The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-14
LOSS OF The KRILJICA.
DETAILS OF THE WRECK on BAR.
NEGAT SHOALS.
A Portion OF the Crew Of the YES
sci DrOwned-LifebOat
Disaster.


NEW York, February ia brie
story OF the wreck of the Austtial
bark kriljica on Barnegat Shoals wa
sent in these dispatches last night
This morning the following interest
ing detailed accounts are published
The Austrian bark Kriljica, Capt
Smertjutl, from Marseilles, wen
ashore on Barnegat Shoals during tn,
dense fog which prevailed yesterday
and was totally lost. Seven Of IN,
bark's failors were drowned and three
of the crew Of Life.Saving Station No
II, of which Joel Ridgsway ia keeper
persisted in the waves by the swamp
ing of the life.boat in which they haC
embarked to escue the Kriljica crew
/ The fog vas the heaviest tha, hal
been seen on this part of the coas
/ for years. 1t came within with iaN
northeast breeze early in the morn
ing, blown in shore by the wind il
great volumes, which rendered tn,
| seeing OF objects more than ten fee
distaot impossible. The storm which
had first swept along this section O.
the coast had left behind il reminder
in the shape of a fierce and angry
swell, which sent great cembers hlgi
up the beach, driving a wall of spray
before II, which offered almost impene
trable resistance to the launching OF 4
boat. AT 1890 O'Clock the crew oil
the Barnegat Life Station, which hat
been on the alert for signals from YES
sells caught in the fog, we're aroust
by the faint sounds of ships bell, al
ternating with the fainter notes OF
fog.horp, which were borne, over the
wall Of waters and spray by the wind.
These were the D. .'ng' ! J
FIRST FAINT SIGNALS .
from the Austrian bark, Capt. Ridge
way Of the live,saying crew, iui.
medistely ordered out No. boat,
which has always been accounted thp
nimblest breaker craft on the station.
She carried crew OF seven men in
GLIDING the coxswain. Every prepar-
alton waI made and the boat taken
down to the beach on rollers. From the
impenetrable wall OF fog above tue
roaring Of the breakers, and the wreb-
tie of the spray-la1en gale came more
distinctly every moment or more
the sound of the drifting vessels bell.
The doomed craft was getting nearer
to the shoals, ard the watchers on the
beach got ready TO pnt out in the Tee th
of the storm. AT l2:45 O'clock the
sound Of the ships bell ceased, and In
its stead came the. ominous boom of a
gun. 1t was the signal Of distress, and
Capt. RidReway ordered the Ifs boat
in the suii Waiting for iul in the
succession Of curling breakers, the craft
was run out successfully and pulled
away in the direction from which the
signRls came. In a few seconds the
fog had hidden them from view from
the beach, the great seas came rolling
in and t1ssed the boat high up on
their Crests, but her head was kept to
the wind aud she made progress
now, and then they were thrown
from the thwarts by the failure
of the or blades to each
water, but after ten minutes heavy
pu ling the lines of the wrecked vessl
doomed up like a phantom craft
driitsd in before the wind struck on
the sixteen-foot olter shoal and then
veered around broadside to the gale.
From leeward her weather bulwaTks
stood high up in the air and The slope
of her decks would have prevented
passage from afi forward except by
crawling along the weather side and
clinging TO the rail, over which great
volumes Of water poured necessarily.
Her sails hung on the bunilines with
the exception of the spanker and fore.
top-mast stly Gals. The fore and main
sail, had been braided up but had blown
out of the ropes and streamed out be-
fore the gale. Within sight of the
bark's crew the sF.
LlFRBoAT MET WITH FATAL DISASTER.
Her Coxswain by great exertion had
been able TO keep her head up TO the
wind, and as long as only her slender
lines were offered 10 the gale she
forged ahead on her errand OF mercy.
The fe-savipg craft had approached
almost 10 within hailing distance OF
the vessel, aud 1t was the intention Of
the commander to come close up under
the lee counter Of the bark, from which
a line could be taken from the vessel
and people from the bark transferred.
He bad almost accomplished this, and
the man in the bow bad risen no to
make fast to the vessel, when a fierce
wave struck the boats bow, and in an
instant whirled it around brcadside to
the gale. FoT an inetan she was forced
on the top of q mountain of billow, and
aud then she toppled over as a log roll
ing down q decline. When she right
ed, swamped TO the gunwale, three Of
her men we're missing. They had
either received injuries which rem
dered them unconscious, or had been
swept of before the angry waters
toward the breakers. The drowned
men were Solomon Soper, John Hop
per and John Perrin. Just before the
overturning of the beat it WAS
discovered that the Austrian bark's
decks were deserted, and that their
terrific struggle against the gale bad
been fruitless. The crew Of the bark
had already left her in their own boats
to the life Rseers, crew,
The northwest wind and NJ drove
their boats about a mile down the
shore. In laoding one Of their boats
espsizsd and the second mate, Colk,
and five men were drowned. The
other boat with the captain and five
men was saved, .5a.
THE DROWNED SAILORS "ul
diiited ashore. Their bodies are all
on the beach at Barnegst City. The
vessel is total loss The men are
destitute Of clothing and money, but
are being kindly cared for by the life
saving men. The drowned life saving
men are all well-known residents Of
Barnegat and men Of large families.
The captain of the wrecked vessel,
who happily survived, related that
the bark Kriljcica had been driven on
shore by the gale, which blew almost
a hurricane from the northeast. The
sea was high and the squalls blew" her
reefed topsails out OF the belt ropes.
She became unmanageable and was
driven on the shosl, striking