Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-24
IN THE BOTTOM OF A SCHOONER

AN Al1G DoA AoM VT IA oSf1OoNEK.
A heavy tow passing down New York
bay on Wednesday night of last week,
ran into the anchored schooner edwin
Post" near Bedloe's Island. The
Post" sank in few minutes, carving
down the captain and cook, the rest
escaping. The wrecking steamer
RESCUE" brought the big new schooner
John Haggerty' to the spot, and soon
after midnight work was begun on the
edwin POST The strong currents
prevented the divers from getting to
work until high water caused a slack
ening of their power. This occurred
at twenty-three minutes past two the
next morning. Then couple of divers
went down in their curious apparatus,
and fumbling their way about in the
intense gloom, succeeded in getting a
chain about the schooner's waist quite
promptly. A few tugs of the powerful
derricks on the schooner "Haggerty''
quickly brought the port quarter of
the sunken schooner above the surface
of the water. The next operation was
to place chain about the mainmast
and right her, then divers could enter
the cabin.
But now there came a weird inter
ruption to the work. The wreckers
paused and grew white in the moon
light. Muffled yet distinct the sound
of knocking came to their ears. 1t
was from the submerged cabin, but
above the waterline. Again it sounded,
and yet again, like ghostly rappings
from the spirit land but mingled with
it and adding to it's terrors were the
shrill, blood-curdling squeals of many
huge ship rats No wonder the hair
of the wreckers rose on end Captain
Sharp, who was in charge of the wreck
ers, was the first to regain his self-pos-
session, and he answered the knock,
hoping to carry some grain of comfort
and of hope to the imprisoned mortal.
Then he heard muffled voice beseech
ing succor.
"Who are your" he yelled. Gap
tain Smith?"
NO" answered the voice. 81 am
John Phillips, the cook. For Gods
sake get me out of here. I'm in tight
place"
What could be done? Cut hole in
the schooner's side and try to get at
him in that way? The plan seemed
feasible-perhaps it was-but there is
difference of opinion as to whetherit
would have been successfully EN-
ployed. At any rate Captain Sharp
did not attempt it, but bade the i'm
prisoned negro to keep up his courage
and strove nightly, all hands assisting.
to get the schooner righted But the
maelstrom was growing dangerous
again, and the divers feared to risk it.
For fully an hour the ghostly rapping
and piteous calling were heard at in
tervals. Then all was still The col
ored steward had gone to his last ac-
count.
To picture the situation of this poor
wretch would require the pen of a Poe.
Imprisoned in the topsy- -turvy cabin,
with solid oak above and about him
and wall of water shutting off escape
below, caught as in huge diving bell
with the air supply cut off, surrounded
by floating furniture on which had
taken refuge those hideous companions
in misery, the squealing rats-and even
their limited intelligence seemed to
compass the horrors of the situation
this poor entombed steward was forced
to live for five hours, facing black
ness of darkness simply indescribable
and breathing in the vitiated atmos-
phere which slowly, surely became a
cloak to asphyXiate him. Alone with
his thoughts and face to face with
death! AS if this were not awful
enough there must come a period of
mocking hope, when human voices bid
him not despair, but fail to bear him
rescue. Another lane, stretching to an
eternity, an then-at last thank God!-
beautiful dreams and oblivion. Could
a more Internal experience be imag-
ined? Could a more ghostly tragedy
be enacted? 1t makes the blood run
chill merely to think of it.