The Osceola times., 1876-08-05
The Mohawk Disaster.
New York Herald,

! New YORK Herald.
4 Colonel Crosby, whom the Herald re
porter met at the Garner mansion, CAV
the following thrilling description of tn
death-struggle on the ill-iated yacht
"The party who went out on the zach
on Thursday consisted of commoder,
and Mrs. Garner, Mis- 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 launcl
from the yacht club house and went or
board the Mohawk about half-past three
o'clock. As soon rs we got on board the
commodore gave the captain direction,
to get under way. At this time thu
Mohawk was lying at anchor with hel
fore and maintopsail, staysail and jill
set. There,was every appearance of /
squall coming up from the westward
Just as we broke the anchor, and as the
vessel was playing off, but before we col
under any headway, the rain began Il
fall very heavily, which drove the Who'll,
party of ladies and gentlemen who wert
on the deck into the cabin. In about
three or four minutes we felt that the
squall had struck us, and very heavily
too 10, the furniture in the cabin began
to move down to leeward. When com.
modore 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 headway, and
with the water running over her ee-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, settees, 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 10 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. Ipushed 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.. Montant and
| succeeded in getting the lounge To the
after batchway, where we pushed it up
10 some one on deck. then lost sight
of Mr. Montant. Returning to where
Mrs. Garner and Miss 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 being nearly up
to her neck, she being wedged in only a
few feet from where Mr.. Garner was in
the same position. In trying to pull
her out my hand slipped, and | fell over
backward in the water. When I re-
covered myself the water had completely
covered her then went to Mrs. Gar
ner's assistance, when Mr.. Garner cx-
claimed, Schuyler, for Gods sake try
and help me pull her out" ! caught
hold of her left hand and arm, Mr.. Gar
ner still having hold of her right. In
the meantime sailor, who with Mr..
Garner and myself were the only men
left in the cabin, tried to remove some
of the furniture that was evidently hold
ing her down, while Mr.. Garner and
myself pulled as hard as we could to
extricate her, but to no purpose. Just
then the vessel seemed to give an extra
lurch, and the water washed all over us
This was the last that ] saw of Mr.. and
Mrs Garner alive. half pushed, half
swan to light spot, which proved to
be an opening cut by the boatswain
through one of the side lights, and crawl
ing through the hole found the sailor
who had been in the cabin with me just
before me. We both swan TO small
boat that had three men in it, but in
trying to get in this boat she was
swamped, and rs she came bottom up
clung to the keel, together with the
other man, until | saw boat from the
Dreadnaught approaching, which swan
over toward, when an oar was thrust
out by one of the sailors, which ! grab
bed hold on. They pulled me into the
boat in very exhausted condition. ]
would like to say here that gread credit
is due to both captaians Osborne and
Osgood, of the Dreadnaught and Phan-
tom who were promptly on the ground
and rescued many lives; also to the oiii-
GERS of the Countess Of DufIerin, who
rendered very valuable assistance.
am too much overcome by this over
wheIming blow, whereby have lost
such dear friends, to feel that ! can
dispassionately give an opinion as to any
criminal neglect on the part of the cap
tain, Rowland but in my opinion he
deserves the greatest censure for the bad
judgment he displayed in having
a boat, with the immense spread ol
canvas that the Mohawk had, with every
sail set and sheeted home while riding
at anchor when there was thunder
storm apparently coming up from the
west, although it struck as we were just
paying off, and which proved the utter
destruction of one of the finest yachts in
the world, and caused the loss of so
many valuable lives.
Its said that the last words of Mr..
Garner, when the water poured in upon
| him and a sailor reached through the