National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-02-13
THE METROPOLIS.


oil the Metropolis, has returned from 'urrl-
tuck Beach with full report, sustained by
the sworn testimony Of the crew and principal
citizens present. He says: "'rhe wreck was
first discovered about eight a. M, January 81,
by N. Z. x. Jones and James F. Capps, who
happened to he on the beach. A fog cnveloped
the coast at the time, through which they
caught glimpse Of mast, but could form no
idea Of the character Of the vessel until they
got opposite her when they saw but one mast
standing, and that there were many people on
board.
Jones at once dispatched Capps to notify s.
G. Brock, the nearest neighbor, about half
mile back on the sound shore. to get his horse
and ride to Station No. with tho news. Soon
after Caps left Jones discovered several per-
SONS struggling In the water near by, and one
or two further up the beach among the debris
Of the wreck, which was already breaking up,
although stranded but little more than one
hour. Jones at once engaged In hauling per-
sons out Of the surf, and had thus
brought out six or eight, when Mr.. Brock rode
by on his way to the station, about four and a
half miles northward. Caps had notified
him, and getting back to the beach about
half.past nine, found the vessel much torn up,
the sea breaking all over her, and one mast
standing with sail set on 1t.
1t is quite impossible to determine with &C
curacy the time Of day of the various occur
rences, as on such occasions great excitement
prevails, ard pocket time .pieces are rarely
carried by the fishermen, while the clocks In
the dwellings are seldom correct. Perhaps
the only accurate time piece on Currituck is
at the lighthouse, and the keeper, Mr.. Burris,
testifies that he was informed Of the wreck
about ten q. IN. by messenger from the Light
House Club, nearly half mile below, ut which
some of the survivors had arrived, and he be-
lieves before the Life-Saving Station was no
titled lie started for the wreck with his two
assistant light-keepers, and on his way was
overtaken by the crew Of the station with the
mortar apparatus. This corroborates the state
ment of Keeper Chapel that he received in-
telligence Of the wreck about ten a. M, al
though Mr.. Brock thought 1t about half-past
eight when he reached the station, while the
master Of the Metropolis reported that Mr.,
Brock did not make his appearance on the
beach until eleven a. m. 1t seems TO be gen
orally conceded, however, that the mortar ap'
paratus was on the ground about noop..,
| The keeper was out on the beach at the mo-
ment of Brooks arrival, but soon returned
and found his crew preparing for the work be-
fore them Brock states 'he 1.-THE keeper) asked
me If thought he could get, his boat down
| there in time | told him l did not, the dis
lance being great and the vessel fast breaking
up. He then put tho mortar apparatus int
the hand cart, and, taking the medicine-chest
he and started for the wreck, leaving thu
crew to follow with the apparatus"
In order to appreciate the difficulty which
the six men encountered in hauling the niorta
| cart and load it must be remembered that sta
| ton is situated on o portion Of tho coast s.
fat for nearly a mile inland, and SO slight.
above ordinary high water, that the storm tide
sweep over It, and, surrounding the station
cover tho sandy plain to the depth Of severa
| 81 lad rod l,n nioh haf fore
making the sand SO soft ana yielding that tn
wheels of the cart, with their broad tires, fiv
inches wide. cut four or five inches below tn
surface while the feet of the men, as the
labored with their load, sank in the sand a
every step: consequently the party coul
make but slow progress.
The cart contained the mortar, three ball
the whip-lne and block, the breeches-buoy,,
tackle, pOwdcr-hask, quick-matches, mattel
rope and livestock, line-box, and Merrima
lifc.slving suit, which, with the cart, made
dead weight of more than 900 pounds--ld
pounda to each man. standard authorize
give the draught oil man at 80 pounds over
, firm, level road, and say that porter ca
transport, in whoclbarrOw, $50 pounds &c
miles day. These men were not fresh, ;
within the preceding twenty-iour hours OIL
of them had walked thirty.two miles throug
= the storm on the north patrol; another twent.
I walked sixteen miles EACH Snd the remainii
two twelve miles each. Frequent halts wer
therefore, imperative. The wonder Is thu
they got the apparatus to the wreck as soon
they did. II could not have been done ha
they not been ovcrtaken about mile aud
half from the station by Mr.. John J. DuntC
! with his horse and cart. He states: "Tht
. (the crew. were worn down, 1t being b.
! beach for men to travel, and asked me f
= assistance. | hitched on to the cart, and WI
; glad to do so. We arrived ut the wreck abol
twelve o'clock.
"The mortar was Immediately got into ope
alton The steamer was lying nearly head {
a to the mortar party and her extreme bea
. being thirty four feet, she presented q cor
q paratively small object at the distance Of II
:, yards over which to cast line" At the sc
Ond shot the line was lodged on the foreto
sail yard-arm. "A man, said to be the secor
y mate, was seen to go aloft, and laying out
C the yard tthe topsai was still set and abacl
4 got the shot-lne from the yard-arm and ca
ricd it in to the sings of the yard, when
hauled in the slack from shoreward, al
dropped IL to the deck, where IL was sez,
n by persons standing on the starboard side
q the hurricane deck, their only remaining foe
. hold, as the after part Of the vessel, togeth
with great portion of the port side, was
: ready gone, while the extreme forward part
. the vessel was seen to be moving indcpe
i IDENTIFY OF the remaining portion.
IA Inc Wnlp-llne was AZ once made last to q
l.. shotline by the liie-saving men, and W
=. hauled toward the ship. 1t was now observ
. from the beach that the shot-lne lay acre
Q the jib-stay; that is, leading outside the sta
y around its port side, and at a sharp anglo q
!. to the starboard side of the wreck. The ang
l. became more. acute rs the whip progressed
n, ward the ship, OH account of the strong Gu
. rent or set running northward. The strt
h upon the shot line increased with every in
c of the whip-line exposed to the action of d
k current, and all this time was actually sawi
a across the iron wire rOpe of which the 81
: was made. The whip had progressed mo
70 than half way to the vessel, and the block h
IS lifted clear of the sea- when the damagi
n chate of the line, as it was hastily haul
: across the sharp incline Of the iron wire sta
together with the strain caused by the strol
current, caused the shotlinc to part
h A citizen, John J. Dunton, tcstifes that
:. this juncture the whip had "fouled with som
:. thing under water and ii Is possible th
u some circumstance of this nature assisted
= producing the accident. Had tho shot ii
v been dropped to starboard of the stay by 4
=. man alott rs 1t should have been, and [
4, handling of ii on board been intelligently
n rccted, the result would have been diffrreI
y This is the first instance in the history of t
service that II shot line had parted after reac
d ing wreck, The line used was new on
:. OF Italian hemp, braided after the style of t
; patent sash cord of the Silver Lake Compau
II is always free from turns, however cole
Is and very rarely kinks when flying from
d taking box. No shot line ever used Is superi
N TO 1t. The line was at once French faxed
ir the beach for another attempt, which was I