again They said they had no not had ad such a fearful storm since the |