Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-08
pIloTs IN DEADLY PERIL.
ONE or THEIR CRAFT SUNK.

HfWfs Ntst3 a~ - a. 4.
broad mantle over the ocean Ia 'ae
early hours Of Yesterday morning ~
seemed to flll the air with s denser CD
scurity along the line Of the shore %
the southwark. There was little breeze
blowing, but great long waves, the . leg,
acies Of previous gale, rolled ~ n s'sa
the sea with their ridges marked mere
and there with crests Of curling foam:
Il was twenty minutes to : a. a.
About twenty-five miles north-nor'n.
east Of Absecum Light was pIiot.Doa'
No. 6. the Mary and catharine,, OF New
vo,t She was running slowly under
: lisht sail. All but Pilot Oscar Strod-
St,eden. who was in charge, and the
watch. were sleeping in their berths.
THRILLING SUMMONS.
"All hands on deck !"
The words rang out on the night like
a shrek Of terror, startling the sleep
ers from their sleep, and bringing them
TO the schooner's deck with hcadiong
rush. A..
slower away the boats I" were inc
words that followed moment iatcr.
II is impossible to describe the scene
That followed--a scene seemingly oil
Int moments duration, yet during
xh;ch some of the actors experienced
,hs emotions of lifetime. Reused
from their slumbers, the crew OF the
n,lot-boat rushed on deck to find their
vessel in the most desperate peril.
A great, shadowy form, which IN the
obscurity OF the night seemed to have
suddenly risen from the depths OF the
ocean. was relentlessly bearing down
upon them, threatening instant de-
struction. -,
There was a crash and the cracking
Of timbers and the tapping OF sails,
mingled with the shouts Of the terri'led
men. The seeming shadow was SUD
stance. A great ocean steamer naa
etruek the staunch little schooner with
full force. and but few moments re-
manned for the pilots and their men IN
which to save their lives.
Pilots are accustomed to great dan
gers. and few men are calmer in emer-
cepcies. But there are emergencies that
defy elaboration. This was one OF
them. The steamer struck the pilot
boat Just abaft the forechains on the
port side. 1t had made great hole,
and the water came rushing in in a
mighty torrent, and it was at once evil
dent that il was beyond human posi-
bility to save the vessel from going to
the bottom.
WHAT STEAMER WAS 1T?
OF course there was intense excite
ment, but all realized the need for
rapid and organized effort. They con-
centrated their first efforts on the pre-
cautions necessary to secure their es-
cape from their sinking craft. Under
such circumstances it is not strange
that in the excitement not one OF the
imperilled men thought to ask the name
of the colliding steamer. All the less
did they think Of doing so since there
was not one man who did not expect
that the steamer would stop and rescue
them from their peril.
Quickly following the collision the
bells TO reverse the steamers engine
were heard ringing. Then the steamer
backed away from the pilot-boat. Shit
shook from her bow the clinging debris
and then the bells to 60 on were rung
and the steamer proceeded on her way
as though nothing had happened, a
though human lives had not been lief
in danger behind. In the darkness o
the hour and in the confusion that pre-
vailed no one on board the pilot-boa
saw enough Of the steamer to be abb
to describe her. No one can tell eve
whether she was a coast or a trans
Atlantic steamer.
In few minutes the pilot-boat sank
She careened over on her port side
seemed to culver just moment, the
disappeared with a great plunge. BIZ
the brave pilots, who had utilized Ii
few moments allowed them to escaI
from the doomed craft in their boat
felt less regret at the loss of their ga
liant schooner, and were less moved B
the uncertainty Of the fate that awaits
them on that dark and rough sea
their little yawl-boats, than by the
desertion Of the vessel that had caus'
their disaster.
ONE MAN LOST.
Are all hands safe >" inquir
Pilot Heath, after they had taken to t
boats. The names were called out
each boat.
No, all hands were not safe. U
was missing. His fate was peculiar
sad one. The pilot-boat left here
the % instant, and at Staten lsla
the missing man asked to be TAX
on board as q seaman. No
seemed to remember his name, a
the most they could say Of b
was that he was young man
claimed to be an Englishman fr
Liverpool. After the shout calling
hands on deck no was dragged fir
his berth, but the presumption was t
he either was not thoroughly awakel
or that he stopped to dress himself
gather his effects together, and Z
went down with the vessel.
FIVE HOURS OF FEAR.
For FIVE hours the men remained
the yawl-bosts. They were five be
Of Keen suffering and peril. The
were chilled by the water; their |
were in constant danger in the
craft on such rough sea. They
M an incessant shouting in che
while the darkness lasted, so as to
the alarm TO any approaching YES
With the coming Of daylight they b
ed signals of distress. AT le
toward & O'Clock the New Je
pilot-boat James Gordon Der
hove in view. She was q
come sight TO the weary and
perilled men. She quickly bore
upon the boats and hove to near I
Then the shipwrecked men pulled a
side and were received with hearty
pathy by their fellow-toilers Of the
service. They were oomforted
dry clothing, and comforts for the
man we're abundantly provided.
the James Gordon Bennett they
transferred to the steam-tag Havl
which landed them at the coast-w
ing wharf at Staten Island.
They left Staten Island on I
o'clock boat last evening and al