Hutcheson, John C: Fritz and Eric. V1. 21 July 2009
 

John Conroy Hutcheson (1840- 1897) was a British author of novels and short stories about life aboard ships at sea.
Hutcheson was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, in 1840, and died in Portsea Island, in late 1896 or early 1897.

Excerpt
This is rather an extraordinary book, because it consists of tworather different eras in the lives of two brothers. In thefirst the brother Fritz takes part in the Franco-Prussian war of1870-71, and is severely wounded, but survives - just. He istended by a beauteous maiden, with whom he falls in love.
Meanwhile the brother Eric has gone to sea in what turns out to be a rotten old vessel, which sinks in southern waters. There are some survivors, but Eric is not among them, and is presumed dead.