The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-10-11
Ocean Disasters.


A Nantucket letter to the New York
Evening Post says: Five hundred ship
wrecks are recorded as having occurred
on the island since commerce began in
its waters, and this by no means includes
all. The first wreck was in 1864, when
an English ship went to pieces here, and
the passengers and crew were murdered
by the Indians. In the revolution sew
eral prizes made by our privateers came
ashore on the south side, and their rich
cargoes, strewn along the beach, were q
treasure-trove to the inhabitants whom
the war had impoverished. Some of the
saddest disasters have been recent. My
travelling companion detailed a few that
may serve as instances.
On the evening OF December "a, 1865,
tho schooner Haynes from San Domingo,
was discovered off the west end of the
island fast on shoal. A boa. from the
Humane society's station boarded her
and found the cabin warm and good
fire in the stove, but not a soul on
board. All had embarked in the boats,
and had been overwhelmed. The ro-
nance of this wreck lies in the fact that
her captain was a resident of the island,
and had been married just before sailing
on this voyage. The wife, apprised of
his return, and that he would be with
her on Christmas day, made ready the
feast and sat listening for his footsteps
at the moment of mis- destruction. The
next day, during terrible southeast
gale second wreck was reported on
the south shore-thst of the ship
Newton, Captain Horting. thirty.
six hours out of New York bouEd
to Hamburg. An eyewitness
described this wreck as the most appall.
ing sight he had ever witnessed. The
sea was terrible in its might, and had
torn out spar, mast and cargo and strewn
them for three miles along the beach.
Under the bluff young man lay,
stripped of his clothing and yet warm.
though the life had been beaten out of
him. From the HAYNES and the Newton
fourteen bodies were gathered up and
conveyed to town, where q service was
held over them in which all the clergy
men of the island joined. The captain of
the Newton had young wife and the
second officer lonely old mother in
Hamburg, and these ladies were at once
fully informed of the sad fate of husband
and son. Their letters in reply, pathetic
and grateful, are still preserved by the
benevolent gentlemen to whom they were
addressed.
There may be humor even in wrecks,
as in the case of the ship Nathaniel
Hooper, which struck on South Shoal in
1888. At midnight the crew abandoned
her, leaving all sails set, and a squall
striking her soon after she drifted off and
away toward Boston. At daybreak she
was overhauled by smack. which find
ing her derelict, put two men on board,
with instructions to work her into Bos.
ton. The two seamen shortly after fell
in with another smack, which lent them
three more men, and thus manned, the
ship, with much pumping and exercise
of good seamanship, was brought safely
into port. The day after the wreck her
captain chartered a steamer and went
out to learn the fate of his craft, but
finding only debris and empty boxes
floating over the shoals, came to the wise
conclusion that she had gone down.
With convenient haste he repaired to
Boston to report to his owners, and there
found his lost craft safely moored.