The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-15

whole DRnon.
Our Ky West orses,,ondssce.
NEW YJaK, July. is55.
Mstory of the W,sckmg System tn, Wnckys
a~d N. Hr,ek.d- TIE Staiioas and Ps,s,s-- The
Racs eC R,i,sf-Rights Of The Sailors.
To he Thoroughly acquainted vita ths wrecting
busintxs mus. 90 and live among the vreAkers.
ard and Judge tor himself OF tho mesits an do
merits Of H. An individual. on going % ky West.
which may be considered the great wreck og en-
poiinm OF the Union, and hearing OF tn nuspiiisy
ard daring n aniies'ed by them in the ialvatoa q
lie ard property, would come 70 the cone oi tast
they did not deserve the opprobrinu reequsnuy
beaped upon taem, but that tbs tern sesks~
should he applied 70 them the lltern Of the
word, A. apple able 70 a clsss Of indyiiurs chose
sole business IT IL TO vessels and thair cSgoes
from destruction. whstevcr pecaniary sdvAatAxss
may result TO them from the value OF their scrdcea
10 vest Ia la distress aud no Just estimate he's
been msde Of the value Of their services 30 to ship
ping interests OF this and other countries. have
/ been wrccker, and must be allowed g. have some
knowledge Of the wrcckcrs and the wfookiAg
business, and OF the manner in which ,he slness
I In ,arriec GU.
Scattered alorg the coast, from Caps Flptis t.
| the TortuPss are wrckrg stations, the principal
OF which between Cape Florida and Key West. are
C9sars Crc.k, Key DraVos Key Tsvsrni-rc. In
dian Key, Key vscss, lsli down on the sea charts
A. Cow Key, ard Bayou Honds, nev key West.
B.l7w Key West the wreoking s.,tioas arc indE
fsreniiy rcsttcsd bst~c thA, place Ard tho Tor.
tugw; at each Of these stations may bs seen, ~.
ing Vt snchor late In the evening, from ono 10
three, and sometimes many a, xix. wrecking
vtsss comprising OOPS and scboonsfs FROM forty
10 !. lun1fsa sHn ga MAR xcA
nisht wstcn IL kept; each man esi re tae mast
watches one hour; tie object Of this ws'cn
| Ia To keeo sriot look out tor lights ~ s,gasia
hcisted by vessels ashore tho reef. Esry Ia The
morning toe cook 81 the vessel g-~ AMI prepares
coli Tor all hands, aft-r or befor5 winch the anchor
"a Love shorf, and tie men sta1d 10 n-ss aboa:
the bslyafds % make sat NJ soon ~ possible in op
| poaifon 10 other vossels competing the iicel tn,
moment OF getting under way, witch IL gs1orsLY
st three OF four Ia tie morning iss time OF the
| gfsa'est excitement
Each vessel Is generally rlgged With palen, bl ,oks
ard st the foot OF the mast IL ~. 80 a Ie sitns
block, WITH the thsoat haiyaris rovc tas)ugh
II AND led att, 10 give every man an on DDtu.
nifty OF puhpg. Here, then, afirr ,fiv- IL ecrvea
rOnbd by The cook, t7e crew Of eacn wfssklns
vessel nsst mbes the captain takes ns place ~ tas
tiier or wheel and awaits the frs, movement ale
by any yesBt OF the feet, ths frsi inimsuon Of
which In given by the chatter Of tas ps,cnt b,cks.
The order In aven to hoist away and The tue
throat ayaids start nn on run With that part Of
the bay ara which reeves thfoDrb tnr Iessipg book;
when sfe msipssiI In up, the b IL started by sons.
While Others stand by the wiLd ass end 10 CAS-, 81
the bawscr attached 70 The cnd Of the chan aud
throw overheard the buoy, which In uscd to max
the moosings Of each vessel, and 10 snabe ,he u
pick up tier chain again when usy retuta " their
sistiJn; those vessels having no regular moprinxs
beave taeir anchor short me hrsa thing In the nors
Ing, when the hands Ge called up by the msss
The feet having got under way, an exciting
race takes place, 10 which vessel get shss1
10 The morning cruise Tor wrecka I'M wreck 10
discovered they return at different intervals thu
station left In the morning. They sail up OF doss
The reef until they meet those Of OF, er stations.
when they mutually tura back again; bat N one
clips On TO IN nnfreqnsnted anchorage shs IL close
~ watched by one or two more for fear she has an
iDkling Of wreck sbou. 10 taks place hoped Tor
., that point where no wreck IL on hand.
TIE day u p~~d In wooding, watering, or OBJ
tsining . supply Of tish and turtle, Nth which tas
\ watrs OF The Florida reef abound. When . wreck
4 IL discovered an exciting race tak.s place among
tho viecher', 70 zee who shall b. frs, barrier.
