Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-09-21
AN OLD STORY RET0LD.
A Storm OF Tweuty-four Years Ago.
Wrecks Of the Alabama and John
Minturn---A Bark Sailing like Race
Horse---Terrible Scenes in the Breakers

A correspondent writing from Squan
Beach, New Jersey, gives the following
graphic narrative, which fell from the lips
of an old resident of that place
"On the 14th Of February, lSiS,' said
Uncle Tommy Cook, 81 was awakened in
the night by the shaking Of my house. !
could feel my bed trembling under me, and
rs 1 rose and donned my clothes in the
darkness told my wife that IN awful
storm was upOn us, and feared il would
make dreadful work. I was wrecR-master,
and the appearance Of the sky the day
tefore had told NE to expect this but
when opened the door and passed ont the
wind nearly lifted me oil my feet. was
strong aud tough, however, and buttoning
nv coat close TO my chiu started for the
beach.
When / reached the meadows I found
them Under water, and the wind blowing
so fearfilly ,hat I was compelled to turn
about and back towards the shore. The
sleet struck my face Ike needles, and
vas forced TO do this to escape the shot
that more than once brought Inc 10 q
standstill. but kept on, as the day was
beginning to break, and here and there l
could catch sight Of figures moving
toward the beach.
When finally paused upon the bluff
saw through the driving snow and slect
and the almost binding spray of the
breakers a schooner brOadside on, with all
her sails gone, and pounding upon the
beach. The breakers went over her deck
at every sweep, and could see man in
the front and one in the after rigging.
hurried away to get rope, and while
was zone one of the men dropped into the
water. When came back there were five
fishermen on the ground, and We instantly
formed line for the purpose Of bringing
in the other.
Before starting paused moment and
looked sharply at him, thinking he was
frozen in the rigging, as the ropes were
covered with ice, and it was one OF the
coolest nights / ever knew. But while
looking l saw him raise his right hand
and fasten one button Of his coat. We
then formed our line, and managed to
bring him iu. As they laid him out upon
the beach | raised his cap and foand his
forehead still warm, aud believe il we
had possessed facilities he might revived,
but in the intense colt he lived but "a few
minutes longer.
had scarcely raised my eyes from his
face when saw, scarcely 100 yards from
shore, the American bark John Minturn
J going by like II race horse. Every sail
I WAS UlOhll away AuA nv 1NNh NfAN N'~
| ed with passengers, many of whom sliont-
| ed TO us as the current carried them swift
| ly by. The schooner first spoken of was
| the Alabama, that lost her entire crew,
numbering six. A they were now all
gone hurried on down the beach to sec
what could be.done to help the Minlun
in her extremity.
She soon struck, by which time hund-
reds of the neighbOrs had gathered Oh Inc
shore, hoping that they might do sOic-
thing to save the women and children,
who were huddlcd together In the bow,
the stern having quickly gone TO pieces.
Several attempts were made to launch the
life-boat, and finally two sailors got Of in
il, carrying line with them, but the cur
rent swept them to the south as swift as
an arrow, and they were compelled to cut
the rope to to save themselves being
swamped, and although they made re-
peated attempts they were unable to get
back.
At eleven O'Clock at night the Mnturn
broke up. heard the crashing Of the tim
bers and the shrieks ofthe passengers as
they sank into the waves, but we could
see nothing. BY and by the bodies began
washing up the beach. Many of them
had been frozen still, as they sat in u
cramped posture, and | saw quite II NUM-
bcr sitting so naturally on the sand that it
was not until had held the lantern up to
their face that knew they were dead.
There were thirty six bodies recovered
from the John Minturn, many Of them
terribly mangled. The wife of the cap
tain had her jaw knocked off, and h. w0s
cauaht by the timbers in such way that
his head was wrenched entirely of. On
the same night the LOtta came ashore and
lost two of her crew One of these wa-
! the captain who attempted to swim tt
/ land, but was swept under the bow of til,
T bark New Jersey, where he was drowned
, The latter vessel managed to get OIL with
: out any loss.
Shortly after this, and mainly through
the efforts OF Ex-Governor William A
f Newell, the life car' has been brough
iuto use along our coasts, aud its success
e has been so marked that we have had NJ
{ serious loss of life from shipwrcck during
S the past twenty years"