The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-12
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Men rronen to Death on schooner.

Men rreHcn to Death on schooner.
It is impossible as yet to estimate the
number OF lives lost IN the river ana pay Oh
SATURDAY,. Accounts have already reached
Che city OF men frozen to death some distance
down the river, and quite o large number OF
oyster-drcdgers have been severely frossbit-
ten One OF the most terrible accidents
caused by the intense cold WAS the freezing
to death, of Little Hawkins Point, OF three
hands OF the oyster.schooner Ann Eliza,
and the serious injury Of the balance OF the
crew, which numbered in all seven men.
The vessel, which Is owned by Mrs. Jacob
Roberts, residing on Eastern avenue near
President street, In this city, had left Balti-
more at the beginning OF last week for Ches-
ter river 70 dredgc Tor oysters. The hands
on board the schooner were Captain Oliver,
Jacob Sauer, Martin Bayley, and John
Brown. They remained in Chester river
until Friday night, and at O'Clock on Sat-
urday morning, on their homeward voyage,
found themselves near Littlo Hawkins
Point, nearly opposite Fort Carroll. The
wind was then blowing heavily at the rate
OF forty miles an hour, and pieces OF ice
began to be encountered. At Little Haw-
kins Point the schooner became disabled.
and to their great astonishment the crew
discovered that they were
INTHE MIDST OF ICE.
Unable to make any progress on their
journey to Baltimore, they decided to wait
until daybreak in the hope that some vessel
sailing in the neighborhood would notice
their helplessnesS and come to their aid.
The captain and several Of the hands then
repaired to the cabin to take q few hours
rest, but only to find it filled with water to
such an extent as to make it impossible for
them to remain in the room with any degree
OF comfort. The water continued rising
until it had attained q height Of three or
four feet. The men, who naturally became
disheartened at s..second unpleasant Incl
dent on their journey, returned to the deck,
waiting, but in vain, for some hospitable
vessel to eXtricate them from their peril
Gus position. At daybreak the car-
tain began showing signals Of distress,
which were continued during the whole
day. At night the signals were repeated,
but no vessel hove in sight. The dredgeIs
were not prepared for cold weather, and
were but lightly clad. Exposed as they
were to the bitter frost all day, and having
in prospect also night Of suffering, they
laid themselves down on the deck, losing all
courage and hope Of delivery, and, as one
of them stated. hourly expecting their
death. One OF their number was kept in
charge, with orders to continue to signal for
help. At night the captain, seeing that all
further efforts were in vain, procured a
yawl-boat, and, with Mate McNeal, pro-
ceeded on shore, taking with him an axe
and a piece of meat. They succeeded in
cutting passage through the ice and reach
ing the shore with great difficulty. Procur-
ing some wood, they attempted to build a
fire, but their hands were so benumbed with
cold that one hour and half had passed
before they succeeded in making blaze.
Oliver and McNeal enjoyed the fire after
their privations on the boat, and laid down
to few hours slumber.
Those left behind in the schooner
endured the cold as best they could.
Midnight on Saturday had arrived, but
there was NOT the remotest hope that any
aid would reach them before morning. TO
be sure, the signals Of distress were given,
but how could they expect assistance when
all day Saturday not one Of the vessels Of
the large feet that ply our river could reach
them or extend to them helping hand.
Ice had formed for some distance on all
sides OF the vessel; the exterior and deck
OF the schooner was covered with thick
coating OF ice; the men were rs helpless
and assistance appeared to beas unlikely as
if they had been in the Arctic regions. The
two Tagler brothers and John Brown were
the only men on board who, in spite Of
themselves, retained their courage under
these disadyantageous circumstances. The
other two-Sauer and Bayley-cried pite-
ously during the night. BayleY worked
himself to such a pitch of excitement
through hunger, cold. and apprehension Of
losing his life-that at l O'Clock yesterday
morning he began to act
LIKE RAvlNG MANIAC,
and the others on board concluded that his
sufferings had made him lunatic. Their
opinion was substautiated by the manner
in which he continued his rawlings until 5
O'Clock, when he was found with his head
in the empty stove, where, evidently, he
had tried to extract some warmth for his
freezing body. Sauer met with no better
fate. He, too, ran about the deck o, the
schooner laMenting his misfortune. The
other men Oh board attempted to quiet him,
and asked him to have patience until day.
light, when (they said) they would some
how be taken care Of. This had an effect in
calming him, and, cold as he was, he picked
up few matches and attempted to make q
fire. While thus engaged he uttered q groan
and fell. When his comrades fastened to
the spot they found him dead.
A TIMELY RESCUE.
BY this time the other three men on board
the boat, who thus far had kept up their
courage, began to waver. Their captain
and mate had deserted them, two Of their
number had fallen victims to the frost, and
their thoughts involuntarily turned on their
near approaching end. Knowing, how
ever, That it was useless to lament, they
quietly sat down, praying for their deliver
ance from what they considered ''the jaws
OF DEATH" Their quiet patience and hope
that call would be right in the end /" were
rewarded. Early yesterday morning they
were sighted by the oyster-pungy Ivy, Cap
tain Price, who, observing from the signals
that they were in distress, hurried to their
relief. He could not approach the schooner,
which was still surrounded by ice, but by
the united efforts of the three men on board
the Ann Eliza and the crew OF the pungy
the ice was cut and passage made for q
yaw-boat, which conveyed the three men
on board the pungy.
Soon thereafter the rcvenue-cutter Guth-
RE, Captain Phillips, Engineer Hedding in
charge, came in sight. The officers on
board OF the reyenue-eutter had heard OF
the helpless condition of the crew of the
Ann Eliza yesterday, and at once fastened
to their aid. When near Hawkins Point
the vessel appeared rs mass Of ice, nothing
but that being visible. Captain Price, OF
the pungy Ivy, not being able to take the
men whom he had rescued to Baltimore,
turned them over to the officers on board
the Guthrie, who were then made fully ac-