Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-01
CAPSIZED IN A SQUALL,
SEVEN OF A YACHTING PARTH
PERISH OFF SANDY HOOK.

All Sight OF the Little Craft Suddenly
Lost to Those on shore and Nothing
Known of the A ccident Until After thd
Storm Had subsided.
NEW YORK, July 3l.-Last evening"
at a few minutes before 8 O'Clock, tha
schooner yacht Sarah Craig, of Philadel-
phia, was standing in towards Sandy
Hook. All her sails were set and she ap4
peared to be trying TO gain shelter before
the storm, which was threatening, broke.
She had on board large pleasure party,
consisting OF eleven ladies and gentle4
men, who were enjoying a sail round from
the Quaker City to this city. The sky
gradually became more overcast, and the
Captain took in some of her sail. When
she WAS abreast of the Hook rain began
to tail fast and the ladies on board re@
tired to the cabins while the gentlemen
set to work with the sails and yacht. She
quickly made Roadway and rounded the
point OF the HOOK, standing towards
Horseshoe.
CAUGHT IN A sQUALL.
Suddenly, when nearing the govern,
ment dock, thunder squall burst with
terrible violence. Lightning played abous
the rigging of the schooner, and the waves.
lashed into perfect fury by the largd
hail stones falling, dashed over the decks.
w hile those stationed al the point OF the
Hook watched the dim outline OF the
yacht through the mist, she suddenly dis
appeared from sight. She had capsiZed.
but so thick was the rain and mist that
nobody knew 1t until the storm had passed
of. The tug boat Ocean King left the
city early in the afternoon, aud at aboua
g O'Clock she was off the Hook. She saw
Ftras.g4 \
her, saw several of the party clinging I'd
her. These were taken off and landed at
the railroad dock. Mrs. Stevens body
was recovered last night. AT noon the
capsized boat was towed TO the governl
ment dock, and the other bodies Wera
taken out.
THE LOST AND SAVED.
Following is list of the dead: Mrs.
Cora r. Askin, aged "a; Mrs. Theod ora
stevens, aged IS; Miss Mamie Stevens,
aged 2l; Emma Merritt. aGed 81; ChesteI
CLARK, aged q; Miss Maud h. Rettew,
aged II; Miss RebecCa Merritt, aged 22I
The body OF the latter was not recovered.
The saved are Il. W. Jordan, Alfred
Potter, Frank w. Hall, W. s. Buckley!
all of Philadelphia; Capt. Edward Rui
land, Mate Charles Ferguson, Steward
Louis Bowman, Samuel Jones and VIM!
Paris.
PERSONNEL OF THE PARTY.
PHILADELPHIA, July 3l-The pleasure
party OF the ili-tated yacht Sarah Craig
left this city on Tuesday, July u, for an
eleYen-day run along the Atlantic coast
AS far AS Newport. L. NJ. Stevens, his
wife, two daughters and few OF their
friends arranged for the trip, but Mr..
Stevens, who ~ manager OF the Union
Mutual Aid Association, of No. 129
Seventh street, was unable to get of at
the last moment. The party was to have
visited Cape May, Atlantic City, Newport,
and perhaps other places further up the
coast, and would have returned to Phlla-
delphla to-day week.
THE ILL-FATED DAUGHTERS.
Miss M. Stevens was a bOOkkeeper in
her fathers Office. and Mrs. Cora Askin.
her sister, was the wife of the late trea1
surer OF McCaulPs opera house I'm this
city, and now manager OF the Wilming-
ton, Delaware, opera house. The Craig
was hired by the party upon representa-
tions of friends that she was staunch
craft, and her master a thorough sailor.
lbe party left here in very high spirits.
aud when last heard from were at Atlan-
tic City and were having a very pleasant
trip. The Misses Merritt lived on North
twentieth street, and we're in comfortable
circumstances, their father having leia
them some property when be died soma
time ago. Miss Maud Rettew was a
young lady friend of the Merritts. Young
Chester Clark was telegraph operatorI