New-York tribune., 1886-08-02
The FATAL PLEASURE PARTY.
ALL THE BODIES TAKEN FROM THE CRAIG


Craig, which capsizcd of Sandy Hook the tempestu.
weather of Friday evening. aud whose cabin be-
came the .omb OF seven members OF pleasure party
composed OF eleven Philsdelphans once more poiat
sSyward Early yesterday morning floating derrick
which had been towed down to tas ordnance dock st
Sandy Hook. to which the wrecked vessel had bean
made fast the previous day. began work OF raising
her. She lay her sarboard In about five feet of
water with about foo! OF her port rail In sight
Heavy chains and ropes were passed under her
hull and inch by inch she brought to the surface
By noon her cabin we'll out OF water and search
was begun the body Of Miss Bessie Merritt the only
one not recovered Saturday and which supposed
to have Goated out to The cabin strewn with
garments. mattresses, bedding and broken furniture.
Buried under almost nextricabls mass OF these in
the forward starboard and wedged under bunk.
the body Of Mss Merritt found. From
her position Il Is surmlsed that she was
drowned amosi Immediately after tho first squall
threw the schoopr beam-snds. and that she did
not share the suffering Of the other Victims who
able to keep theh heads above for hour and
half and to I've long the air which had been i'm.
prisoned In the cbin with them lasted. Miss Merrts
body was taken 70 Branchpor and from there will be
forwarded to Philadelphia this morning.
The bodies Of Mrs Stevens Miss Mamie F. Stevens,
Miss Emma Merritt, Miss Maude T.. Rettew. Mrs Cora
T. Askin ard Chester Clark taken to Philadelphia
yesterday. Messrs Potter, Jordan and Bulkey accom-
panied the remains OF their unfortunate friends Tho
bodies wec taken 10 Elizabeth and were there trans
ferred tc a Pennsy lvana Railroad train.
The Craig was found to have sustained considerable
damage 10 her hull from humping against the tugs
Cramp and Havand during the high Her jb-trav-
eer and forwari buIwarks had been away and
most OF the ropes and sails rendered useless Cap
tain Ruland, who eighth interest in the vessel
thought that she had been damaged about $500. He
will take her to Patchogue, where she will be placed
the dry dock and repaired at once
Although those who survived the accident unani.
nous in paying a high tribute to Captain Rulapfs
general ability skipper and his efforts tho
women. yet there are many who ouspoken their
belief that had the captain taken the proper precautions
the accident would not have occurred said Old and
experienced sailor and yachtsman yesterday: Z" It is
difficult for me to understand why Captain rutland did
not shorten sail the moment he those
threatening black clouds in the west. The sud-
den calm which overlook him just before
the couds gathered must have told him that pretty
heavy accompanied them aud although he prob
ably thought that he could round the Hook before it
struck him should have remembered that he hat pas
gers aboard and that precauton necessary
Had double reef in his mansai after furing
his fores and thus relieved the pressure Of the wind at
the masthead his boat would doubtless have mant lined
its equilibrium. think he made another mistake In
making wheel fast with beckett aud thus practically
leaving the schooner at the mercy OF the He
should have called Of the men In the cabin 70
help deck he had perfect right to do and stood
By the wheel himself"
Captain H. Paterson, OF the Life Saving Station.
thought that another storm like that OF Friday night had
never been experienced at Sandy Hook. "When saw
little strip Of black in the western sky about O'Clock
thought II likely that going 10 have one OF
those light thunder storms which are so frequent In
summer and usually accompanied by a handful OK
wind. Suddenly wcked-Iookng clouds began TO
close in from all directions, 1t became abnormaliy
dark and in rfy perfect hurri-
eane accompanied by sleet and hail. WAS making
matters look serious. In the first blow an unnamed ca..
boat belonging TO L. Riker OF seabright I'd manned
By j. L. Langley, blown ashore ncartne NewJersey
Southern Railroad dock and there to render
assistance. While I was there the schooner Barnum
keeled OF the end Of tho Government Dock was
my way give Its crew some help wien
| heard Of the Craig capsizng outside. went
to the Liie Station and there found the crew
OF tue Barnun. had reached ant safely in small
BOAT. They Willingly manned the te-sayins boat ana
10 the Craig, but were TOO Iate TO save mo
in the cabin. Had my crew OF seven men BEEN
hoe think could brought them all out alive
hardly think any blame can DO attached TO captain
as we're all the nautical who saw thtm."
