The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-04
Driven Upon the Shore In a HOwiing
6aIe-Cljng1ng TO Life with Frozen

Ffngers-The SWOOp OF Death.
The particulars of the wrecking of the
bark Kate Smith on the New Jersey coast
during Thursdays fearful storm are given
| by the four survivors of the crew. The
| Kate Smith hailed from Yarmouth, Nova
Scotia, and was loaded with pig lead. She
was a staunch craft of 404 tons register,
nearly new, and was owned in Yarmouth.
Her passage was pleasant until the storm
came up on Wednesday. A gale struck her
at about 10 O'Clock on Wednesday night,
the snow at the same time falling SO heavily
| that it was thought to be unsafe to run fur
ther before the gale. Capt. Wilson Hamil-
ton thereupon tackled ship and
| STOOD IN FOR THE SHORE.
The gale increased during the night. The
snow fell faster, and the cold was intense.
At 5k O'Clock on Thursday morning the
vessel stranded amid the breakers of bar
rem beach. Vain efforts were made by the
half-froZen crew to wear ship and then,
as the destruction of the vessel seemed i'm
minent, those on board became paralyZed
with fear. There were on the vessel the
captain, two mates, New York harbor
pilot named Hussey, Il steward, seven sea-
men, and Margaret Durham, wife of the
steward. Finally mate and two of the
crew accepted
| THE PERILoUs TASK
of embarking in small boat for the shore,
in quest of aid from q neighboring life-boat
station. The boat at once filled with wa
ter, but its occupants at length reached the
shore, drenched and freezing.
| The nine persons left on board the strand
ed bark were in pitiable condition. The
cold waves BROKE relentlessly over the
deck, preventing the launching of more
boats, and in an hour from the time the
bark stranded she went over on her side.
The captain and pilot climbed to the main
top, the crew and Mrs. Durham climbing
to the top of the cabin, all gradually grow
| ing benumbed with the cold. The woman,
after once being nearly washed overheard,
was lashed, nearly inscnsible, to the rig
ging.
| THE FIGHT FOn LIFE.
Each minute grew more uncomfortable.
until at s O'Clock the hull of the vessel
caved in. AT this time a mate left the shiy-
ering party on the cabin, and Joined the
captain and pilot in the rigging. In few
minutes more the main and miZZenmasts
fell, carrying Mrs. Durham down with the
wreck. She shouted, "For Gods sake
HELP ME ~ but the waves choked her, litt-
Fed her from the deck, and carried her far
tout into the sea. Her husband riskcd and
lost his life to save her, and disappeared in
the samesWaye that bore her Oft.
THE swooP OF DEATH.
Eight persons We're then left clinging to
| the wreck, but their hold on the wave
washed deck, where they had all been
| thrown together by the falling of the rig
gine, was brief. The cabin deck suddenly
collapsed, and the already halt-dead men
were washed off one at time and drowned,
| excepting Second Mate Newcombe, who
| alone lives to tell the story. The cries Of
the poor Wretches, as their frozen fingers
were wrenched from the wreck, and their
bodies were whirled away amid the waves,
were frightful. George Ford, mere boy,
tried to reach the shore on d timber, but
was carried out by the undertow. The
captain and Newc0mbe were the last to be
washed off the wreck, the latter being
thrown upon the shore insensible.
WRECKING OF THE MARY C. ELLIOTT AND THE
ALFRED HALL.
The schooner Mary +. Elliott, with O
cargo of oysters and crew of five men,
was struck by a gale off Barnegat on Monday
last and driven ashore on Little Neck bar.
One hour later the schooner Alfred Hall, also
al oyster boat, stranded within hundred
yards of the Elliott. The crew of the latter
were taken off by Government lifeboat !;
but the captain Of the Hall, being anxious
to save his vessel, remained on board with
q crew of five men. The gale grew stronger,
however, his bark was completely wrecked,
and its crew are supposed to have been
drowned.