The Midnight Escape from the War Hawk

A party of thirteen men, sailors belonging to the ship War Hawk, left the vessel for a night of revelry in the vicinity of Apple Tree Cove, intending to return on Friday. As they did not return until shortly after midnight on Monday, their friends were feeling quite uneasy about their safety. When they finally returned, it was revealed they had been involved in a ship-run. They did not remain long in the city but during the night managed to get clear and reached the sound shortly thereafter. It is supposed by the seafaring men that they had previously arranged with outside parties to come and take them off in a boat which was done during the night. They are probably many miles away by this time. The principal cause of the trouble with the men probably originated out of the unsafe condition of the ship, as they had no desire to stay again at the mercy of the captain or the port given the War Hawk's present state. It is well known she is a rotten ship and will undoubtedly serve as a worthy ship for only a few years to come. She is now in an unfit condition for sea, by reason of a large leak in her hull near the bow. The captain proposes, however, to remedy this before he sails, but is now in such a condition that it will be necessary to discharge part of her cargo to lighten her up forward in order to make the necessary repairs, and how to do this has not yet been decided. The captain is waiting for an unloaded port to arrive to which he can transfer the cargo, as no other suitable facilities are afforded here.