The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-21
DROWNED OFF BARNEGXT.
a C0LLISTON orr TINE COAST ON
DARN, STORMY MONT.
Bria sunk. with her Captnin and His wife
and the mate-Two Orphans saved-The
Dtsaster as Described by 10th Sides.

/ Brig sunk. with her Captnin aud His " Ife
ana the mate-Two Orphans saved-The
Disaster rs Described by Both sides.
The three-mastcd schooner Adelaide j.
| Alcott, OF New York which run into and sunk
the brig Frank Clarke, OF Dainariscotta, Me, of
BarneRat light, on Friday night, arrived at Red
Hook, brooklyn. on Sunday afternoon with the
SURVIVES Of the suuken vessel. The bow OF the
schooner was considerably battered and splin-
tered In the collision, and a part OF her bow
spirit was gone. Capt. t. NJ. French, her com
mander, gave his account of the disaster sub
stantially as follows:
The Alcott was bound, with a iiaht cargo, for
Virginia, and was only a few hours outside the
Hook. On Friday evening the wind was blow
Ing gale from the west, the weather was thick,
ana there were heavy snow squalls. We were
running along under light snii In a southwest d.
roction, aud at about 4 o'clock we deserted the
red light Of the Clarke, which was very dim and
was OF probably two or three miles. Almost
instantly the light disappeared and we
saw no more OF It. At about twenty
minutes past o'clock we saw the
briggs green light; she had changed her course
and was evidently making toward the land, so
ss to get under the shelter Of tho beach. We
were close upon her. and 1 instantly put the
wheel hard uD hoping to keep the Alcott OF
and pass under the lee bow OF the brig. Sud-
denly a squat struck us with tremendous force,
and We we're borne down upon the brig. striking
her ABOUT midships We cut her nearly In two,
aud she went down In less than ak minutes, 10
I'VE or slx iatboms Of water.
GOING DOWN.
The CAPTAIN Of the brig samuel Morton and bis
wife, aud the 0rst mate. Simpson, we're below
and went down with the craft. The second
mats. James O'Neil, was In CON mana aud had
DISCHARGED a few days before on account of a
difficulty with the Captain. O'Neil aud the rest
Charles Johnson, James Hogg, James Ore, John
Reed. and Hn adopted son Of Can't. Morton, ran
to the eV deck o. the Aoot ASS Ga &orom
adopted daughter, was rescued from tbs stern
Of the suuken vessel.
above Bsrnegat, at distance OF three miles
from the coast. In the collision the vessels
rigging was entangled, and we were unable 10
part from the wreck until moping, and then we
cut loose and turned back for New York. This
was only the third voySRe Of the Alcott, which
u new boat. She Ia damaged about $500.
The Alcott Is owned by hessrs. Charles W.
Aloott and Charles Q. WenIum OF New fOrg
ConDelly. who was the lookout Of the brig. aud
who Is IN the sesmen's Home with hls com
panions, II substantially a. followst
The brig Frsrk Clarke sailed from 81. Johns,
Newfoundland, with cargo OF Goldfish, cod liver
oil, aud wine, on the l7th Of January. She en-
oountered empestuous weather from the 1rst,
and the heavy winter storms and violent seas
drove her far out Of her course. Sue was at
length able to make the island Of ST. Thomas,
and thence. after being repaired, she sailed on
February 4 for New York. The passage VS.
smooth until we rounded Cape Hatterss. and
the wind. though II was fair. began TO blow SO.
verely. on Little Egg Harbor Il changed to
nor west then west, aud our passage was
mhde slowly through heavy seas. ON FRIDAY
night We sighted Barnesat light. The gale AS
heavy, the waves were high. and the night very
snow squalls either before or after the collision
on that nleht. We FIRST sighted the green light
Of the schooner Alcott at about O'Clock, We
were heading about nor west, and the schooner
was apparently .naking IN sou, sou'easteriy
direction.
TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
As az the light had been noticed, Mr.
0'Neil the second mate, sho was IN CHI rae OF
the boat, informed Can't. Morton, who came
upon deck. Tho latter thought that the hgnt
must he that Of pilot boat, but the mate was
confident that It was that Of a large vessel We
kept straight on our course, and never altered
II, as Capt French, OF the schooner, It'd that
We did. On account OF the head VINO, we could
not have done so " We had 40 desired. We. Of
course, thought that the schooner was making
on from US, as we could see only one Of ner
lights but instead OF that ehe was all the time
steering strairht on toward US we have heard
since that the reason why we did not see her
other iRht IL that II could not be kept burning
more than half the time. We did not see her
red light Until she was not more than her length
away from us. Then she rushed suddenly
straight down upon us. Tho Captain OF the
II was too late. and his vessel driven into
our -de Sne cut c.eau through VA to the keel
son, and the brig Allied In moment and went
down Inside OF five minutes.
We Ind been going ~ the rate OF about three
OF Tour KNOTS, while tho schooner making
not less than seven or eight when she struck us.
he shock was fearful, and everything that was
movable was thrown down. The second mate
was Knocked down and severely injured by the
Swinging JlbbOom. ana AS he fell he cried out
After the AlcOtt Ia d dealt ner blow, she swung
round so that she lIy alongside the brig
and was tightly fastened 20 her 10y the rigging
the mate gained bis feet. and he and the other
men who were on deck ran up the rigpinR ana
sprang TO the deck OF tue schooner. The Gao
tain was standing In the companion wy when
the shock came, and be ran into the cabin and
a. hal "a al la
they all st.rted down the forward deck.
LOST.
Just'then tho bow went under. and that was
the last that was seen Of the Captain and
bis wife. The children had been "A little
behind, and were frightened back by a great
wave that broke ovor the deck aud separated
on the stern Of the boat when the bow went |
under The boy easily escaped to the deck OF the |
ntst mate, simpson, was IN his bunk down |
stairs, ana nothing was seen OF him after the |
collision Two seamen. Charles johnson and |
John hoeg were also asleep In the forecastle. |
and they barely escaped with lie. They ran up |
10 the deck nearly naked, and were drenched |
and almost frozen before they reached the dock |
OF the schooner. Captain Morton was very |
heavy, weighing 3lj pounds. The little eirl was |
left On the stern when the bow went down and |
sue shrieked for help as the waves swept over |
her. Sue was almost without clothing, and she |
as IN reril ~ being frozen and washed away. |
Tie stern II the brig was separated from the |
schooner BY distance Of about afty feet. Our |
seamen launched the sch boomers yawl and rowed
~ ~ bht NIcths ~ WAS over n nun nOur before
We could reach her, as the seas threatened To
dash our boat to pieces against the huh OF the
brig. AZ length we took her of the wreck and |
'alned the deck OF the schooner. She was COM
pletoly exhausted md chilled, and one OF our
seanien stripped on his undershirt aud put II on
her. One OF the Alcotts crew furnished clothing
To the two scamen who had lost their clothes
In the morning we cut away from the wreck.
by the death of Capt. Morton and his wife the |
Two children are len entirely destitute.
The brig Frank Clarke was built In Maine IN
1867 she was 2V tons burden, aud valued at
A Schooner Ashore near sandy Hook.