The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-21

E9EAPLELONl SAA4EN A1AANbY Suly GVs-
The celebrated yacht Mohawk vas struck
by a squall of 'Stapleton Club House al
4:35 this afternoon, and turned bottom W
and all hands drowned. Commodore
Garner and wife were in the party. It Il
supposed that they were all in the cabin, Al
IL was raining hard at the time. TherC
are two or three tugs trying to tow the
yacht on to the beach, but it Is thought
4 that she will sink before they can beach
her. -"
LATER.
Among the lost are G Commodore Garner
and wife, Miss A. Hunter, daughter oi
Desbrosses Hunter, of Hunters Point,
Among the saved are Miss Edith May
B. Montant, G. s. Crosby, G. G. How
land, Sailing Master Rawling and re-
mainder Of the crew. Commodore Gar.
ner was the millionare print manutact-
ourer, corner Of Worth and Hudson
streets, in this city.
STILL 1ATER-sToRY OF THE DISASTER.
Commodore Garner had invited party
Of friends to sail with him this evening,
and they were preparing to sail when the
storm came up, The story Of the disaster
Is told by an eye witness as follows :
Thomas B. Henet, one Of the seamen OF
the Countess Of Duferin, near to which
the Mohawk had her anchorage gives the
following version OF the affair:
AT about APO lie was standing on the
deck Of the Countess OF Duferin. Alter
the housing OF the yachts sails, he no.
ticed the Mohawk had all her sails ex.
cept her iore.op-sail set, and he remarked
to one Of his shipmateS, "The Mohawk
has all her sails set, and here comes q
squall. Letu see how she takes it." BE
had hardly spoken when the squal
struck her, and she capsized, whereupon
he and Clancy and Featherstone lowered
boat and cutting one Of the stanchions
in their hurry, they at once proceeded to
the wreck, but found that they could only
save one man, who they put on board the
yacht Dreadnaught. But in doing so the
boat got 80 damaged that they were com.
PEELED TO return at once to the Countess
OF Dnt1erin. They saw several per.
sons in the water, while number Of
men on the Mohawk, whose companions
were under water, were crying out tor
axes to cut away the rigging 50 that the
yacht might right herself. The whole
affair did not last over ten minutes. On
passing the Mohawk they distinctly OBJ
served several people in the cabin look.
ing through the windows and crying for
help, which it was impossible to render
them. Capt. johnson, who owns mum.
Der Of small boats, was standing on the
beach at the time and noticed that the
centre board Of the Mohawk was up and
all sail set. He remarked TO q by.stand-
er that II those on board didn't look out
there would be an accident very soon.
The squall almost Immediately struck
the yacht, which keeled over.
The Herald furnishes the following
Mr.. J. L. Haight, an old sailor, related
the occurrence as follows: II was at
Capt. Stillwells place, on shore, at Gill
ton, Staten Island, about 4;So Pm, in
company with Capt. silyey, when the
latter gentleman, who was looking out
on the bay, suddenly cried, There goes
the yacht Mohawk overp / jumped to
my feet from q lounge on which had
been lying, and looking toward Staple.
ton, at distance Of half mile or
more, saw the yacht, which had just
righted again, having been clear over on
her beam ends. She remained upright
three or four minutes, and then caught
by stiff puff OF wind from the land went
over on her broadside again. The craft
had lust got under way when the squall
first capsized her, and while she remain
ed righted watched intently to see what
would be done by those on board. Every
stitch Of canvass was set and yet so far as
/ could see not the slightest effort was
made to save her, not a single sheet was
started that we could see from the land.
Capt. Stillwell was very much excited,
and cried out that is the damnedest piece
Of work l ever saw in my life j! why don't
they let her come up in the wind, there
was plenty Of time after she righted to
let 90 all the sheets forward. II that had
been done and the peak Of The main
sail Stacked away, she would have
come up in the wind, and no harm
would have come, and as the yacht
went over 1 looked at her, through a
glass. Her masts were lying in'the wa
ter and her head was toward the shore.
One side was lying high out OF the water,
exposing her keel. Some 10 or 20 peo.
pie we're gathered. Several ladies were
lying down clinging to the planking, and
some gentlemen were standing out on the
masts, which were fiat in the water. A
number OF sailors were struggling and
several others bestrided the iib. A
great many boats at once started to
the rescue. The steam yacht Ideal was
lying with steam up, only about three
eichths Of mile from the Mohawk when
the latter capsized and she. started at
once 10 render assistance to the unfortu-
nate passengers. Instead Of going direct
ly alongside OF the,capsized vessel, how
ever, the Ideal steered clear around her,
even going outside of'a craft that lay
some 300 fathoms beyond the latter, and
when she did reabh the Mohawk, instead
Of making fast at the bow, which was the
highest out OF water, The Ideal made last
her stern and actually pulled the Mohawk
under water. There was only six or
seven fathoms where the accident occur.
red, and as the Mohawk has some 42 feet
Of beam portion Of her side was still
visible above the waiter, tho other prob.
ably resting on the bottom. Two small
boats which put of from the shore reach:
ed the capsized vessel before the Ideal
had finished her circuits Of it.. | at once
started for the club house and saw no
more Of what occurred atthe scene oil the
disaster.
Mr.. Haight was intensely emphatic in
his condemnation Of the person in charge
| Of the luckless vessel, as were also several
other boating men who witnessed i.
The Times says that Commodore Garner
could have easily escaped, as he was
standing on deck when the squall struck
| the yacht, but he rushed down the hatch.
way to attempt to save his wife and
was drowned with her.
The Captain Of the Countess Of Dufis-
rim, who in common with all the :spec-
tators, was surprised at the Mohawk car
rying sail so long, sent a boat to
warn her Commander, but il arrived too
late. Sailing Master Rawins, who was
rescued, disappeared Immediately on
reaching the shore, and is rumored
to have fed the country. Great indigt
nation at his conduct exists on Staten
Island and among the yacht circles, in