New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-02
RUNNING ASHORE IN TIE GALE.

RUNNING ASHORE ~ THE GALE.
THE BRITISH STEAMER RORAiMA II GREAT PERIL on
THE BEACH MAR ANBCRY PARK, " j. - TIE
CAPTAIN RFFUSHS ASSISTANCE FROM MfE-~hN-
ING Crews.
fFRoM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE rERcNE.I
OCEAN BEACH, y. j Feb. AT Wight this Inorl'-
ing the British steamer Rurlima went upon The frozen
beach that runs half way over between the sea ard
Shark River. a binding snow-torm Nci!'d the
shore, the storm setting III ht!lc after lnh'Gh'
The first person to discover the stranded stra ner
was William IrvIn. who lives near thc ShaIN NV
inlet. Irwin SAYS when he approached TIE We sci,
the on " sign of life Der was tie hammer ~ "i
the crew at what he suppmed the chains and
the blowing of of steam Irvln sgnalled to the w.
sci for some time. Lut received no RESPONSE. lie
then fastened to send word to CAPTAIN Pitnoy
Curtis the agent of the Merritt Coast Wreck ~
OF cariz 1tion, after which he gave the alarm
to the crew Of Li'c-SaNirg station No. l.
The station of crew Nc. is AT III
point of shark River ulet, on the north side the
beat Of the patrol ending al the Inlet, TIL" stranded
vessel lay within 800 yards of the station, but III
the district of Station No. 3. which is N Wreck
Pond, about three miles below the inlet After
TWINS warning. the crew of Station No. was
called by the keeper. John Ktiles, and within all
hour bad boat manned, which went of to TIE
YES 81.
The commander of the steamer refused to go
ashore with his crew or even to permit the lle-saV-
ing crew to place lifeline from the boat to shore.
The LlfesavinG men coud do nothing bn return 10
shore and keep a watch on the imperllled steamer
until the crew of Station No. Z, i'll whose district the
vessel was stranded put n an appearancr. 1t WAS
had its entire liie.saving apparatus, M
Guiding the whip l!nc shot line. sand
anchor hawser or oible,. and Lie gun.
ha unth oiuC IL thp launched
boat. but the British commander positively refused
to accept any assistance. The men of both stations
| lay by the stranded steamer until O'clock The
shore by this time was crowded with spectators who
braved the cutting wind and at tins hour hoat
was lowered from the steamers side. INTO winch a
crew from the vessel jumped. IL was then apparent
that the bOatful of sailors Intended coming ashore.
The Lifesaving crew. remembering the fatal dis
ostcr HAT attended tie foulharGIncss of the sailors
of the French steamer AmeIique in the winter OF
1877 who like manner tried To reach shore f'c-
nailed The ROralml sailors to 20 back. Ihcsr eau
tons they did not heed and put for tie beach.
When within a few feet of the shore the
boat began filing, and First Mate John
Pepper jumped into the surf. from which lie was
had a line attached to III" steamer probably all
hands would have been lost. The pulling back %!
the boat by those aboard the steamer alone saved
tho men. The mate almost frozen BY his bath III
the icy surf, was carried to Ocean Beach Station.
and from hlm The TRIBUNE correspondent obtained
the story of the strandng.
Mate Peppers statement was as follows: The
vessel is the Ronalma, commanded by captain
Trattle>. She left London December % with 4
general cargo. and left Demerara January Is with
Il crew of twenty-One men and Two pa~scuEcrS-a
man named Marshall and 4 woman named Noble
The vessel stopped at Barbador~ ! ,nulry 81
and received orders to proceed III ha.laS, 10 New
York, and then to AXE "A cargo home. After Icavl
Barbados the voyage WAS b"isefnnS III tEe eX-
IRENE. At o'clock ilns morning i IneIat LiEnl
was sighted " Three hours later sand Mt
Pepper. " We sighted three lights. We took them
for the Highland twin lights and SIu'y iooS
beacon. We were running at tNo ku0t> an hour.
steering -ilOrtlPdSt. W hOtVd ut Tor
three hours. when We -liuck the 1caci.' the cap
tain and crew are all EnglIshmcu. II stations Nos.
Z and No. . light ir shown nightly iI"!r window
on the e3>t-the seward side. Il Is supposed the
Roraima was bcwIlcred 10y these lishis AID the
lantern of palTonan.
All day the crew ard paSscnrcls stead
tasty refused to leave the vc+'cl. Fortnight
tie crews of both station, ar lyIngcl ~ 10
render and on the first call for as~i.anrt. Capiajn
I titles sangdine" of ioItIng v--rl with"ul any
ali. HIS refusal To permit Il lir-n" 10 hc placed
from the boat to the shore - SAM to hc GA of fear
that sdyaIe would b GAINED ~ ctNc TIE Vr~,ri Mas
saved-wnICh Is an error. The Merritt Coast Wreck
ing COmpmys steamer has been trlcgrlphrd tor.
There IS some hone OF ~avlng the vessel II the set
goes down and IL" s,ei accept tic assistance -
tag. She lies Inside TIE Ou;cr bar. her propeller
beng hard on the md lie bar.
Nj. IhOmp,Ou, the agent of the vessel, reached
here this evening. Captain 1ratt'cs cam" 70
later I'D SAID he was satisfied thai he cOulI II ~
his vessel without assistance and tnai h. would Tor
the captain ami mate feared to 90 back To the vrSsc
in their own boat. and request made to the Gov
eInmcnt crew To take them OH was refused.
The steamship RoralIna, winch sailed from Bar
BADGES IN ballast for this port January 20, Is coz
signed to w. H. Thompson q Co., No. II Broadway,
and the moment the news WAS received Mr. Ih"np-
son, who captain of the White STR steamship
Britannia for many years, Immediately went To
Long Branch 10 learn the condition nt the vessel aud
make necessary arrangements for getting her all 1T.
Early III the ait"InuOn he sent to the oil @ Ui the
Coast WrrCkug OICanz ,tInn fer ASST stance" aud i'm
less than two hours Captain /. j. Merritt,
the president, with tie Wrcc.ng s'"dut J." pur.p..
VIccklng material, ana Il large fierce Of wreck, -
started from Staten Island 10 the sc"ue o. the
wreck. Later III The day Captain lhomp+np sent
dispatch that the vessel laid il a favorable C0uiI-
ton, and IL the gale dd not haul TO the eastward
there WAS every hopes % saving her vhrl jhc
weather moderated Tie off rs and cl"y were
still Oh bpaid. but the two passengers bad =. "a
taken of by the crew OF the Lit,sivjug SjIrou,
who promptly offered 10 rcnGcr any assistance nee
eSsary.
The Roraima is an iron scrcw--tc"iucr waterfall
last tour 'ullleaGs, buili al Wr~i II ,rtcpoI Ing
land, in 1872. md owned by steel. Ynu.G d Co.,.
of London. Her length j. 90 feet, breadth OF beam
thirty feet. depth of hold seventeen and one
SIX, feet, and 7Gl tons huidcn.