Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-10
ARRIVAL OF A PLEASURE
YACHT.
Rough Passage from RaltimOre-A
Seaman Lost Overheard.

The yacht Nokomis, Captain du Verge,
arrived here Saturday morning from Balti-
more after very rough passage. This is
the yacht which was sighted off Hatteras
by the steamship Geo. Appold as flying sig
mails, mention of which was made In the
MORNING News. She left Fortress Monroe
on Sunday afternoon last at 4 o'clock, and
on Friday, about midnight, when some
thirty miles north Of Charleston lights, John
Cathcart, a seaman, was lost overheard from
the jibboom while fur'ing sail. Cathcart
was shipped In New Y rk and was an Eng
lishman.
From Capt. du Verge we obtain the fol-
lowing particulars of this sad event of the
voyage, which was successfully made by the
gallant craft after encountering rough
weather the entire way:
On January 9Th, when In latitude 1856
north and longitude 1886 west, dead reckon
ing, at l:2O a. m. the yacht was under close
reefed sails; the wind was S. w. battling to
w. s. W., squany, with heavy puffs, sharp
lightning from s. E. and N w, with sea
very heavy and hollow from S. The chief
officer, Mr.. HI. Benson, and three sailors
went on the jibboom to secure the dying
| JIo, which had been blown out from the
gaskets, and to prevent further damage from
the sail hanging loose on the jibboom end
The yacht was kept off southeast by south,
to make her ride more easily. While the
men were securing this sail, heavy squall
struck the yacht, pulling her lee rail COM
| pleuely under water for about five minutes.
at the same time tremendous billow rolled
up, raising the yacht high upon its foaming
crest. The Captain was at the helm, and
perceiving the danger to the men, cried to
them lookout on the boom,n but the force
OF the wiEd and the roaring of the sea pre-
vented his alarm being heard by the men.
| The next Instant the whole boWsprit was
under water, and the yacht moment stood
| still as though stunned. When she raised
| her proud bow again, the flying iibstay,
new wire, of one inch and a quarter, was
| flying to the leeward as a pennant, while
| the torn flying jlb was hanging by its sheets
! to the bowsprit.
The startling cry OF "Men oYerboardr'
was then heard, and It was discovered that
John Freeman and the bOatsWain, John
! Cathcart, were In the water. Several pieces
| of wood were thrown overheard to them,
and the Captain having the two hail buoys
| close at hand, threw one to Freeman and the
! other to Cathcart, who were at
that time struggling in the water
about ten feet from the stern.
/ telling them to keep a stout heart and not
| give up, as he was going to save them. Or
ders to veer the ship were Immediately
! given and volunteers called to man the
second cutter. Philip Sommers and Frank
| CoskY offered their services, and the noble
| little boat, weighing only one hundred and
fifty pounds, was launched. Torches and
| blue lights were kept burning the whole
time to assist the men in their rescue of the
| struggling seamen. About half-past two
O'Clock the gallant little craft returned with
John Freeman, native Of Russia, who had
| been picked up in an exhausted condition
| John Catchcart sank few minutes after he
was In the water, and his body was not re-
| covered. He had on heavy rubber boots,
extra clothing and heavy oil cloth coat, and
his inability to keep up is attributed to this
| fact.
Freeman, who was half drowned when
rescued, was promptly attended to, and in
a short time recovered. Some difficulty
was experienced in getting the cutter on
| board, as she capsZed after the men had
| landed on the yacht, and was twice carried
under the yacht, and it was only after the
| third attempt that she was successfully
drawn up out Of the water.
At half past four a. N. the yacht was
steered for Georgetown light, with a view
| of getting in smoother water in order to re-
pair damage. After the stay guys and sail
had been temporarily repaired and set the
Nokomis proceeded on her voyage, short of
men and fresh water. Spoke Charleston
pilot boat No. Z, and three-masted schOon-
er bound to Savannah. At midnight, when
!
vannah pilot and sailed for Savannah river
and dropped her anchor in the stream OPP
posite foot of Bull street, on Saturday at 10:
20 a. m, after six days of continued bad
weather and hardship in her passage from
| Baltimore.
The yacht is owned by Mr.. Edward Padel-
ford, Jr., son of the late Edward Padelford,
of this city, who has been in Savannah with
his bride the past, several days, the guest of
the Screven House.
The Nokomis is provided with all the
comforts of a pleasure yacht, Is neatly and
substantially built, handsomely finished,
and, as may be judged from the voyage she
has just completed, an excellent sea boat.