Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-21
TEN SAFE AT GAY HEAD.
EIGHT OF THE CREW AND TWO
PASSENGERS THE ONES.


markable Escape of a Canadian.
NEW BEDFORD, MASS, Jan. 2O.-The
awful feeling of gloom which has pre-.
vailed all along this part of the coast
since the terrible disaster to the steamer
City of Columbus seemed to have grown
more intense as this morning dawned, and
showed heavy banks Of lowering clouds.
which seemed to hang over the entire
coast like a funeral pail The streets
were filled with people who, for two days,
had been rushing here On every train, in
the hope Of obtaining some intelligence
concerning loved ones. There has been
but little information to give to these
anxious inquirers, as all the bodies thus
far brought ashore have been identified as
quickly as they have been landed, and
then sent to their late homes.
RECOVERED CORPsEs WIDELY SCAT
TERED.
There has been a deploraDle lack of sys-
TEN in regard to the disposal Of the bodies
which have been picked up at various
points along the coast. Stray bodies OF
victims have been recovered by various
crafts plying through Vineyard SOUND
and taken to widely separated points. 1t
is reported here that several bodies have
been picked up by schO0ners and landed
at Edgartown, Woods Hole and Vineyard
Haven. 1t is positively known that there
are now eleven bodies at Vineyard Haven.
but the number at other points cannot be
ascertained at present, owing to the fact
that there is no regular communication
between these various points.
COMMUNICATION WITH GAY HEAD.
To-day, for the first time since the dis
I =
| Head, which point has been the centre of
interest since the wreck. 1t has been
hitherto inaccessible, owing to the heavy
sea which has been running along the
coast for several days. The steamtug
| Nellie, Capt. Church, of this port, has
| made herself the chief topic of CONVEX
| satiOn among residents and visitors by
| her remarkable success IN picking up
| bodies. Yesterday she cruised about off
the eastward point Of Gay Head and took
| five bodies out of the water, all of which
were identified here. except one, which is
held by District Examiner Taylor.
THE CORRESPONDENTS AT WORK.
At daylight this morning several news
/ paper correspondents here chartered the
tug Nellie for a cruise off Cav Head. with
the object, if the weather and sea permit
ted, OF boarding the wreck, and making
/ a landing at Gay Head, which latter
]
/ gentlemen who had lost relatives by the
disaster, and were eager to visit the point
where information could be quickly OBJ
tained, were invited to join in the trip
/ At dawn heavy northeast snow storm
/ was prevailing, but by O'Clock the
/ weather had moderated sufficiently to
warrant the tug Nellie in venturing into
| the sound.
NEARING THE WRECK.
Within two hours she had steamed
within sighting distance of the wreck.
! Upon approaching closer it was ascer-
! tanned that about 80 feet of the bow and
! deck were out of the water, the bow rest
! ing as heretofore upon the rocks of the
/ Devils Bridge, while the stern had slowed
+ around point or two into deep water
/ From distance it appeared as if three
i bodies were hanging to the ratlines of the
mizzen rigging. By the time the Nellie
| had run within cannon shot distance the
snow had changed to sleet, the wind be-
! gan blowing tiercely from the north north
east, and it was found impossible to ap-
prOach within quarter of mile of the
wreck, owing to the fact that the ledge
/ forming the DEVILS Bridge extended that
distance to the eastward Of the ship.
LANDING AT GAY HEAD.
The Nellie skirted the buoy on the east
/ and ran within an eighth Of mile of the
/ wharf landing at Gay Head light. The
/ sea was running so high that the tug
/ could not approach the wharf, and a yawl
/ was launched, in which some of the cor
/ respondents and visitors set out for Cav
/ Head. 1t was only with great difficulty
/ that the party landed, as waves twenty
/ feet high dashed over the frail structure
! Of piles and boards. All landed safely,
! however, and proceeded to the light house.
NAMES OF THOSE AT GAY HEAD.
Here it was learned that ten persons,
/ all told, had landed safely from the wreck,
/ all of whom were alive and, under the
| circumstances, doing remarkably we'll
/ Those found alive at Gay Head are as fol-
/ lows:
VIM. spaulding, of Boston, the ships
/ Purser.
Henry Collins, of Taunton, Second As
/ sistant Engineer.
John Hines, of Boston, one of the fire.
men.
Thomas Butler, Of Prince Edwards
Island, another fireman.
William N. Macdonald, Of Boston, Quar-
/ termaster.
/ Thomas O'Leary, a seaman.
Michael kennedy, of St. Johns, n. F.,
a waiter.
Edward O'Brien, of St. Johns, N.F.,
/ also a waiter.
James Brown, passenger.
/ }. Tibbetts, passenger.
HOW THE SURVIVORS APPEARED.
Purser Spaulding was found in the resi-
! dence of the keeper of the lighthouse,
with his head done up in bandages and
wearing the clothes in which he swan
from the wreck to the life boat.
THE CORPsEs ON THE ISLAND.
While the officers and seamen werere-
lating their experiences the visitors.
guided by the native half-breeds, started
to various points in the vicinity where
bodies had been reported as being placed
after having been picked up by the
natives along the beach. A vehicle was
hired, and the first place visited was the
meeting house, a dilapidated and storm
| beaten church, in one OF the widest
places on that wild and dreaIy coast.
| Here were found five bOdies-fOur men
and one woman.
THAT'S MY DEAR NIECE, ALICE"
As the party entered the tumble down
temple of worship they beheld the out
stretched forms on the floor. and A. 5.
Pelyea, of Lynn, one of the visiting party.
cried out, '"That is my dear niece, Alice,''
and he knelt before the PROSTATE and dis
/ figured remains, weeping cOnvulsively.
The grief OF. the man was contagious and
there were few dry eyes among the men,
bers of the party. Mrs. AtkinsOn's re-
mains were horribly mangled and were
covered with blood from head to foot. She
had on only her undergarments and was
identified by them.
ANOTHER IDENTIFICATION.
Mr.. Currier, who had been walking
among the other bodies, uplifted a heavy
tarpaulin which covered the last of the
bodies to be examined, which proved to
be that of George Kellogg, of Fitchburg,
in search of whose body Mr.. Currier had
come.
The remaining three bodies were un-
identified.
MINISTER'S ANGUISH.
The party then proceeded to the beach.
where it was reported that a number of
bodies were lying. AS one of the natives
lifted the tarpaulin from the form of the
first victim reached Rev. Mr.. Dunning. of
Lawrence, dropped upon his knees and
grasped the frozen and extended hands of
the corpse crying, "Oh, merciful God. it is
Henry; it is Henry BatcheIder, nv
poor sisters husband. Poor Henry.
Dear boy, farewell" Here the reverend
gentleman was overcome with emotion.
and wept Historically as he lowered the
frozen tarpaulin over the corpse. The
gentlemen started on their long tramp
over the barren waste, through foot of
snow, to hut where it was reported that
there were more bodies. A laborious
walk Of three miles brought the searchers
to most desOlate cabin situated on that
part of Gay Head Bluff known as Lobster
vile.
MIR. PELYEA's CUP FULL TO OVERFLOW
ING.
On entering the cabin, which was
watched over by half-breed woman, Mr..
Pelyea discovered the body of his sister,
Mrs. A. b. Pelyea, of Lynn. Mr.. Pelyea