The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-19
A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH
OF GENERAL BABCOGK.

Colonel r. B. Smith, of tie
Lighthouse Board, who was with
General Babeock when the latter
was drowned in Mosquito Inlet,
Florida, told the story OF tie disss,
ter to Charleston, s. c., reporter
He said the Pharos kept off Mos-
quito Inlet from Satur lay evening
until Monday morning, as the can
tain thought an entrance impractI.
cable. sat II O'Clock, however"
said Captain Smith, "a large whale
boat, manned by six sailors and a
coXswain came out and boarded the
vessel. The general, thinking that
as the boat came out so easily she
could return with equal safety.
changed his mind, and decided to
make the attempt. He, Luckev.
Suter and myself got in with the
seven seamen, making four lands
men and seven sailors in sll who
started. Of the four landamen I
alone lived &c reach the shore The
boat made Roadway enough until
We passed the bar buoy. Then a
roller struck as, which We weathered
all right. On the crest of the Sec
ond roller the stesring oar snapped
in two and the cockswain was
washed overheard. The boat then
filed. The third roller brought the
cockswain back to the boat and he
was saved. By this time the boat
had turned over. We passed line
lengthwise her keel to hold On by,
and all ofu, grasped it and held on
while sea after sea washed over US.
These seas were about $50 feet apart
which allowed Us little breathing
spell between them. For quarter
of an hour this struggle with the
waves continued, anG l do not hest
tate to say that cooler and Drawer
set of men under such circumstances
[ never saw. MOI a man asked for
help, though we frequently assisted
esch other When we say helD was
needed and We coaid possibly do 90.
There was meme o. that C yer IL
showing aside, and fighting for the
best posi- ions, which is too often
witnessed when lifs is the prize con-
tended for. We we're washed away
from the boat time and sgain. but
another wave would take Us back.
At one time General Batcock was
swept off and the next wave failed
to bring him all the way back to the
boat; he fl0sted near it, however,
and by clinging 10 the rope with
my left hand | managed 80 reach
him with the tips of the fingers on
my right hand. Finally l got his
hand into mine and pulled him up
on the beat again. Soon after this
I noticei that Mr.. L. P. Luckey
was exhausted, AMI a moment
afterWGrd he gave up and was swept
away. AS he flcated eff he appeared
to me to be unconscious. Very
shortly after the drowning of
Luckey the sind and tide, which
had been setting in shore all the
time. took Us into the SUR. In the
surf Suter and General Babcock
both gave out and we're crowned,
and soon after them one Of the men
also. ALI of Us had been washed
from the boat. The last l saw OF
General Bsbcock before his body
came ashore, he was floating away
face downward. I concluded az did
the rest, that if l remained in the
surf l should be killed by the boat,
SO l made for the shore followed by
the rest. I could not see the shore,
but knew the breakers were going
in and [ followed them. But the
trouble was when we would touch
bottom the undertow would whirl
us out to sea again. [ made effort
after effort to gain foothold, and If
[ had not succeeded when I did ]
should have been too much ex-
hsusted 70 make another effort"