Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-22
RUN DOWN IN THE NIGHT
sunuossn " REcK rp sy A COLLISION.
struck by an UHknown veesei on the At.
isn'ic Cosst-Tbe second Mate swcpt
Overheard aud Lost

struck by an UHkncvn Sessei on the At.
i.n'ic Cosst-Tbe second Mate swcpt
Overheard aud Lost.
When the steamship Cienfuegos, which
loft Nassau September IL and arrived in
New York, Sunday morning, was about
three hundred miles east of St. Augustine
on Thursday afternoon the lookout saw an
American flag with tho union down flying
above the waves from spar which seemed
to rise out of the water. The officer of
the deck headed the ship for the signal
and in short time saw that the spar rose
from dismasted water logged hulk. On
the deck forward, where they wero partly
sheltered from tho waves by the topgallant
forecastle, were five men. Second Officer
James Doughery aud and a couple of sea
men got small boat ready and at six
o'clock the men were taken from the
wreck. They were very much exhausted
aud we're suffering greatly from hun ger
anG thirst. One Of them said he was
Thomas Mumford, master of the schooner
John J. Taylor, of Philadelphia, aud the
others wero his first mate and crow.
Benjamin Washington, ono of the crow,
said !" We sailed for Fernandina on Sep.
tember II, with cargo OF pine timber for
Laguayra. All went we'll until Saturday,
and We were about three hundred miles
out of port, when it began to blow a resu-
lar hurricane. We were able TO keep
steeTageway during Saturday night, but
Sunday morning the wind blew SO hard
that our fore staysail was blown out of the
bolt ropes and the mainsail was split,
Then we laid her TO under close .reefed
fOTesail. We had to lash the man at the
wheel to keep him from being washed
overheard. We were in no danger, how
ever, for the vessel mado very little water.
About two O'Clock on Monday morning,
while | was trying the pump, | looked
around to windward and saw n big white
schooner scudding before the wind under
bare poles yelled to the mate aud told
him the schooner was heading directly for
Us. We put our wheel up, but VIC could
not fall away from the wind, and in tive
minutes the stranger struck Us bow on
directly between tho starboard fore and
main rigging. She bounded back, ToSe
with the swell and struck us again further
aft, and then with the next swell struck Us
on the quarter and glanced off.
THE blows had crushed in the side Of
our vessel all along. The ether schooner
drifted away to leewsrd. We saw her set
her lights, which were no: burning before
aud then she disappeared, We could not
word from her. Our vessel filled o. once
and sank to the waters edge. Tho tirss
wave that struck us cleared the deck oil
everything movable. The galley and the
water butts went with the rest and VIZ
would have gone also only we managed tC
cling to the rigging. Thon We cut away
the masts aud threw overheard the anchors
and chains to keep her from turning over.
'Just as we were getting things Il
rights and while the second mate, PhiliI
Graham, of Baltimore, was mailing the
cabin door fast, an unusually large wave
swept over the deck and carried him witt
it. He gave one cry, but was beyond helI
and sank instantly out of sight. Thereafte,
VIC had nothing to do but wait. There
was 10 getting nothing to eat and tn,
water was gone. The gale continued al
day Monday and Tuesday, but began K
| subside at night. Then wo got up a spal
| that had been lashed 10 the scuppers auC
hoistcd the signal OF distress. Nothing
| came in sight of US until Wednesday nigh
| when the Cienfuegos saw U.s."