Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-02-03
II. WHITMORE.
Publisher and Proprietor
A WATERY GRAVE.
Terrible story OF Shfpwreck and
. Loss of Life.

4
| New YORK, January 2Sth.
The particulars of the wrecking of the
bark Kate Smith, on the New Jersey
coast, during Thursday storm, are given
by the few survivors of the crew, The
Kate Smith hailed from Yarmouth, Nova
Scotia, and was loaded with pig lead.
She was staunch craft, of four hun
dred and four tons register, nearly new,
and was owned in Yarmouth Her pas
sage was pleasant until the storm came
up on Wednesday A gale struck them
at about 10 o'clock Wednesday night,
the snow at the same time falling so
heavily that it was thought to be unsafe
to 90 farther before the gale. lho
Captain Wilson Hamilton 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 halfpast FIVE o'clock on
Thursday morning the vessel stranded
amid the breakers of barren beach
Vain efforts were made by the half fro
zen crew to wear ship, and then, as the
destruction seemed imminent, those on
board became paralyzed with fear.
There were on the vessel the captain,
/ two mates, New York harbor pilot
named Hussey, steward, six seamen,
and Margaret Durham, wife of the stew
ard Finally mate and two of the crew
accepted the perilous task of embarking
in a small boat for the shore, in quest of
aid from neighboring life-boat station.
The boat at once filled with water, but its
occupants at length reached the shore
drenched and freezing,
The nine persons left on board the
stranded bark were in pitiable condi-
ton. 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. Dur
ham clinging to the top of the cabin, all
gradually growing benumbed with cold.
The woman, after once being nearly
washed overheard, was lashed, nearly
insensible, to the rigging, Each minute
grew more unendurable, until at eight
O'clock the hull of the vessel caved
in. At this time the mate left the
shivering party ons the cabin, and
found the captain and pilot in the
rigging. In a few minutes more the
main and mizzen masts fell, carrying
Mrs Durham down with the wreck. She
shouted For God s sake, help meN but
the waves choked her, lifted her from the
deck. and carried her far out into the
sea Her husband risked and lost his
life TO save her, and disappeared in the
same wave that bore her off. Eight per
sons were then left clihging to the
wreck. but their hold on the wave
washed deck, where they had all been
thrown together by the falling of the
rigeing. was brief. The cabin deck sud
denly collapsed, and the already half
dead men were washed of, one at
n time. and drowned except the sec
ond mate (Newcomb), who lives
alone 20 tell the story. The cries
of the poor wretches as their frozen fn-
GERS were wrenched from the wreck, and
tha;1 bodies were whirled away amid the
waves were frightful. George Ford, a
mere how. tried to reach the shore on
timber. but was carried out by the under
tow The Captain and Newcomb were
the last to be washed off the wreck, the
latter being thrown upon the shore IN
sensible. The three men who hrst lett
ibe vessel IA q small boat reached the
shore alive. and immediately went to Life
Saving Station No. l6, in charge Of one
Bond The life-boat was found on a
wagon in the boat-house, and no effort
seems to have been made to launch IT,