The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-14
MARINE DISASTERS.
The Effects Of the Late Snow Storm
and Intense Cold.
TERRIBLE SUFFERING ON OUR COAST.
ShipwreckS on the Jersey and Long
Island Shores.


SERIOUS Loss OF LIFE,
&c., &c.. &c.
THE PILOTS AND THE SEVERE WEATHER
WRECK OF THE PILOT BOAT 4. K. COLLINS AND LOSS
OF FOUR LIvEs-THRILLING NARRATIVE OF ONE
OF THE CABIN BOYS WHO WAS ON THE FROZEN
WRECK FOR THIRTY-TwO H0URs-MIRACULoUs
ESCAPE OF THREE OF THE PILOTS BY DIVING UN-
DER THE FROZEN sURF-AGONY ON THE OCEAN
SUFFERING OF THE NEW YORK PILOTS DURING TEE
RECENT TERRIBLE WEATHER.
The exceedingly cold and stormy weather Of the last
ten days has done great injury to the pilots and their
vessels along Northern coasts Snow storms and
carniva may be very pleasant thoee who live large
cities and who successfully resist the effects of the
low temperature, but to seamen and all who CON-
PEELED to down to the In ships" they entail ter
rble suffering, and not unfrequently loss of life.
There class Of citizens to whom the recent cold
snap has been most disastrous not only In pecuniary
point Of vew but also from the of life and physical
suffering they have been pelled to endure-we
the New York pilots These hardy have brsved
all kinds of weather; neither snow storm cod
could make them thrk their duty forget their obN
cations to those entrusted to their care During
the raging storm of the 9th and 9Th insand they
describe il being indeed fearfu-their lay
along the coast and to their vigilance may be ascibed
the comparatively small number of marine disasters
pared with The extent Of coast which the storm
ragged Nor did the Arctic weather that followed abate
their devotedness to their duty and this the suffer-
ngs they endured Of which account Is given else
where, most abundantly testify. We heap honors upon
the soldier who has fought for his country and justly
but surely those hardy brave devoted face
all the horrors of the tempest the fgd temperature
and the treacherous coast should not be forgotten when
selfdevotedness bravery and endurance to be re-
warded
What the pilots compelled to endure may be judged
by the following account of the loss Of the boat E. K
Collins off Fire Island Inlet
appears that the boat had for days chasing
up the clipper ship sngrsy, from Canton bound New
York but Wednesday night the 9th inst, the clip
per was lost track Of and the pilot boat lay to along
the coast. This she could do without DANGER the
wind was W. N. W. This night it will be remembered,
was intensely cold and frozen mist from the
water and encrusted the little boat that she
bled floating iceberg more than q vessel This mist Is
csused by the evaporation Of the water, phenomena
that constantly occurring but a very low tempera
ture Of the air. the water being warmer the evaporation
is much greater and sometimes the fairly
TO seeths and bell up thick vapor arising meanwhile
This mist contains SALT and it consequently forms ice
much readily the rigging deck and sides of the
vessels than does the salt spray.
In the case OF the Collins the men on deck could
scarcely the beats length ahead.
Near five the morning Of the 10th inst. Mr. James
r. Murphy, who had command Of the helm what he
considered to be the light of large ship Immediately
ahead and he attempted to put down the hem but the
vessel would not yield to it, heavily she
parsed by the ice. Suddenly the boat shoaled and
thrown her beamends, with head to the north and
deck towards the shore It after rwards proved to be
Fire Island Inlet and the shosl which they
about q mile from the shore. The light they had seen
from the lighthouse which, owing to the cold
did rot revolve every sixty seconds it should have
done, and hence the mistake of the belmsman.
The broke heavily the vessel, and the largest
boat they had the lee yaw washed away by wave.
1t with great difficulty the weather yawl cleared
of the ce and into this boat Morris Ewood the boat
keeper; James r. Murphy and Wm Roach pilots and
James Sullivan apprentice entered and pulled for the
shore The rolling heavily, and the yawl
neared the shore she filled twice. and it with the ut
most difficulty the could bail her out and keep them
selves aoa On nearing land the surf rolled completely
over her; and to rave themselves, Murphy and Roach
under the ice that nged the coast made their
way 10 Shore which they eventually reached chilled and
frostbitten, but out of danger. Sullivan also reached
shore, but Hlwood in attempting to dive from the yawl
caught his foot in the lashiugs and WAS drowned
But fearful fate awaited those who remained in the
knew died of cold after the yawl left, and VIM. VII
lians cabin boy, after perished. Mr.. Robert b
Mitchell was the next victim and only remained
aiye-a lad, named James Rush-who strange to say,
lived thirty-two hours and eventually save though
his companions died within two hours after the yawl
boat left the wreck.
After his companions died Rush. seeing the tide had
subsided managed to crawl into the cabin where he
found bed which, though covered with ice, better
than the exposed place he had left Here he remained
during the night and part Of the following day, suffering
dreadfuly, he most of the time in the chilling
water up to his arm pits.
During the afternoon of Friday he broke open the
state room, deck, and attempted to construct raft
and fortunately from the shore and rescued
from his dreadful position. He taken to the
lighthouse, and Saturday evening brought
home to this city, and Il undergoing medi-
cal treatment at the New York Hospital. Dr. DASH the
attending physician thinks him of danger tn ugh
he will doubtless lose the Of his hands and feet.
Our reporter called upon him yesterday when the boy
made the following thrilling statement of his painful
experiences:-
STATEMENT OF JAMES RUSH, THE CABIN BOY, WHO
WRECK.
We struck the shoal about A. NJ. on Thursday
ing. It bitterly cold, and thick mist, like cloud
rose from the water, that cold the boats
length ahead. On looking out dull light ahead,
that looked like If it shone from the j3boom of large
ship. None of thought it the ig Clubhouse, the
amp of that point every sixty second and this
seemed through the mist to be stationary We after
wards that the intense cold mad covered tue glass
with FROST that it looked lise sngass and the lamp
ed revolving went below little before O'Clock,
and Mr.. Murphy had charge Of the hem at which time the
boat was laying TO with three.reef mainsail and jb.
On seeing the light Mr.. Murphy put the helm about,
but the vessel would not obey it, the ice with which
it was surrounded prevented its doing We after
struck and the boat thrown hsr beam ends with
her deck tilted toward the Shore The broke the