Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-06-03

| ms catastrophe Was Immediately sue
ceeded by the first rescue. The breeches-
buoy. with bigh, Of the sho,-line by which
the single part Of the whip-line had been
drawn to the vessel attached to |, a. .
hauling line. vas pulled out to the wreck by
those on board. II vss agreed that the
second mate. Emanuel Clausen, should make
the endeavor to save the child first Of all
For this purpose, holding the baby in his
arms, he took his seat in the buoy, sus-
pended on the trAveler-ropc by its pulley
block above the breakers. Al signal the
life-saving crews pulled away II their end Of
the hauling line. and the two began their
fearful journey. Thy had been drawn
about midway when the part Of the hauling
line on boasd the vessel became entsngied
in the wreckAge Of the spanksr boom and
could not be cleared by the men in the cross
trees. 1t vas . nonent Of supreme horror.
The buoy ~as held to the wreck BY the en-
tangled line. and the baby and her protector
we're stopped in the mids, Of the surf. half
way between ship and shore. In this terri
bic exigeney the life-s saving crews did the
only thing thA, could be done--they ran up
the beach in mass, hauling ~ith all their
strength, with the design OF either clearing
or breaking the line. II the line broke be-
tween the shore and the buoy. the infant and
the man would still remain where they we're
and be quickly drowued in the torrents Of
the breakers. The suspense wAs short, for
presently. by good fortune. the violent strain
broke the line between them and the wreck,
leaving the buoy free To come in. In an in
slant il ~as run through the surf to the
beach, and the poor baby and the mate were
seired. lifted out Of the buoy. and carried
- -
,by, which ratified away With them to place
OF suecor half . milc distant.
The excitement, Of the first rrseuc a, once
gave place TO the contemplation Of the serI-
ousness Of the situation OF those remaining
in the rigging Of the wreck. The traveller
rope alone stretched between the beach and
the nisIen head, and the neocssitat~d break
ing Of the hauling line for The deli,cranoe Of
the couple jus, saved. left the ifesaving
crew ~ishou, immediate means Of again
sending OF the brecehe,-buoy. A has,y
eonsulia,ion vas held, and it vas resolved to
TT, to reach the wreck with the boat The
step vas desperate and involved extreme dan
ger The sea had So ollcn Tremendously, and
such enormous breakers we're ,umhling over
tie nearly submerged hull thA, there sas no
more a; ieas; than possibility ;hA, boat
aktc W Iht AAbhkslGc, cNtu u IL
survived the a,;emp, to leave the beach
while should It prove to be feasible TO man
tain position near the masses Of surf which
incessantly broke over the miserable wreck.
there ~as the terrible problem hov the pco-
pie we're to be got down and across them
into the boat. The stake. therefore, rested
upon the hares, chance bu, j, ~as resolved
10 stand the hazard. A picked crew VAS se-
A 4 "a
Grimm Of No. ~ taking the suoke-oar
Keeper Martin Of No. 10 took of hi. boot.
and coat, and seired the steering oar and
the pcrilou. launch ..s made. The boat
wen, of gallan,ly until il reached the hercc
current which s-, between ship and shore
y hen. spite the uimos, strength Of the oars-
men. IL ~As s~ep, far nor;hward Of the ,e.-
sel. and the baiiird crew we're forced to re
gain the beach. Another launch ~as at once
made, the point Of departure being taken
further down the beach, 10 allou for the
.,rrs. Of the current. and the oarsmen exert
ed themselves TO the utmost They succ.ed-
cd in nearly reaching the bar on which the
vessel lay. ~hen heavy sea struck the boat.
throwing one man from hi. th~art, brui.in.
the ~ri,, of another. and knocking the keep
or overheard. lie caught he went q, the
Klub sc4tut sGAA ECtA.Ili4k
steering oar, and ~as dragged back into the
boa, BY the powerful arm Of Keeper Grimm.
The boa, mesn~ bile los, way, and uAs IN the
fatal current. Again bAiiied. the discounted
cre~ had 10 make the shore.
The failure With the boa, caused those
upon the wreck 10 begin to lose hope. The
.,ck captain and his wife had meanv hilr be.
come insensiblr. and within an hour later
they both died. lashed to the rigging
/, vas now about four o'clock in the after
noon. A. soon as the second attempt with
the boa, had failed. the station men endesv-
ored 10 re-es,ablish the means Of transit
from the wreck by supplying the sailor, in
the ero.s-,rees with . hauling line. The
L,!e gun vas again fred and ,hrew a shot
line on TO the vessel but could no, be reach
ed by the men. Another expedient ~ then
resortsd to. Keeper Martin vaded out as
far - possible into the surf and bent on the
shot line to the l.? inch rope, which vas
still stretched from the miIren bead Of the
wreck TO the BE- Ach, where il vas held by
sand anchor. The rope was then Stacked
frum the sand anchor, and. At . signal.
hauled in BY the sailors until the shot.line
attached to il waS in their hands. The
brooches, buoy Was then run on TO the stand
ing rope, ready TO be worked to and fro by
the newly extended shot-lins. and the stand
ing rope again secured To the beach by the
sand anchor. These oprstions we're assisted
in by Keeper Kidgway, Of No II, and four
Of HE crew, who had arrived upon the beach
near sundown. Darkness had now set in
and rain began TO fall. With the exception
of tvo or three persons, oil the spectator,
left the beach, which was thus nearly ahan-
doned to the members Of the three hfe.sa,.
ing crews. some of whom kept bright fire
burning to encourage the sailors, while the
Others assisted in getting Cd the breeches-
buoy to the wreck. which Vas now undstin-
guishable. The intensity Of the darkness
made the work slow, but two trips we're made
by the buoy from the vessel. each bringing
in safely two men. One Of this quartette
Vas the mate, from whom the life.saying
crews learned !ha, the captain and his wife
we're dead IN the rigging, hs having exam
ined them some time before. There we're.
therefore, left upon the wreck only two iv-
ing persons, Frank June and Richard Cor
don. They had been al day the most hope
ful and active men on board. and had agreed
to leave the vessel last. The buoy Was
hauled out BY them. and soon their voices
we're heard in the darkness, calling to the
crews to haul away. They came rapidly in.
the standing line swsying in the sgrf With
their weight. when saddsGly the buoy was
felt to stop as though the hauling line was
.l6sly t4ining around some pagt Of tbs
wreck. It cams on again ts~ feet BY jerks
aud finally stopped altogether. The unfor
tunate men had unace0untsbly neglected TO
cast OF or cut the line behind them before
leaving the vessel. Knowing that they
could not long remain in the buoy. with the
surf overwhelming them every in.t.n., the
station. men 1eg. pp . steady spain upon the
shore-lins. h6Pins to make the outer line. |
which had fouled in the wreck. give way. |
The last stroke of misfartuns wss now dealt,
fer il was the line they held that broke. and
the hapless men were soon torn from the
buoy BY the breakers and drowned Their
bruised and dis6gured bodies were cast up
BY the surf the next day, several miles Rorth |
o. the place where they INST their doom, |
The body Of tho man who fell from the rig |
Ging st noon came on shore ss the same
time.
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