The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-17
FROZEN TO DEATH

FROZEN TO DEATH"
A Long Island Shipwreck Of Forty Years
AgO-Eight Persons Saved and One Hun
dred and Sixteen Lost.
From the New York Herald
A few miles from the village of Frees
port, on the south side Of Long Island,
there lives an old man, Capt. Gopher
Smith, who is the only survivor Of the
boats crew who went to the rescue Of the
passengers of the Inflated Mexico, lost
on Hamstead beach, January 2, 1897.
Freeport is a fishing village, most OF its
industry being confined to the oyster
trade. To great extent its inhabitants
are composed of the Smith family, and,
unusual as the name of Gopher is, two
Capt. Gopher Smiths were sought before
the right one was found. The wreck of
the Mexico is one of the most narrowing
tales of the sea ever told by wrecker,
and the story is still preserved all along
the Long Island coast as one of exception
al interest and horror. AS the only sur
vivor Of those who went to the rescue of
the ship, Gopher Smith was sought by a
Herald writer on Saturday, and the old
man, who is now in his seventy-fourth
year, gave a wonderfully vivid T lcture of
the disaster. Finding him at his home
late in the evening, the reporter was in
vited to a seat on the porch of the Smith
farmhouse. Before beginning his nara
tive Capt. Smith introduced his daughter,
Mrs. Philips, and she, fullof pride at the
part her father had taken in a gallant
attempt at saving human life, brought
out for inspection a photograph of an old
woodcut of the scene The woodcut, too,
was produced, and beneath it was the
following inscription:
Dreadful wreck of the Mexico on
Hampstead beach, January 2, 1887, as
now exhibiting at Havlngton's Dl0rama.
The picture was drawn on the spot by
H. Siebert 81
ibid you ever hear of him?' the old
man asked.
The reporter answered in the negative.
"Neither did l. he said; but he was q
Young man who came down from New
York, and it is correct in every particu-
lar" a:5a-
you may not think much Of it," Mrs.
Phillips interposed, speaking to the re-
porter, "but we prize it very highly"
SMITHS TO THE RESCUE!
Tho names of the crew Of the life-boat
we're next produced. 1t will be observed
at as mong the inhabitants of Free
1T to-day the Smiths predominated
gov was rs follows: Capt. Raynor
Smith, Gopher Smith, Samuel Raynor,
Willet Smith, James Smith, Oliver r.
Smith, Oliver G. Smith. Zcphcr and
Oliver r. Smith were brothers, as were
also James and Oliver G. Smith, the two
former being sons Of Raynor r. Smith,
| and the two latter their COUSINS. Samuel
Raynor was also relative, though dis
tant one ..5~'s ,.s
My father was the captain and l the
mate, you may say" Gopher Smith said,
beginning his narrative. We were fisher
men and carried ON the farm here as we'll
"There were no oysters thens" the re-
porter said interrogatively. a8
''There were no oysters and no life sta
tons on the beach. Everything was diff
ferent from what it is now; but it was
the custom of the people living near the
beach to cast their eyes along the coast
every morning to see if anything was
ashore. The Mexico was first seen in the
morning. Word came to me on a horse.
There was a great rush to see the wreck,
although it VAS cold-trcmenjou cold.
The recollection Of that morning SEEM
ed to come back to the old mans mind
with wonderful distlnctncss.
''Tre-men,j ous Cold" he repeated,
dwelling on each syllable with strong en-
.phasis. "It was so cold that some OF our
men frozo their cheeks as big as dol
lar" ...s.
"Were you the first to reach the beachs''
ooh, no; We warn't the first boat by
| several" r.
The ship lay about two hundred yards
from shore on her beam ends, bow on
The sea ran very high, and in addition to
the cold, terrible north wind was dash
ing the spray over the vessel and he,
passengers. For miles along the shor,
the beach was almost impossible on &C.
count of the ice, 81 that it was v it'll great
difficulty that the fishermen were able to
carry their boats to the surf At first tho
smiths were not able to get near enough
to distinguish her.
II thought she was brig" Gopher
Smith said, "but as looked, cried
Hello! her mast is gone ovcrboard.' !
then saw she was a hardship
Some Of the mon who had got nearer tC
the vessel now returned to where thu
Smiths were with their boat, and one 81
them said, "It is \ wonderful sight, sht
has cut away all her masts but her nam
mast"
! Another exclaimed, addressing tho
elder Smith, SHOW. Raynor, you've 20,
the best boat; let's take her there"
They went to work with will and
dragged the boat over the leo to the
surf, but it was nearly noon before this
was accomplished.
ut was then betwixt eleven and twelve
o'clock, > Gopher Smith says. "Thcre thu
ship lay, the waves dashing over her
No man had boarded her; no man had
come from her; there was no news from
her. She appeared 70 he full Of people
but 1t seemed impossible to gut to her