Thursday, January 21, 2010

Kate and Edward Meglone 1871/1878-?

Siblings Kate and Edward Meglone appear on the 1910 census of Lexington, KY, in the household of their brother-in-law and sister Newton and Sarah Curtis. Kate would have been the oldest sibling at age 39, Sarah next at age 37, and the Edward at age 32. Kate and Edward were not married. All are listed as being born in Kentucky, and Edward's occupation is listed as farmer.

Please see the post on Jack Meglone for more information on the family of Kate and Edward Meglone.

An interesting article appeared in the Lexington Herald on 15 November 1908, when Edward would have been about 30 years old. He was apparently part of a group of men who took a large number of thoroughbred horses to Buenos Aires to be sold, and narrowly escaped a shipwreck in the process. Here is the transcribed text of the article:

"Fayette Men Tell Strange Tale of Being Shipwrecked
Young Men Return From Trip to Buenos Ayres With Elmendorf Horses After Exciting Adventures In Far-Off Southern Seas.
Messrs. George Bell, Allen Downing, Harry Talbott, J.D. Runyon, Joe Van Dornick and Ed. Meglone, six Lexington young men, arrived home last night from Buenos Ayres, after and exciting trip, including shipwreck near the small island of San Sabastiao, on the night of October 16.
George Bell, one of the party who left her in August with a consignment of sixty-five horses from Elmendorf Farm, told a thrilling narrative of their wreck and escape. In an interview last night he said:
Tells of Adventures.
'We left here August 15th with a consignment of horses for the auction sales at Buenos Ayres, going to New York to embark. We were twenty-six days out from New York to Buenos Ayres.
'The trip down was practically without incident, and we landed with our horses and waited for the first of the three sales scheduled. Among the horses were the stallions imp. Dieudonne, imp. Chapelle, imp. Arkle, Geraldstine and Mikado. We saw three of these sold and embarked for our return journey on the Velasquez.
Storm In Dark Night.
'It was a dark night with heavy rain squalls now and then. One could not make out an object more than two feet away. It was so dark that the steward and the captain could not see each other over the tray as the former handed the latter his tea at 9:30 o'clock.
'The ship about that time gave a jump and there was a grinding noise at the same time. She struck again and stopped. Over the starboard rail a large reef could be distinguished by means of the lights aboard ship. The passengers were many of them in a funk and were for doing this, that and the other thing, some praying, others shouting while pleadings and imprecations alike rent the air.
'The officers and crew behaved splendidly except the Spanish stokers who had they not been restrained would have jumped at once into the life boats. The captain brought them back quickly.
'Two boats were gotten out and all of the passengers, women and children first, were gotten into a boat and cleared of the ship's side. There were five other boats manned after this and all escaped, although not until many narrow escapes were had on the ship and with the boats owing to the necessity of opening the exhaust steam pipes to keep the ship from blowing up, during which time the water ran into the old of the vessel; the dynamo went out leaving the ship in total darkness. Within half an hour there was twenty-five feet of water in the engine room, the whole bottom seeming to have been torn out of the vessel.
Sea Dyed By Cargo.
'At daylight the whole face of the waters seemed to be covered with ink, owing to the cargo of dyestuffs having stained the surface of the sea.
'When we first left the ship, the chief officer sailed away with us to find a beach about two miles away, followed by the other four boats. We were landed on a rocky place inhabited by natives, who swarmed around us like flies at a molasses barrel, waiting until they could help themselves to what was left of the ship. The next trip of the boats was to go back after the mails and as much baggage as could be safely procured.
Send Native Messenger.
'A native was sent off to the nearest cable station with a message to the city of Santos. There we were kept for [two nights] and a day while the messenger was gone and until the steamer Milton could come out from Santos and take us aboard.
'We arrived in Santos the following morning after leaving San Sabastiao, and finding the Steamer Titian ready to sail for New York, our party embarked on her- and here we are.
'We had a good time and are no worse for our one rough experience, but we do not feel like tackling another shipwreck.'"

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