The fret boarctr 81 wreck, " ~ IN yor
tAnc.. is obliged % take In the second and ,ai,d
\ bosrdsD; al after them he has tbs privilege 81
accepting OF reJecting wbcn be takes them in hs
can. u he c9oosss, Gu, dp~n their tonnage. P,~
ins'a-oe; Il vessel Ia ons hundred tins he can ca,
h,r do~nto seven,y i've, and ~ su-ths, of course,
will effect tat vessels shue az the salvage making
le,s ~ ~ many tons ~ she may 10 cut down.I II
facilitate their 5vemcn's each wfe-kng ve~ssl IL
furnished with a fast pnllDg gig boat u 81 xht or
ten oars. OD tearing N. wrecked ycs I'll these
beats are lowered with al their osfs ani being IN.
med stely manned by The choices. oxrsurn Oh
hoard, under TIC command n the captain, pal
away a, the Highest speed possible ~, the vase IA
dsItss rome,mes two arrive aud climb W tae
I vessels eide a. The same moment " time: bat N,
dispute % 10 who ~ frat poardfr IL qasshed BY the
captain re ciying ADD addressing either one ~ fhs
psny hrsi Tee condition " the Yussl and Der ,afy,
u nov discuFssd by The frs. boaYirr and captain.
Ard AZ agreement made - take the vessel ~ ~ .
nnch, whtn inst pra sticebls or n tbc vcsssl 10
10 any way damaged, - un'osd her cugo pr aaly.
y ans toss 20, leak TOO bad, and tssn hsiss Der
o. srd carry hfS with the b4iaone ~ cargo. to Ksy
i Xfrf tff mn - ~
TN. ytsnsl Digei, The DRY pAr q tbn ago IL
unlDs1fd sep1 ate J, then thst -hea u vet ias
I asst 'he ,ayage a The Dry part ~ ths cargo, -
Y dscieed by Court, " no, saei grexi per cen,
I tbs, The We, ard damaged pars. rns hull ~
the yssssl n shs Les % To rccf a s,lt ., sscl oa
g. tho hybest bidder sho ses ire y X And collects
Il All the lroo copper, sad eyerythag vslaxi,ie, aad
sells n In KEY Uss, q, Indian her, from ~b@p .
4 IL 10 shpped cr y direr.n, pLAc-s North. when
the salvage IL ~t,Isd, q divided ascsrdiag 1, ,as
putsge IL ssch wsscl az IL regulated by the nr..
tosySsy sn,ops The vss~s having an inferred Ia she
vrcrl Aid tbsn di~,fibgied By TIE osneY among
the cres 81 b. yesss r.srrins half The salvage for
/ tim,et 20 9wn.ri q toe remaining hall, ths cop
tan ~ the vrecksr draws three s1arss The mi is
tso each man bfofs tie rlsAt, With tee csok fvho
BIAS cbocs u share % wageS), ucslve one scare.
lc my lime The usa before hs mast vs,e frslasat-
tsffsnted, ny tsipg pail ma rnore N "a hall n
What vss doe oefn, and sometime, 40, even me
half
Be'rgs mare lad Of eighteen, ard ~, hsvisg tbs
ooufsee rscsssu1 W c9nbsd vita The ovnsrs f,x
my rgeb, suffered In corrnon with oshsvA !
bop< tbe tlDe vii cone whsr the pyor sailor ksfor,
the mAss Gin - entiied 70 Examine tho settlement
/ ~ ssoh gre h. In vli:h be hA Al Interest. Sor hin
sn and ibis 10 the wsv ia VIII n al vrechins 81.
4 temssu sh0ut he made ~ the owner and n M,
I cone Nv him they sb01id be pightcd by the Uni,.1
stasss Disutct J0dge, who reviiss on ths Ny.
Ttese tsr1cnisrs ! give W ns public tina.
sone definite ises may 10 had ~ The rnson-r
IN With ,ps v,sekips buaness 70 csYYsss - !.
snd Atbosgh they deserve more or isss cyein,
ysi certain sboses eIis, Asnoog tern vhich ca aid
- Corrected. ] nrtics an article in he Ty,sass-
With The caption, Wrcsins and wrechsrs,a
.hrh vvals lndnrs the pubic al large 10 believe
that perfection exisssd In tks nansssusn. Aod 49,
tIemept 81 wrecks Al key West Tbs su,sgr u that
article, no tontS, rns~nt vel and nass In
povfahi sssfsmsnss; LEI hits th.s br considered ~
him |. as~qoel, vvins fev items which he onit
1 ted perhaps from vaus q time And space.
Il A DfautWtM