The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-19
TWO COASTERS WRECKED.
NINETEEN LTTES LOST IN 4 STORM
orr NIWFOUNDLIND.
Heroic Rescue OF the survivors nner Tcrri-
Bile suffering A Weman's Sncrincc The
stout Hearts Of Newfoundland Fisbermrn.

Sr. JOuNs, New FOundlnnd, Dec. IS
Two sad disasters occurring within n short dls-
tance Of this place have just rcsul;cd In the loss
Of nno teen lives. Late on Monday the 18th of |
November the watcrwitch, a coasting weasel,
sailed from here for Cupids, port on the north |
ern shore ~ Conception bay. with twcnty-fuur !
persons on board. four of them women. The
run wa only little over forty miles. Soon af-
ter leaving the harbor n heavy gale from tho
southeast set in. accompanied with "A dense fall |
Of snow. As darkness closed In the gale steadily
increased In violence. The vessel ondeavored t.
double Cape ST. Francis, at the entrance
Of Conception BAY. Unhappiiy the cap
tain approached the shore too close
y, and at half-past nine o'clock the
startling cry from the lookout wBs heard, rocks
ahead l' The words had not passed his lips
three minutes when the vessel struck with great
force. The captain and two men jumped upon
low shelf Of rock that was dimly visible IN the
gloom, rightly concluding that this WAS the only
chance ~ saving their lives. The water was deep
ai this spot. and tho vessel rebounded, but prcs-
entity struck second time. Nine more of the
men now lcaped for their lives and managed to
cling 10 the surface Of sharply -lanting r"ok.
over which at times the waves were breaking.
The watcrwitch rcelcd. staggered back few
yards. and Sipk. carrying down with hUt eight
men and four women.
rERILoUs sIru AriON oF TIN srRvivoHs.
The situation of the poor fellows who were
now chnging to the ROCKS was terrible In the
extreme. The rock upon which the captain and
two Of tho crew loaped H. small projecting
shelf on the north side Of the inlet, while that
To which the others were clinging IA on the op-
puste side. Tho position of the latter was fear
iul to think Of. They wcrr holding on To- slip
perry sloping rock only few feet above the sur
face of the water and barely large enough to
give them room to crouch on The spray dashed
over them with every wave. and at Intervals
heavy sea broke over u" rock, IA huddl'd To-
eether they clutched 1t for dear lifc. They dared
not move for the sea was all around the
rock. and few feet on they could see dark
p-rpendicuiar clif shooting up ~ feet into the
midnight say. The huge waves were thunder
ing at their feet. and the snow storm roaring
overhead. The position of the Captain and his
they found il possible though at great riSk. to
scramble mp from the shelf on which thcy first
found q footing. They heard the voices Of their
cheercd them 10y telling them that they were
about 10 mako an attempt To- scale the rocks and
bring them succor. The nearest house WAS at
know ledge Of the locality hut with desperate
enort~ they scrambled up the steep rocks. fore
ws pitchy darN. and they had no no
a ADO dog bark The, f"liowed the sound tmd al
! length reached fisherman cot age ON the out
skirts of Pouch Cove Ni'ge. and awose tho in
mates II was nov half-ia-t o'clock. soon
/ more than hHlf the village WA astlr. ropes ana
other appliances were Egri ready, "nd = rescue
minister of the church ~ England In Pouch
Cove. to his honor, accompanied the party, bunc-
ing with him hurricane lantern which was
| invaluable under the cirrum~tauces aud some
| cordal- to revive the sufferers.
FISHERMAN HrRo.
