The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-08-10
The Mohawk Disaster.


Colonel Crosby, Iwhom the Herald re-
porter met at the Garner mansion, gave
the following thrilling description OF the
death-strugglc on the iIl-tated yacht:
"The party who went out ON the yacht
on Thursday consisted Of commodore
and Mrs. Garner, Miss Adele Hunter,
Miss Edith May, Mr. Gardner Rowland,
Mr.. Louis Montant, Mr.. Frost Thorn,
brother of Mrs. Garner, and myself
We took the Mohawk's steam launch
from the yacht club house and went on
board the Mohawk about halfpast three
o'clock. AS soon as we got on board the
commodore gave the captain directions
to get under way. At this time the
Mohawk was lying at anchor, with her
fore and maintopsail, staysail and jib
set. Therc,wa every appearance of n
squalI coming mp from the westward.
Just as we broke the anchor, and as the
vessel was playing of, but before we got
under any headway, the rain began to
fall very heavily, which drove the whole
on the deck into the cabin. In about
three or four minutes we felt that the
squall had struck us, and very heavily,
too iOl the furniture in the cabin began
to move down to lccward. When COM
modorc Garner, Mr.. Thorn, Mr.. How
land and myself ran up the gangway to
the deck TO see what was the matter, We
found the boat making no hCadway, and
with the water running over her lce-rail,
and running down both into the cockpit
and through the lee skylights into the
cabin. Commodore Garner and | I'M
mediatly jumped into the cabin, where
we heard the ladies calling for help.
Everything was in the widest state OF
confusion. All the sofas, settccs, chairs
and tables had been thrown over to the
leeside, and overturned, and water was
pouring in through the forward hatch
way, and from the side lights on the port
side and from the cockpit. The first
person saw was Miss May, who was
still in an upright position, clinging ON
to the fireplace. crept along to where
she was, and caught hold Of her, and we
made our way over the general wreck OF
cabin furniture until we got to the after
hatchway but the vessel being on her
beam ends Miss May was unable to get
up the steps. pushed her up through
the opening, where Mr.. Rowland gal
lantly rescued her, he being at the time
at the entrance of the cabin opening. !
Immediately turned round and made my
way through the water, which was then
nearly waist deep, to the side of Mr..
Montant, who was struggling to remove
the sofa that had been thrown over on
the leeside, covering both Mrs. Garner
and Miss Hunter, who were loudly call.
ing for help. When reached them
Mr.. Garner had hold of Mrs. Garner by
the right arm, and both she and Miss
Hunter were begging that they might
be relieved from the weight that was
holding them down. Mr.. Nontant and
succeeded in getting the lounge to the
after hatchway, where we pushed it up
to some one on deck. | then lost sight
of Mr.. Montant. Returning to where
Mrs. Garner and Mis- Hunter were, |
still found Mr.. Garner holding on to
Mrs. Garner's arm and both she and
Miss Hunter still begging to be released
from this weight that was holding them
down. | caught hold Of Miss Hunters
hand-in the meantime the water was
rushing in from all sides--and tried to
pull her out, the water bcing nearly up