The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-18
CAPsIzED IN A sQUALL.

SA@ N46A1 44S IL WV oA4s nj
Disaster to q Schooner-Six Ladies
and One Gentleman Drowned.
Details Of The calamitous accident by which
six ladies and one gentleman lott their lives
regiven by the New York papers as fol-
lows: =
1t was on Tuesday morning last that the;
schooner Sarah Craig left Spruce street
wharf in Philadelphia carrying one Of the
merriest parties that ever left the old Quaker
City. The party had been made up for trip
OF ten days and intended to visit Cape May,
Atlantic City, Long Branch, Pay Ridge and
Coney Island. It consisted Of the venerable
wife OF 7. Hood Stevens, the President Of an :
her two daughters, Irs. Cora E. Asteons
and Miss Mamie Stevens: Miss Emma Merritt
and her sister, Rehecca Merritt; Miss Maud.
E Rettew, Chester Clarke, the chief telegraph
operator of the Pennsylvania Railway in
Philadelphia; q. W. Jordan, F.W. Hall, Mar.
cius Bulkley and Alfred Potter. With the
exception OF Mrs. Stevens, all were young
people Two other ladies swere on board,
but afterward left the schooner owing to sea
sickness. A coloIed cook and colored
waiter assisted Capt. Edward G. Rutland
and his crew Of two men in pro-
viding for the comforts Of the tourists.
With a gentle sea aud mild bree7es the
cruise was one long delight. Cape May and
Atlantic City were both visited. The
schooner left the latter place for New York
sky was blue, the water CLASSY and the sun
bright. s:s,
The sky began to grow gray at about six
o'clock. The dark Navesink Highlands were
half mile away. 1t looked like rain. The
ladies and gentlemen sat down to supper ON !.
deck under the cool shadow of the big white
mainsa and jib. Just then black cloud
appeared in the sky and few drops Of
rain splashed on the deck. Captain
Rutland requested the ladies to 60 into the
cabin, and they laughingly tripped down the
companionWay, followed by their four es-
corts, who were laden with chairs. The rest
Of the story can better be told in the LAM
guage Of Mr.. Jordan, one Of the survivors:
1--WE had hardly got below" he said.
shook her badly. Captain Rutland fastened
his rudder wheel with pin and ran forward
to let down the jib. The jib stuck fast and
couldn't e-brought down. Mr.. Potter. Mr..
Hall AMI Mr.. Bulkley ran up on deck to-
help pull down the jib. Just then second
burst of wind struck the yacht and threw her
over on her side. Ths sea came swirlfng into,
the cabin. A sudden movement of the water
threw me into the companionway and ! was
dragged out by Mr.. Potter. The ladies.
and Mr.. Clark were behind and all means
Of escape was cut of, as the deck
sank under the surface. The sea
washed over the vessel in perfect breakers.
I sow all the men hanging on to the side, up
to their waists in water. The air was full OF
hailstores Many Of them were two inches,
in diameter, One Of them gave me- black
strength and keep our heads down to keep <
the hail from tearing Our ewes ont. -
MY God! hope to never live such an
hour again. We could hear the ladies crying
pitifully inside and beating their hands and
heads against the walls. I would have given
q thousand lives for On axe to cut hole and
let them out. Their prayers and means al
most drove us insane as we drifted along
helpless r save them and waiting for death
my heart was a white hand and
arm that were stretched out Of g
headlight under the water. 1t was one of
the young ladies appealing for help. I
crawled over and took hold Of the hand. II
clung to mine, but I could do nothing but
cry. As the young ladys cries be:ame
weaker took ring from her finger as gen.
tly as could. Then the hand and arm sank
back and heard an awful wall have the
ring in my pocket.
"We took one of the tenders from the side
Of the schooner and tried to break a hole
through the vessel and save our friends, but
it was all in vain. Twice was washed
into the sea and twice clambered on the
wreck. In the distance we could see two tugs,
yawl of pilot boat No. S appeared with two
men in it. They asked us to get into their
boat but we refused, for we could still hear
the ladies begging for their lives inside of
the vessel What we wanted was an axe or
a tug to tow US into shallow water, where we
could get at cur friends. The mate Of our
boat, Mr.. Ferguson, was sent with the yawl
to ask one Of the tug boats to help us. Then
we hoisted coat on an oar and waved 1t.
Soon the little tugWilliam Cramp came up to
us. The Captain of the tug asked US to come
on board, but we all said we could not leave
the schooner while there were living per.
sons in her. The Cramp threw us line
and we fastened it to the traveller. We
were towed for few minutes toward shore
and then the line tore away the traveller and
portion OF the bulwark with it. The
off, but she managed to pick up one
Of tho stewards and one Of the crew, who
were in the water. Then the big tug B. I.
Haviland dashed up to US and threw us q
hawser Captain rutland tried to pass the
line to us but was jerked into the sea- Then
we were all dragged on board Of the Cramp
Eith lines The sea was 3 81 high g tn that ,tnsS sss
the lee Of the big tug to keep from
being swamped. As the two tugs approached
we jumped from the Cramp to the Haviland.
By this time the screams Of the ladies had
ceased and we could hear nothing but tho
bowling of the wind and waves. All night
we towed the wreck against the tide, and in
the morning we grounded her at the Govern
Inent dock on Sandy Hook"
Captain Gully, OF the tug Hay,land, Tha l,ts aoys
was found the next day. AL were taken to
PhiladelI hia and buried by their grief.
stricken relatives.