The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-29
: FEARFUL SHPWRECK.
THRILLING TALE OF STORM AND DEATH.
The British Bark Kate Smith Beaten to Pieces
on the New Jersey Coast
The Captain, Five Seamen, Steward and
His Wife and a New York Pilot Lost
Four Survivors Reach This City.


His Wife and New York Pilot Lost
Four Survivors Reach This City.
"Gone to pieces; every plank torn one from the
other; the masts twisted or ana -
"And the crew. mate"
IAN lost but four The captain, Sandy Hook
pilot, five seamen, the steward and his wife-nine
In ali-were drowned under the most distressing
and terrible circumstances"
show far from New York did You says"
"0nly about seventy miles. 1t was on Long
Beach, i've miles above Little Egg harbor, on the
New Jersey coast-it's fearful place."
These were the opening remarks OF second mate
Thomas Newcomb, late of the staunch bark Kate
Smith. OF Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, when questioned
yesterday in relation to the terrible calamity which
on Thursday morning last befell that ifated vessel
and her crew as she was nearing the end OF her
voyage from Les Passages Spain, to this port II is
another melancholy addition to the many ocean
calamties we have been compelled to chronicle but
Is the first OF the winter which Is SAD realization
OF numerous incidents OF the vast deep, which,
brimful Of fearful and death, AFFORD food for
the fancy OF the curious.
The terrors OF this latest horror OF the sea which
as yet has reached our ears as having occurred In
the storm Just passed, tell not only Of the binding
snow, the mountainous and maddening bilow, the
crash OF timber. but TO those added hunger per-
tshng cold and death-a fate that strikes the stead
est heart with the most appalling force.
No more terrible shipwreck than this has occurred
within years. and none more disastrous When the
intelligence OF the wreck and the awful loss OF life
reached this city yesterday it was simultaneously
with the particulars Of the arrival OF. the four
rescued crew, all that were saved from the thirteen
on board. Nine OF these courageous souls-one wo-
man. the stewards wlie-have found their graves
on the beach OF jersey where no marble shaft win
mark their tombs.
Second Mate Thomas Newcomb, native OF Union
Springs, Cayuga county, N. Y, being found by
HERALD reporter, gave the following details OF
this one OF the most terrible casualties ever
come 10 our knowledge
THE LOST BARK KATE SMITH,
was thoroughly built craft OF 4o4 tons register
and thought to be able to Withstand the toughest
weather. She was launched in 1864 at Yarmouth,
N 8. and owned there by Messrs. Hilton & Rogers
and others. She was laden with about i've hundred
tons OF pig lead. consigned to house In New York.
Her captain was Wilson Hamilton q native OF the
port from which the vessel sailed. All went plea
sanity from the time OF leaving Les Passages until
the night Of Wednesday, January Is, preceding the
late storm. At noon on Sunday, 22d, lat. 38, Ion
70 ~, they fell In with the pilot boat James w. FL
therefrom Mr.. Joseph Hussey one Of the company
OF that boat. From that time until ten O'Clock at
night nothing OF moment happened but then 1t sud-
denly commenced
BLOWING AND SHOWING
SO fearully that half an hour later 1t was deemed
advisable not to run further before the storm but
tack ship and stand In for The shore. This was DONE
At two O'Clock the wind increased such an extent
that the fore topgaant sail was taken IN. with
every second the maddening wind blew more fu-
riously. and the snow SO thick that the moment
began to be critical one. AT four O'Clock first
mate and pilot Hussey came on deck, and relieving
the second mate he went below ana sat by tue IRE
until five o'clock, as the night was piercing cold
When getting warm he went TO his berth and there
remained half an hour. At the expiration OF this
time he was called on deck TO help tack ship again.
rs there were
BREAKERS AHEAD,
and the vessel was running on shore. Obeying the
summons instantly without waiting time to dress,
Newcomb reached the deck just as a perceptible
remor passed through the vessel, and all knew In
that terrible storm, worse than many OF the
sturdiest mariners had seen they were aground
on an inhospltable beach, The mems efforts 10
wear ship were hurculean, but useless. The main
YARD was squared, but the wheel. by the force Of
the vessels striking had been torn from the helms
mems hands and was flying around with such
rapidity that none at that second could stay it, Ii
was a period OF intense agony. So soon as the
officers found that the bark would not move from
Its perillous position they ordered
BURNING TORCHES
TO be used, which was DONE but their feeble lights
seemed mochery against the seethng masses OF
waves as they struck the vessel rolled back to
the land. Then the malnsail was hauled up and
orders were given In calm voice by the plot to
prepare the port boat for launching, as he knew
now II was q matter OF
LIFE AND DEATH.
This was attempted, but unfortunately In getting 1t
overheard IL was capslZed and filed with water.
Efforts were made TO RICH! 1t and were successful,
and the mates by baiDg freed it OF water until the
cold had almost benumbed them. Orders were now
gwen for Inc boat to be manned and proceed 10
the shore TO obtain the assistance OF
the nfeboat on the station. The outlook
the hrst mate. Mcdonald and two seamen were will
ing 10 obey the command, the others feeling that 1t
better 10 take their chances with the govern
ment feboat assured by pilot Hussey to be not far
away. The sea now breaking over the vessel
with such fury that neither OF the other boats could
be got out. The
MATE HAD LANDED SAFELY,
although threatened with being overturned several
times At last the bark went over on her broadside
and the sea was more terrible than ever. The cap
tain and pilot now assembled TO the mdintop and
awaited the arrival OF the liiebOat, which they had
hopes would soon be sent on Part OF the crew pre-
ferred remaining on the top OF the cabin which they
did, but IL required the utmost exertion to keep from
freeAng and frequent words OF encouragement
were EXTENDED TO Ias crew; All this while the
was almost bereft OF reason, ana finally one wave
caught her and she was being washed INTO the sea-
when second mate Newcomb caught her and lashed
her In the man rigging more dead Than alive, as
the cold was fearful. The minutes slipped by, but
about eight O'Clock the horribly angry ocean had
battered In the hull OF the once noble vessel and
/. sne 0onnen0ea RRrAK,sa rp AFT
followed quickly by otner partons being crushed.
The crew were now despairng OF any help, and they
seemed '0 TO be- ons OF m eooss, sna
heroic on board-tnat he was going into
the main >, rigging, as , !, was vas, the safest