The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-12
LOSING HALF or HER CREW.
The Disaster that Bercn the schooner Baird
100 Mile. South OF Hatteras.

Yesterday afternoon the three-masted
schooner Francis Il. Baird Capt A. W. Mahew.
was towed to her moorngs at South Second
street Wlliamsburgh after disastrous voyage
from Cardcnas in the island Of Cuba. Sho had
on board a thoroughly exhausted captain. ono
sound seaman. one injured one. and steward
who knew nothing at all Of nautical affairs.
The Baird is q Philadelphia vessel Of 343 tons
burden. She was assigned to Evans Ball & Co..
3G South ST.. in this city. and was laden heavily
with melado sugar. and honey. When she
sailed from Cardenas. on March %, she had on
board her captain. u mate. four seamon. and
steward.
For tho FIRST three or four days the weather.
though saually. was tolerably favorable. and
quick run 10 New York was anticipated; but
toward the end OF the first week II began to
blow hard and on March 80 the vessel was
laboring heavily. Still no danger was threat
ened. though on tho following morning, Sun
day, as the force of the wind was still increas-
ing. all the crew were on deck in the mates
watch. A. nbout4 A. NJ. a tremendous gale was
blowing the wind having a velocity the cap
tain calculated. Of not less than sixty miles nm
hour IL was too dark to soc far ahead, and the
man at the wheel says that he was hardly able
| TO discern the form Of any ono who was not
| standing very close to him. suddenly the lash-
| incs OF large water cask that was ins.
| tened on the port side gave way, and "
! WIS dashed with great force upon the starboard
rail The rail was shattered, and the cask shot
| into the sea- The noise OF the crashing wood
| was followed by "A momentary ull in the tur-
moil of the elements and at that instant the
man ut the wheel distinctly heard the words.
| Helpl for Gods sake helpl and the
| cry of swimmer in distress. The sound
! came from the waves. but nothing could
! be- seen. The stcersman could not leave
| his post but no shouted " Man overboardl"
! and all the others rushed to the side of the
| lnhoring vessel II was stu too dark TO enable
! them to learn anything in that way. but when
| the anxious Captain looked at his crew he saw
the misfortune that had befallen him. The
/ mate. Enoch Townsend. and two sailors.
Charles o. TAFT and Charles II. Jones, had been
Nothing could be done 10 snve them. II would
have been worse than folly 10 attempt TO heave
| To- and the schooner, driven forward by the
furious gale. rushed upon her way. leaving the
| men to their fate. They were all cNperenced
! scamen. and would not. in all probability have
been wished from the deck 10y the mefe force
| Of the sea. IL was supposed that they had been
struck either by the great cask Itself. or by some
| portion Of the wreckage II made as II crushed
The lost mate. Enoch Townsend. was forty
! five years OF age and native Of Cane. May. \.
j. where he had wife md two children who
have not yet heard Of his fate. The seamen
| were unmarried Charles q. Taft aged twenty
eight years. belonged TO Worcester. Mass. aud
! Charles II. Jones who was twenty-siX. hailed
| from Salisbury, Accomuc County. Virginia.
| At the time OF the catastrophe the schooner
was in lni. S3' 5O long "a 25 She was IN me me
south OF Cape Hatteras. which was the nearest
land; , .,
|
said the Captain yesterday. have nothad my
clothes OF. and have scarcely had an hours
sleep. We were horribly short handed two
men and myself 70 work the ship into, port
The steward could make capital coffee. hut he
couldn't take trick at the wheel and was nc
sailor at ALL
The worn-out seaman's appearance corrobo
rated his words; rs ha spoke he nearly fel
asleep in his chair. But worse misfortunes
were in store for him. The stormy weather
though II moderated somewhat. still kept tn,
crew constantly anxious ana wakeful. and
IL
Of the two remaining men OF the crew. Butler
while steering had the wheel wrenched from
his hand. and received blow on the thigh from
one OF the spokes that disabled him for the RESI-
Of the trip.
There was now really but one man with ths
Captain To work the ship into port. They KEEP
her under rccfed sails at all times. and made
very slow progress On Thursday night they
anchored of Sandy Hook, and early yesterday
morning took pilot on board, and came up L
the city.
Capt. Mahew does not seem 10 be at all ex
cited about mis- experience: treats il as though
1t were an ordinary occurrence. and wonder'
why the public should take any interest in suci
u commonplace matter.