Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-04

The captain and his family were taken in
 charge by Mir. Keays, who gave them the ! hospitality of his cottage, while the crew were housed in station Rs house and made com
 fortable. The Babcock left Hampton Roads on Friday night. The sea was rough and the night thick. She had bad weather up to lasi night, when it cleared for little only te dark. i en up again to an intense degree. About midnight she struck a binding snow storm mixed with sleet and rain. The wind blew so of the ship. The wind blew at the rate l of sixty miles an hour. Every effort was made to put the ship about but without avail, and
 nothing was left but to head her for the beach,
 wEere she eventually struck and was thrown high and dry. The shore for miles was strewn all broken up, but her sticks maintained their perpendicular. Another vessel, the schooner Lightfoot of Rockland, Me, from Norfolk,
 bound to New York with a cargo of corn con
 signed to Richardson & Co.,, New York, came
 ashore at Long Branch at a. n. She was
 in the heavy surf over an hour and dragged
 both her anchors and came ashore. The crew
 of five men was saved. The vessel lies easy,
 and being strong vessel will probably be
 saved. The most thrilling and exciting of all
 the wrecks happened while your correspond
 ent was in station receiving the
 news about the Babcock. Captain Valentine
 had just given him the final point, when a
 A4An1 u1AsA4Ca 4ASO Suo 0OOG Auu 6XClt0Uly CE1Su,
 My God, captain, here's brig heading dead
 for the shore, scarcely half a mile away"
 The crew was hardly prepared for anything of
 this kind. Two men were rolling up the life
 rope, another was swabbing and furnishing up
 the cannon, and another was at work on the
 brooches buoys. Every one not connected
 with the station made dash for the beach,
 Scarcely quarter of 8 mile away, heading
 dead on with only foretopsail set, came the
 i'll -fated vessel. One man was seen half way
 up the main rigging; another was at the
 wheel The waves were rolling in with the
 incoming tide, throwing the spray fully five
 hundred yards The pelting rain, which almost
 cut the skin, blinded one as he looked sea
 ward, and the wind lifting up the small par
 ticles of sand threw it into the face viciously
 and painfully. Up came the vessel, sinking
 now in the trough of the sea, anon rising up
 on the crest of the wave until her keel was
 visible. Within ten minutes she was within hailing distance of the shore, and the hundred fishermen waiting for her in their rough tar paulins, and sou westers watched her move ments with bated breath. gigantic wave strikes her aft and washes her from stern to stem. To every one's horror the man at the wheel is seen standing fxedly at his post, while wave after wave washes over the ship and him mercilessly. She was brought up to the beach in the words of one of the fishermen beautifully. "She lurches upon the beach head foremast, but swings round till she is broad side. Then five men are seen huddling to- gether in the forecastle, while one sits mournfully half naked, hatless and shoeless, under the lee of the cabin. Her name Augustina-is seen painted on her side. Ten minutes elapsed, when the life saving crew emerge from their house. When the gun was fired the rope snapped. Another effort was made with the same result. Finally, Garrett White, one of No. As men, advanced down into the surf and threw a line which cleared the vessels side. It was eagerly seized and a rousing cheer greeted the act The line was hauled in, but the poor sailors in their eager ness to save their lives failed to take heed of the block of wood that gives the direction. Much valuable time was lost in signalling to them what to do, and they misunderstood the signals, so that the line sagged and the drift wood from the Babcock accumulated between the vessel and the beach, tangled the line so that it fouled with the anchors huke. The next moment one of the sailors jumped over the side, grasped the line and made for the shore. He had very little distance to get over but the rising tide and choking driftwood were obstacles which threatened to prevent the success of his plan. Twice he was knocked down, and when he was half way it seemed as though he must perish. But up he rose, staggered few feet onward, fell again, and just as he was being carried out by huge wave he was seized by two of the life men and, half dead, dragged upon the beach. He QaQ SGr6QgGQ enough 70 uCGef Clat the vessel was bound from Havana to New York, twen- ;y-one days out. and that the captain when he perceived the Highlands and knew that the vessel must go ashore, had gone into the ,abin and blew out his brains While he was speaking another cry was heard, and two more sailors were soon struggling in the water. One of these fellows was he who was shoeless and hatless mere boy. He was caught in an eddy and was nearly | 'trangled by the driftwood. Robert Potter, of No. 4, jumped into the surf to grasp the | nan, but was himself borne away by reced- | ng wave. ''Save Potter! Save Potter '" l ,ame from all sides For minute or two not | sound was heard but the roaring of the | tempest. Rescue seemed impossible Fortu- | 1ately spar was close at hand. With cool l ness suggestive of his calling, he seized it, | 'etaining his grip on the saiior the while. | The next wave threw the spar upon the beach, l where hundred willing hands seized the | gallant life saver. Five men in all saved | themselves in this way, and the remaining two | were perfectly willing to stay where they | were until low tide. The tide is the highest | hat has been known here for years. All the | meadow lands between Jersey City and Long | Branch are inundated.
 DEADwooD, D. T., Feb. 3.-A heavy snow torn prevails at this place and throughout the | Black Hills.
 CHICAGO, Feb. 3.-It was showing here st
 2 n.
 BUFFALO, Feb. 3.-Fifteen inches of snow lere.