As speedily A. possible they made their way 10
| the top nf the clir. at the bottom Of which the
| shipwrccked men were desperately cinging.
| Their cries Tor help family reached the ears Of
their deliverrrs out Of the dark abyss, six hum
dred feet in depth. Help. Uepi For God =
sake a rope! We can't hoid on much longer
| The sufferers were not visible The exact spot
ltnra NOT h. hA
| darkness The wall Of rock was an almost per
| pendicular height Of six hundred feet There
must 20 down into the dare cha-lu. a, the peril
| Of his life. swinging AT the end ot rope over
| the edge Of tue precipice. and - ,rv Ia
reach the per-hing men :. -a- desperate eN-
pedient nn, -.-- .,',,y one, as the wretchcd men
muTi soon perish 10y cold and exhaustion or be
swept back into the sea. who will volunteer to
swing himself into the yawning gulf. the sea
raging below and only small rope aud the arm,
long 10 wait. \ stout hearted fisherman a true
hero Alfred MoOres by name offers himself
Fastening stout rope round him. he Is launched
Ing the fourth time he nnds a slight Ms
! which he j. lowered till he CONES within thirty
/ feet uf the rock To which the men are Clinging.
| lie has a light hand rope which, after several in
enectual casts is at length caught by one Of the
men. By means Of this n stronger rope II passed
| body end the word Is given 10 haul up Several
| men, supported and guided 10y the stout rope,
| at the eud oI which Moores Is swinging have
| now crept down IL face OF tbe clif. and sta
| toned themselves at ii;"rvRls ~ a. To transmit
| orders and aid In pussing up the RESCUED men.
| Onc by one eight men are thus drawn up, and
without accident reach the summit But
mere Voutb md Without shoes or hal
! drenched and rhiSering, he Is rlnging To a
| shelving rock, at short distance from his
companions In distress Doubts are entertained
IA, To whether IL l. possible To- him. But the
gallant MuoreS nlaNes another cast with his rope,
and the youth has Just enough strength left TO
Il IL
"f the oNcrhanging clu He Is drawn up more
dead than alive.
RECOVERY op IHE BODIES.
In the village to which they were borne they
| met with the greatest kindness and Atu,ntion,
and all have recovered. The gray dawn ap-
| bearing "a the last sufferer was drawn up, so
u stormy night and when the cold waS intense.
Who viii doubt after this that there are brave
and generous hearts among the stout fishermen
| Of Nuwfoundlandr
There sa bar at the entrance NJ lIorrands
! Gulth. which prevented the bodies Of the
one htNe been recovered. The missing con p-e
| L. believed 10 have been carried I'M" nhrr0"
| assure or cavern which runs inland under the
brow of the clH. a winding path through the
woods was cat to the summit of the clilT, and
up thi- the bodies Of the dead were carried on
the shoulders of the stout fishermen. In the
village coiins were prepared, and the remains
| were forwarded to caiiNes. touch
ing incident Is related Of one Of the
women ON board. Her husband was with her,
! and wished to save her or perish with her. She
saw that both could not bo saved, and she urged
and prayed him to leave her. and for the sake Of
| their child, n helpleS, infant endeayOr to save
himself. Driven by her entreaties, he lcaped on
the rock at the last moment and escaped, The
poor mother found II watery grave
| Another WRECK.
| About the same time that the Waterwtch met
her doom Anothrr Hmnll coaster named the
| HOpewel which had left ST. Johns about the
| same hour, struck on a ledge called the lisran
Rocks, only mile distant from Horrand + GulCh,
| and about half mile from the shore. The
| IIOpewel went to pieces ia few minutes, and
| eight men who were on board were flung ont
into the boiling surgcs. only one man, Walter
| Waugh, succeeded in scramhling upon the His
| can Kock, the others went down with the vcs-
| sci. The sea was breaking over the rocks, hut
| Waugh managed To hold ON throughout the
| long and terrible night. About II O'clOck the
| following day he was seen from tha deck of "A
| small passing steamer waving "A rod comforter.
A boat was dispatched, but so high the
sea running, and so dangerous the approach To
the low TOcNs, that IL WAS only after der perate
| efforts continued over three hours and half
that life pre=eryer attached 10 n strong line
WAS brought within his reach. only man Of
iron could hay" survived such exposure, on a
low rock, for eighteen hours,
Subscriptions are being raised here for the re-
liof of the families that haVe been rendered de.-
| titute by these disasters. The drowned men
| were returning home having with them their
| summers earnings and the supple, for tho en-
inf fl,tf Ia