The sad accident the chief topic at ssndy Hook
friend. auons the veins and every wne re was Ecarl
praise FOR bravery OF Captain John Gully, ot tae
steam tug b. T. hsvh.nt. WHICH va.
n' in search Of vessels to tow into harbor, when it
came the overturned schooner After iabofinx
as.iuousy ali night towing The Cras around to tho
bay sldo d, aud attending to the comfort OF TAO
pane stricken survivors, when he found that is
d'ed into tho submerged CABIN AMI one oy
hrousaI nys oodie. 70 the ,aai sar,.es; r"H:
In his hand resoutely Jumped into the cabin F'cns
around until he found body. he wouil secars
tug would pull 1t to the deck. Twelve
at remaining under water three aud four minutes.
according evidence OF bysander and i've Tines
recovered he perssenty searched the senooa.
r for her and not until ne va, wa & ur1a y s tns
spt.a Gay is ala native q p" the Vest T"as wcfs
as necessary accom- pishment He is bg-heartei ani
and when the the y"1s met 81 ss ne
friends promised him reward for MS 'ced' Dc 70
i"' the S
Much INDIGNATION Is expressed At iHe rtta,n pnI,s
Of Of Tue i1n 'uS o leave the trodso nnei
hc was LOWING into har6or to go to lie rescus
81 sa S to . Within yard. Of tho
when shs capsLsd. and had aongside al once
could probably taken All the Craigs peope of.
Whrn Mato Ferguson, OF tns Craig was sent over 70
tho Pride IN the yawi OF Pllot Boat No
would ike 10 90 but that he "hai $4,000 worth u
property his care and could not well afford to leave
Marcus :. Bukley. of tho firm OF southworth. Bak-
ley CO.. wholesale paper dealers At Nos - and -cS ntn
scv"nths. Philadelphia Que Of tue SURVIVORS Is nesry
distracted over tho disaster, inasinuch as he Vas
was spending sunday at Atlantic Guy about !. month
ago." he said, detailing the origin OF I'll "a l'hs rt
peditiOn. " Miss Mamie stevens and myscu s"t on tuo
beach watching the yachts sailing to ant lfo.
when she suggested that 1t woult be nlee
thus TO get up party to q sailing trip of week
or So II then that the matter WAS arranged. AMI
shs and | Immediately set about maAing up parry.
When thou hit Of this cung TO the wreck Oh tnts
fearful nigu It seemed though had better dc tne,s
than face the parents OF the dead glrs As ~
was, had a escape and was tue i<st !" c''o
the boat. | missed the rope thro"h rom 'io NlsS,
hnt lumped for n and uckily causnt IT, hardly thlnk
n fair 10 crlticse the captain Throughout the vOy-
age IA, was exceptionally careful and remember tnas
wa often conplsiusd because no did nos
snread more sail when there seemed danger III doing
so fIe is q brave fellow, aud dd everything III his
power To avert wnst seemed incvitnole
IL was thought ny many persons that the jury sworn
=, hv Coroner Van Worrt inquest at Long Branch
coulu render q verdict censuring captain kuand. 40
eyI eucr showed that the storm whicn cApslol tho
y,cht arose suddenly aud that tho captaln displayed
good -eamanshp. As soon AS the storm could Dr seen
nnroacnlng ordered the crew TO take In SAL but the
h r,urnt ami filled before IL more than hall down
..rd tnr yAcht went over. Captain Bartns sherman.
nns of IN. urymeu, old sailing master lie ques-
tnned (he witnesses closely ami was satisfied that Cap
linn