Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-23
WRECK OF THE COLUMBUS.
Statement of 0uartermaster Mcdonald.
Who was at the Wheel when the Shin
Struck

Who was at the Wheel when the Ship
Struck
Ne1o Bedtord Special, Jan. 2f.
Roderick A. Mcdonald, the quartermas-
ter on duty at the wheel, tells this story:
i went on duty at midnight. Captain
Wright and First Mate Fuller were then
in the wheelhOuse. Fuller was relieved
at 1:45, and the second mate, Edward
Harding, succeeded him. There was
heavy blow, but the sky was clear over
head. with the horizon hazy. The wind
was little on our starbOard bow. After
making the Tarpaulin light on the island
of Naushon, we took a southwest by west
course. which always took us in midchan-
mel. The Captain went below about an
hour before we struck. We were then
above Iarpaulin light to the west. About
fifteen or twenty minutes before he went
below the Captain gave me the course,
southwest by west The second mate
was in the pilot house at the time and
knew how we were headed. A saort time
before we struck he cautioned me
not to go any to the leeward of
that course. l steered as straight a
course as possible. Mr., Harding
was at his station all the time during the
absence Of the Captain. We could see
the Gay Head light plainly Off our port
bow, but we could not Judge distance by
1t, for the land was hazy. The light an
peared closer than usual to me, but with
the land half Obscured l could not Judge.
That is the course l have always steered
the ship since | have been on the line i'm
August last. A few minutes after the
second mates caution the man on the
lookout ran to the pilot house and report
ed something to the mate. He told me
afterWard that he reported the buoy off
our port bow. TIE mate gave me the
order Hard a port | Obeyed, and the
Captain hurried up from his cabin and
repeated the order. At that moment she
struck, but not very hard it seemed to me.
Then the Captain looked out and ex-
claimed: There's the buoy; l am outside
of it. did not see the buoy. The Cap
tain rang to back her, and threw the wheel
over to starbOard. He also gave orders to
hoist the iib to cant her head off to west
ward. There were plenty of men on duty
ana the sail was set very promptly. She
swung off couple of points, and then
came back again. She would not back off
the reef, and then the Captaint tried to 90
over it, ringing, Ahead, full speed 1t
was no use. She swung a couple ofpoints
each way, but l could not tell whether
she drlfted any. | knew of the swinging
of her head by the compass only. The
vessel did not come off the rock at all.
Then the Captain told me to abandon the
wheel, and we all left the pilot house. The
second mate took charge Of the raising of
the Jlb, and by the Captains orders [ went
to help at the boats. | got knife to cut
away the lashings of the boats. and went
to No. lltebOat Several others were
there on the starboard side. The shin had
Just began to cant when we got the lee
lashings cut. The vessel careened over, and
we had to abandon the attempt to get the
lifeboat free. Some were at work at the
port side boats, which We're plunged under
a b11f hxrfh hn ~1f
the vessel on that side. The second boat
went to on the starbOat side forward
was partly clear, and the first engineer
was at work on her. With the second
mate we tried to clear her and slide her
down the steep deck to the water. but
we couldn't free the boat without killing
all hands, so slid down rope to the one
boat that vas aft on the port side. Four
or five were already in that boat. Jump
ed for her and fell overheard. The next
sea that swung her toward the vessel
enabled me TO catch hold of the gunwaIe.
/ sang out to a man on board to help me
climb in, but he paid no attention.
Then the boat suddenly filled under
a heavy sea. Three of them on board
jumped into the water, thinking she would
sink. and they were drowned before they
could reach the ship. 1t was lifeboat.
and did not sink when she filled, ard |
climbed on board. Four others remained
on board, and we drifted away with the
boat full of water, The others wanted to
strike for the nearest shore under GAY
Head light, but | objected, knowing that
we would be dashed to pieces on the
rocky headland toward which the swift
tide was carrying us. We padded
a little with oars, and kept her head
to sea and wind. We were COW
cred with water, and suffered fearfully
as we struggled along around the head
land. We tried to bale a little with a
piece of board, and one man pulled off his
boot anu tried to bale, but we gained
nothing, the sea breaking over us all the
time. As we afterward found, there was
hole in the boat. We left the ship soon
after 4 O'Clock, and kept afioat until dav-
light. about 7 O'Clock. Then we succeeded
IN landing about two miles from the
wreck. Charles f. James died just before
we reached the shore. The rest of us
Were hardly able to move. None could
walk, and we crawled up the beach. l
reached house after a while and sent
| help to my companions"