The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-27


water. A little while after we sounded
again, and got seven and one-hslf and
eight feet. We seen lights about one
point on the starboard bow, and We gave
three cheers and repeated them several
times. We then saw that the flood tide
was making in fast, and the sea was
breaking over US worse. We here saw
the first launch. The only boat left
stove in and knocked Capt. Ryan and the
navigator overheard. We ssw two men
killed on the forecastle. Mr.. Conway
suggested that we make some effort to
get a line on shore. said l would at
tempt it, and called for the men 10 put
/ the balsa over, when three-lnch line
was fastened to the bslsa and the
same lowered overheard, but it touled
with the jlbboom, ioreguard and other
spars, and l got down on the torpedo
| spar and worked about ten minutes to
clear the bslsa and called for some Cne to
help me. Mr.. Donner came down par.
of the way and said he was too weak to
/ get ou | then tod him that it was our
| only ChaECe and mad better try it. He
said he could not, but he would try in u
| little while. Williams, 4 seaman, came
| down and said h5 would 90. In about
ten minutes we succeeded in getting the
balsa clear OF the spsrs. l could get no
main line, and the First-Lleutensnt, Mr.
Simmons, Mr.. White, and many others
in the iorcastle sung out to me, 1.-THE
! line is out, cut it and get on the shore if
il possible for assistance" had small
penknile, but could not opon it because
my hands were benumbed Williams
opened it and l succeeded in cut
tiag the rope and was then struck
several times by spar, once in
the small of the back and across the hips.
We thought the beach ran perpendicu,
lar to the ship. II was toggy and we
Could Not See the shore.
When the line was cut, the balss went
toward the stern OF the ship, and we
thought we were going to sea. We pad
died the baIsa with pieces of psnnellng.
Near the stern of the ship, the heavy
surf struck us and cspsized the balsa END
for end. My leg being jammed in, ii
had be under water for while. We both
regained the balss, when l tod Will
liams to get TO the end and l would then
steer the balls We were thrown over
again, and the catastrophe threw Viii
lIams about ten feet. My arm being
ilmmed, | was thrown on my back
When l came up again it was in rather
still water. l swan and pushed the
balsa toward Williams. He got on top
and stood up and locked around, and said
that he saw the masts of fishing vessels
ahead which proved to be telegraph
poles on shore. | told him we would
steer for them. We
CmpstZed Twice sIOre.
and before we knew 1t we were on the
beach | told him to haul the bslsa up
IS we might want to use 1t 10 send of
to the ship. We landed about three
quarters 0! q mile up the beach from
the wreck. We found two men inside
the serl but they were too weak to get
up. We went down and pulled them
up. | then ran TO the first house
that l saw, but | found no one
in 1t; started down the beach as fast ~
could, my legs hurting me very badly;
found ten or fifteen people from the
shore standing opposite the wreck, look
ing ut it. | told them to go further up
the beach and do all they could 10 save
the men, as they appeared 10 be landing
up there. with very strOGg current
running up the coast. We pulled Gu.
several more men; asked them where
life saving station WAS. They
said one was seven miles up
the beach and the other five miles down.
SAW man on horseback; sent him TO the
upper station for aid and 10 telegraph TO
Washington for assistance. This was
about seven o'clock in the morning. !
then saw Mr.. Conway, who had been
landed. l asked the men on shore why
the lie crew was not there. They told
me that crew OF thirteen
were at Roanoke Island.
asked why they did not come up.
Tney said it WAS locked up in the station,
and they were afraid TO break open the
door. | told them then that if they
would come with me would break open
the door and get it out. Five of them
volunteered to 90. Issked them if they
saw our signals, and they said they did.
| then ran down the beach with these
men, and saw team coming
down, which proved to be that OF
Sheriff Bunkley, of Dare City.
broke open the door and got the mortar
and line; broke open the locker and
found the powder and balls which Sher-
il Bunkley had brought up, but when l
90. back 10 the scene of the wreck ali the
masts of the Huron were gone, and no
one was on board. TINS was almost II
An. Sheriff Bunkley then invited Us
to MS house The officers accepted the
invitation. The other men were pro
vIded with provisions. beds, blan kets and
c.o.hjng, ~ the station. The sheriff,
with ms team, then went up the beach,
and was all night with his men, looking
tor bodies. l telegraphed to Admiral
Trenchsrd at Hampton Roads for aid
and clothes and provisions, which was
sen. by Master Z. Conway. | signed
the same telegram TO the Chief OF the
Signal Office in Washington, stating that
tour officers and thirty men were saved
and that the ship was total wreck. The
next morning one Of the men reported
tMD el-O.-WhE anu hItNhlbE
steamer in the oting. We went i'm
meaistely to the station and | tried 10
call the attention OF the ship with large
blue fa-, but l could not. | then
weuL up to the point opposite
the wreck and found telegraph
operator tagging to the wrecking steam
er. l took his flag and signsiled TO
them the names OF the Off ers saved and
the number OF men, and asked them
WINS. We should do with the eight dead
men We had. They answered to wait u
moment and they would communicate
with the Admiral. Shortly after the
flag snip Powhsttan and the Fortune
started northward and disappeared. The
Swartara tried to signal US, but without
glasses could no. read it. At o'clock
relief psrty. under command of Lieu
tenant Watson, arrived IRON the Gos-
port navy yard with Surgeon George
Arthur, and stores, sc. All the saved
and the bodies of the dead were then
placed on board the steamer Bonita, and