Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-29
Down in the Deen.

TIse Sinking of the Forest Oak by the Betsy MorrEs-The Captain's Detailed Account of the Disaster.
 The following are portions of letter from
 Captain Charles H. Chambers of the schoon-
 CT Forest Oak, which was sunk of Cape May
 Sunday, the Fist, written to Mir. Henry Sut- ton, of this city, for the information of the
 owners:
 We left the Delaware breakwater Sunday morning, Fist, with fresh gales from the
 northwest and clear skies, and when under Cape May was under reef mizzen sail and other sails full, with fore and main ropsails set, running about nine or ten miles hour, on northeast course. Met a number of
 vessels here and others anchored under the beach. At 10:30 @. m. off Turtle Gull Inlet, miles north of Cape May light, saw light three -masted schooner, (proving to be the
 Betsy Morris) heading southwest, right on our course ahead. I was in charge of the
 deck myself and gave the universal order to the wheelsman to port his wheel and keep
 our vessel away to the leeward of the ap-
 preaching vessel, expecting she would keep
 on her course close hauled, as he was bound
 to do, and for us to get out of his
 way, which we were doing in a seaman
 like manner according to law in such cases
 and the dictates of common sense, which is
 sometimes better than law. And if he had
 taken notice of us, but kept on his course,
 he would have crossed wake astern 300
 yards, and we should then have hauled up on
 our course again, giving him the right of way,
 which belonged to him, and all the advan-
 tages to which he was entitled. But from
 some cause which I do not know, after we
 had swung our vessel of, the approaching
 vessel also began to keep off, by putting his
 wheel starboard, and continued to make her
 of. When we were nearer together I shout
 ed and swung my hat to him to Huff and
 gave the order ''hard up'' on our vessel We
 could not then Huff and clear him, and the
 last chance was to make hard away and we
 might cross him before he struck us. And
 with his wheel hard up and all his wearing
 we very nearly passed him. I think half
 minute more at the rate of speed we were
 going he would have passed under our stern
 But he never even steadied his vessel, Rbut let
 her come head on into the Oak right beam
 on at our port mizzen chains. I suppose when she hit she was going nine or ten miles an hour, her speed increasing as she wore away. The shock was fearful-took our mainsail, miZzenmast and sail of the other vessels jib-boom and bowsprit with all attached bore down upon our decks, poop and cabin, and we were standing amid it all falling on every hand, and yet none of us were seriously harmed. She crashed into tho Oak terribly-iteraIly broke her in two, drove her deck beams over to starboard and broke both rails on the opposite side from which she struck, tore the poop deck and cabin all down-not 8 door in the cabin on it's hinges. The bulkheads were also broken. went down between decks and found her stove in far below the water and could look out on to the blue water which rushing in in tor rents. As soon as we could clear the wreck age from the pumps, which were uninjured, I sounded them and found four and half feet of water. We rigged up double brakes and set to pumping with the assistance of the schooner Valentines crew, who had I0o o1 xuIfh ctO for half an hour. Sounded again and found six feet and decks to water-vessel settling very fast and heelng over to port. Then cleared away the boat and dropped her astern to line. Sounded again and found seven feet and decks filled with water. Deemed it not prudent to remain longer on board Threw few personal effects into the boat and dropped astern to a long line from the taffrail and awaited the final plunge. In little while she settled down forward and raised aft, took the final plunge and dis appeared forever from sight"
 Capt Chambers felt broken down and dis pirited by the shock, but Hooked back" he said 'Ewith no regrets as to my own line of conduct from first to last. My whole course was in accordance with experienced seaman ship and the law in such cases, but it seemed to be the day of doom for the Forest Oak. She sunk in seven fathoms, Hartford, bear ing NNW. The vessel lays a dangerous ob- | struction to navigation. The yawl and colors | with few little things were all that l was saved. I held but little eommuni- 1 cation with the other vessel, the Betsy Mor- l ris The captain said he was absent below | and did not know how it occurred, and I be- | lieve there were no officers on deck at the | time The Morris had but little other dam age beyond loss of bowsprit. He rendered 1 me no assistance or offered any escape 1 from the sinking vessel This is a sad ter imitation of a very successful years work "
 4oS,, o&1l 1rrI the shock, loss etc., that he was laid up for several days, but will probably be in the city by to-day or tomorrow. He belongs at Tom's River, Ocean county, New Jersey, and is highly spoken of as an able and faithful officer. He had had the Forest Oak a couple If years