The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-01
Wreck Of the CirCassian.
The Loss Of All on Board.
a MenrtrendIng Ncene..

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New York, December 3l.--The sec
ond wreck Of the ship Circassion Is tn
most disASterous that has occurred on Ii,
Long Island coast since the wreck Of III,
John Milton, 10 year, ago. She raj
ashore in a binding snow storm and al
on board, thirty persons, were lost. Th
crew Of the Milton were frozen stifi' in III,
rigging, their arms standing straight out
in front Of them. The men on boarC
the CircaSsian had finished on Frida,
night all necessary preliminaries for at
taching the hrwser with which she wa
to drawn of during the early hours oi
the night, and the wind freshened lite
and sea began TO run very high until Al
about 6 o'clock when 1t began to break
clear over her. The men, experimenting
danger, went into the fore rigging where
they were ordered for the greater safety
Of all on board, thirty.two. souls all
told, remained thus EXPOSED until
early in the morning, when It was deemed
advisable to shift quarters rs the falling
Of the top hamper, caused by the rolling
OF the vessel made it difficult to hold on.
The crew was safely transferred to the
mizzen, where signals Of distress were
shown. All this time the shore was in
plain view, the moon was shining bright.
ly, and the fires built by the crew OF the
life saving station showed plainly the fR-
urcs Of the crowd on the beach hurryinR
10 and fro in vain endeavors TO save the
men in the rigging. Itwas an awful sus.
pense for the poor fellows lashed 10 the
mizzen mast and yards Of the ship. They
saw attempt after attempt made to estab-
lish communication with them fail and
each failure seemed to measure their pur.
chase upon life. Every effort to get a
boat of the shore proved futile; as often
as it was attempted the sea drove it high
and dry ON the beach. .-.
Captain Henry Hunting, OF life saving
station No. 10, now brought a mortar
into service and several balls with ropes
attached were thrown out to the ship.
One of the cords reached the ship, but its
hold was not very secure and it presently
fell of, and the slender thread upon
which thirty.two human lives depended
was snapped forever. The station men
all the while these trials were being made
could see men in the rigging quite plain.
ly and hear their cries for help. Many
OF the weather.beaten heroes on shore,
who have been wrecking vessels and
saving lives since boyhood, were moved
to tears by the piteous opportunities Of
the wretched men of shore. The vic.
lenCe Of their efforts to save the crew mi.
tigaled the suspense that would otherwise
have been felt during the early hours; but
when the last charge was shot of, and
nothing else possible to human eifoct or
bravery remained to he done, they be-
fcEmeHEafRnne,l'and' many. Of oi'them.Rept
The nervous excitement and sudden In,
activity utterly incapacitated them for
any duty They could not leave the
spot, and il only remained for them to
remain inactive and see their fellows
perish before their eyes. To leave the
beach would only add to the terrors oil
the death that stared its victims in the
face, and to remain inactive would prob
ably give cause for unjust leproach from
the poor, helpless walters on the wreck
Superintendent Hunting and his men re.
mained and tried to answer the calls
from the wreck, but nothing that was
said on the shore was heard on the ship
on account Of the blowing Of the wind
In terror and suspense the morning
wore on, the wind having veered around
IN the meantime to the west and south
west. During the early part oI the night
before the men went into the rigging
the cables were slackened, but the ship
moved only short distance, and con,
tinued through the night to strike the
bottom. Every time she struck the men
thought she would lose her masts, 10
which they had lashed themselves. While
conscious Of the great danger and the
utter impossibility Of saving themselves
il the mast should 60 by the board, il
being Of heavy iron, they were unable to
slacken the lashing. Some Of them with
more self pose sion than others had taken
this contingency in their calculations
and had not securely lashed themselves
and among those we're the only four saw.
ed from the wreck. At half past 4 A. M,
dreaded crash came aud the mizzeu
mast went by the board, carrying The
main mast with it. A tremendous
swell had struck the ship aft and raised
her very high, when II receded she thump.
ed heavily, and the terrific jar threw the
mast over the side,' the mast being iron
it went 10 the bottom Immediately, carry.
ing with it % souls.
The Custom House officer, detailed 10
superintend the landing Of the cargo, in
his description OF the terrible scene says
The ship was lying 600 feet of the shore
and amid the bowling Of the tempest and
the roar Of the waves there was borne to
our ears the voices Of the poor fellows ia
the rigging,Singing hymns and praying iu
a chorus to God. There was hardly 4
dry eye on the shore among US as we
heard these thrilling and supreme ap.
peals made TO God. Among those on The
wreck were ten Shinnecock Indians, who
as a rule are very good men, and during
this sgonizing scene, which lasted fol
hours, we heard these men praying,
The beach was lined with hundreds ol
people, many Of them women, sobbipg
Piteously; some Of them were the wives 0i
doomed men. The wind on shore ragged
with terrible violence, driving people
hither and thither, The life saving crews
Of Southampton, distant i've and a.hali
miles, and East Hampton, about the same
distance, arrived bringing morlars with
them, but did not try to use their life
line, as nothing could be done. They
however, fred number Of blank shotl
to try and reanimate the courage Of those
on board.
Indian CAutunUAa