Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-08-05
a SAD EXCURSION.

A SAD EXCURSION.
Ter ible Calamity That Befell Philadel-
phia Yachting Excursion-Seven Persons
Drowned by the Caps;zing Of the Vessel.
New YORK. Aug. 2.-In the terrible gale
which swept over the Bay on Friday night
the schooner Sarah Craig, which was bring
ing party OF sixteen ladies aud gentlemen
from Atlantic City to this port, was capsized
off Sandy Hook. Seven of the sixteen per
ished. The party were Philadelphia people,
and consisted of Jos. W. Jordan, head of
The real estate department of the Grard Life
and Trust Company; Morris B. Buckley, a
Pennsylvania railroad telegraph operator,
anG son of Marcellus Buckley, of the firm OF
! SOuthworth, Buckley & Co., of that city;
Chester Clark, Pennsylvania railroad tele-
graph operator; Alfred Potter, paying teller
| OF the Commonwealth bank; j. II.
| Stevens and wife and his two daugh-
| tiers. Miss Mary Stevens and Mrs. II. A.
| Askin, Mr.. Frank Hall, Misses Bessie and
| Emma Merritt, Miss Maud Rsttew and Miss
Jessie Mcclure. On the vessel were also
! two coiored male cooks, Captain f. A. Ru-
land, Mate c. Ferguson. Steward l.. Bow
Paris. The schooner was hired by the
party for pleasure trip to New York by
sea, stopping OF the way at Cape May and
Atlantic City. Mrs. Askin expected to
meet her husband in this city. The
party left the Spruce street wharf, Pllila-
delphia, on Tuesday morning i'm the
schooner. At Atlantic City Miss Jessie
Mcclure left the vessel on account of sea
sickness. The vessel was just outside of
Sandy Hook on Friday evening when the
storm broke. The captain took in his fore
sail at once and furlcd it. Mr.. Clark was
suffering from sea sickness and had gone
down to the cabin. The lasiies went below
when the storm began and We're much
frightened. The captain endeavOrcd to
beat up the bay The schooner
was working along slowly, with nlain-
sail and jib set About $50 D..
H., when abOnt six hundred yards be-
low Sandy Hook buoy, outside, and about
the same distance from the beach, terrible
sQuall struck the devoted vessel and she
was forced completely on her beam ends.
throwing those on deck into the water.
DR.. james G. Harrled very rapidly, but was
,catcd among us and sails and the air impris-
Fonda. THE d. lne passengers and crew in
ell as a ry... reached tie boat and chung des-
= ..eiy to tie planks. The occupants of
the cabin were still alive. The imprisoned
ladies in heartrending tones screamed and
piteously begged for help. Their anguished
friends were helpless and could do nothing
to save them. One of the young ladies'
reached I'D to the window, which was under
water. and one OF the men caught her hand,
but it slipped. leaving one of her rings in his
hand. She fell back and was not seen again.
The others were in a part where the air
kept the water down. Their agOnizing cries
continued Tor awhile, then all was still.
Some persisted by suffOcatoi, for their
faces, when found, were black as from
choking. Others held unto the sides of tho
cabin as long as they could, and then let
go to drown. A pilot in a skiif came out
and saved the other passengers and the
crew. Three tugs came out to the wreck,
but nothing could be done to save the un-
f0rtunates in the cabin. One of the tugs
tried to tow in the wreck to the Govern
ment wharf ut Sandy Hook. The force of
tie storm caused high sea, and the tide
was too strong to do much, but they perse.
vered in the teeth of the storm. All night
long they worked, until five a. Ill.,, when
they reached the wharf. The work of
raising then began. While it was proceed
ing the body of Mrs. Stevens fIoa,ed out of
the cabin and was secured After
the wrecked schooner was partially
raised, Captain Gully began diving for the
bodies. lie was three hours in tie water.
and recovered all the bodies but that of Miss
Rettew. That could not be found. It was
supposed that it had foated under one of
the berths under water. Captain Gully was
thoroughly exhausted with his heroic exer.
tons. About noon the search was dis
continued. The bodies were lying on the
deck of the tug, covered with canvas. Cor.
Oner Van WOnrt, of Long Branch, then took
charge of the bodies and. with an under
taker, went to Long Branch. Tho grief
Of the saved passengers was terrible. MIR.
Stephens was almost heartbrOken in
the loss Of his wife and two daugh.
tiers. None of the party could
speak of the terrible calamity with
out breaking down. The wrecked schooner
lies on her beam ends near the Govern
ment wharf at Sandy Hook. There is no
damage done to her beyond the soaking OF
the cabin furniture and the brok en- rigging
and rails. The following is Il list of the
dead: Mrs. Cora E. Askin, aged "a years;
Mrs. L. Stevens, aged SIS years; Miss Mamie
Stevens, aged 81 years; Emma Merritt, aged
81 years; Chester Clark, aged 81 years;
MISS Maud Il. ketteW. aged II years, The
body of Reoecca Merritt. aged 50, was not
recovered. The persons saved are: Z. w.
Jordan, Frank w. Hall, Captain Edward
Rutland, Steward Lewis Bowman. Alfred
Potter, VS.. Buckley. Mate Charles Fer
guson Sam Jones. William Paris.
THE LAST BODY RECOVERED.
LONG BRANCH, N. Y, August 2.-The
body of Miss Bessie Merritt was recovered
fro I'm
noon yesterday. The bodies of Mrs. Ste
vens, Miss Mamie Stevens, Emma Merritt
and Maude Rettew, Mrs. Cora E. Aslin and
Chester Clark have been taken to Phila.
deIphia. Messrs. Jordan and Buckley &C. |
cOmpanied tile remains of their unfortunate |
friends.