The New York herald., 1872-12-02
The Schooner Charles III. Moller
Goes Down in a Gale
Off Sandy Hook.
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
The Steward Frozen to Death in the Rig.
ging and Sailor Washed Over
board and Drowned.
The Three Survivors Rescued in
an InSenSible Condition.

an InSenSible Condition.
Another appalling disaster on the waters must
be chronicled, and this time occurring In our own
bay and within signal OF Sandy Hook. The
schooner Charles II. Moller, 500 tons burden, or
New York, foundered yesterday morning, about
two O'Clock, in gale OF wind, and Of the crew OF
FIVE men on board one was frozen to
death, another drowned and the three
survivors were only rescued in dying
condition The Moller left Philadelphia loaded
with coal on Saturday, the ed ult, and had a
somewhat tempestuous voyage. She rounded
Sandy hook at about one O'Clock yesterday morn.
ing. The wind at the time was blowing west by
south and about
The waves were very high, and II was with
great difficulty that she made her way
through the mountainous sea. She strained
and pitched and tossed, and Captain Brown
was thinking Of reducing the sail, when suddenly
there came on q tremendous gust, and, catching
the sails, the schooner lurchcd over. At the same
moment violent crash was heard. The centre
board chain had parted. In less time than tsEe
to tell 1t she went clean her beam ends and
began filing with water. The captain ordered the
men, who were all on deck at the time, to throw
WENT DOWN WITH SUCH RAPIDIrY
that only himself and the mate, Foster s. Robbins
had time to climb into the rigging before the
schooner went down. The three other men were
struggling in the water, and 1t was with extreme
difficulty and danger to themselves that the cap
tain and the mate succeeded in getting the
steward-Who was one OF the men In
the water-int0 the rigging. One or
the Sailors Frenchman named vennie, also
succeeded in clamberlng from the deck, which was
being remOrselessly washed by the waves, into the
foremast rigging. The fifth man, Frederick Bound,
who had gone under the schooner when she lurched
over in going down, was missing, and for some
time was looked for vainly. Then he was
SEEN TO COME TO THE SURFACE
slowly, but evidently already exhausted. Then
tremendous wave washed over him, and he disap-
pcared forever under the dark waters.
In the meantime the position of those who had
succeeded in climbing into the rigging was every
moment more precarous The schooner had sunk
ON her beam ends and was lurcning over from side
to side with the force Of the waves, and the mser-
able survivors were every moment
PLUNGED BENEATH THE BOILING WATERS,
only to reappear and be again plunged down. This
position could not have been maintained for ten
minutes, when suddenly the schooner righted, and
the masts resumed their upright position. This
was only comparative misery for the men were
drcnched to the skin and their garments were
frozen around them almost Immediately.
The gale only seemed to increase in violence,
ana every now and then the waves dashed up
over their heads, and scattered the spray in
million frozen particles upon them. The night
was pitch dark and nothing could be seen but
the dim light on Sandy Hook Point.
THE COLD WAS INTENSE,
and 80 benumbed the men that 1t was with the
greatest efforts they were enabled to make any
notion AS well as could be calculated the acc
dent had occurred about half way between the
Romer and the point or the Hook. Situated as
the four men 1t were evident to them that they
could not live long in such position. To alleviate
their condition the captain endeavored 10 cut the
halyarls sustaining the foresa, which, to add to
their misery, Mapped about IN the wind and with
such force as to almost hurl the men every moment
from their positions in the rigging. In this,
without certain destruction, he could
not reach the halyards with his knife
to cut them asunder. lie then succeeded in cut
ting the gafitopsail, halyards and brace fast the
sail down In such manner as to place himself
and his men to seward, thus saving them from
the great force OF the cold, biting wind. The
| cold, however, was so great that
THEIR LIMBS BECAME BENCMBED
every moment, and 1t required an effort to detach
| captain, In cndcavoring to cut the foresai hal
yards, had his hand frozen, and ne was obliged
rozen. The mate lRobbns) and he would
the blood in circulation. The third sailor venne)
was in another part of the rigging and was obliged
to resort to the same means to preserve his life.
way under the terrible ordeal OF his suferings Had
1t not been for the captain and mate he would
have allowed himself to drop into the sea-
He, indeed, hardly seemed to realize his
deadly position. Captain Brown endeavored
TO encourage him and made every effort to prevent
his sinking into despair but it was to little pur-
pose. Finding that he could not keep up long. the
Two others naS resoea , to place MIN IN such
and breast, to restore circulation, and then with
great difficulty they. pulled his legs (Which were
quite stin) round end placed them
OVER CROss-TREE,
with his back to the mast, and made him secure
AT this time the m man n appeared to have hardly
on, and the steward only uttered a word OCCASION
ally, begging the others to let him de- At about six
O'Clock he talked no more and had become uncon
scious The captain and mate, even forgetting their
own suTerings continued to give him nearly all
S aV II s Sm @ he
them, however, In the same position as before.
AS the day began to dawn the real position
land was quite close to them, but there
was no means OF reaching 1t. The boat
was submerged, and could not De reached, even
The waves were still rolling in huge billo;ys and
the storm, though not so intense rs during the
night was still iuriously raging Captain Brown
endcavored to make signals TO them, but the masts
were SO low in the water that the people on board
evidently
DID NOT SEE THEM.
He also saw number OF smaller craft schooners
and others, pass the wreck, and so near that It
seemed impossible they did not sight 1t; but they
rendered no assistance. They then again at
tempted to revive the steward, but to no purpose.
The blood had CONCEALED in red patches
on his hands and face, and 10 wds
evldcn; that he was past suffering. His eyes were
open, but they were glazed and staring, and de-
noted no consciousness. At about seven O'Clock
In the morning tugboat came near them, cav
their condition and went to their assistance. This
proved to be the A. +. Walcott, Captain Manks OF
New York. AS the tug neared them
THE SEA WAS STILL SO HEAVY
that an attempt to save them would probably only
have been attended with disaster to both. The
brig Lucy then moved OIL and 1t seemed to the