Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-08-13

That the thought. unspokel, was made quite Clear
And know twas sweet Goodnight /
James Clarence Harvey. in Outing.
DROWNED SLOWLY IN A CABIN. |
SIX PERSONS LOST ON YACHTING
EXCURSION.
A few days since party of eight ladies |
and gentlemen left Philadelphia in a |
schooner expecting to spend the following |
Sunday at the camp meeting at Asbury !
Park. N. J. The following melancholy
story of the ending of the excursion as told
by one Of those who escaped is published
in the Philadelphia Times
Alfred Potter lives on the west side of |
Ninth street above Spruce in the old
fashioned mansion which was occupied
for time by Joseph Bonaparte after the
ex-Ki ing had fed from Spain. The young
man who had gone through such thrill
ing experience with his companions on
t10 uull VI uuO bCAOOAO1 00A0A OAQ1k yUS
terday afternoon sat on the little porch
fronting the entrance on the south side
of the mansion surrounded by several
friends. He is manly fellow, of medium
height and build, and has brown hair and
a moustache of darker hue. His face,
which had been battered and bruised by the
huge hailstones during Friday nights
tempest, bore haggard look as he spoke
in soft tones of the wreck and loss of his
seven friends. MIR. Potter gave graphic
description Of the capsizing of the craft
and the sad ending of the pleasure trip.
"We were but short distance off Sandy
Hook when we were struck by the squall, ,"
said the survivor 1.-THE weather during
the day had been delightful. and. as we
reared the Hook, our party was in the
merriest mood. When about mile from
Sandy Hook Point the sea suddenly be-
came calm. The water was so still and
the craft so free from motion that one
of the young ladies suggested that supper
lie served on deck. After the meal had
been finished, and while the whole party
were joking and laughing on deck. rain
began to drop and small strip of cloud
was seen to the westward. It became
suggestive Of a squall, and the ladies, Mr..
Buckley, Mr.. Jordan. Mr.. Clark, and my
self went below. A storm Immediately
came up, and 1t began to thunder and
tightening. Mr.. Buckley and I took up
positions in the companionway. After
the captain had dashed the wheel he had
the topsail lowered.
"a slight blow had Just struck the YES
sci, when I heard the captain shout,
Mate, lower the jib.' The men, assisted
by Hall, were tugging at the ropes, when
almost instantly squall bore down on
the schooner. The jib was instantly
filed, and as the prov was driven arc und
the mainsails were set square in front of
the roaring winds. She gave lurch as
Buckley and rushed on deck. The next
moment the schooner was plunged on her
starboard side. with her masts and sails
resting on the water; which was seething
and boiling. AS clutched the weather
sail saw the water surge over some of
the men. cIambered on to the upturned
side of the fastened water barrel and
clutched the guardrail, which was out of
water. When the boat turned over the
water rushed down the companionway. I
was clinging to the rail when I saw hand
shoot up through the stream. TWAS Jor-
dan who was struggling to make his way
up the companionway, and in few mo-
ments had pulled him up to my side.-
The vessel overturned so suddenly that
while the water rushed rapidly into the
cabin, there was a considerable amount
of compressed air left. upon which Mr..
Clark and the ladies existed as they raped
on the side OF the yacht, to which nine
men chung. utterly unable to render the
least assistance toward liberating them
from the submerged cabin.
I'VE had not been clinging to the side
long before the rain turned to hail. The
fury of the wind. rain and water was ter
rib1e as we crouched in an endeaver to es-
cape the hailstones which beat on us and
threatened to blind or kill every man. This
was horrible; but it was as nothing to the
agony we suffered in listening to the
knocking and faint cries of our friends
penned in the cabin. was almost crazed
by the rappings and cries. when pulled
off my coat and shoes and determined to
dive into the cabin and attempt to rescue
the imprisoned creatures. But the captain
would not allow either myself, BulkleY,
Hall or Jordan to try to swim into the
cabin. ''Mr. Potter said he. "if you
should dare to jump into the sea as it ia
now. YOU would be swept under instantly.
If it we're possible to save the ladies by
diving down the companion-wa the mate
and myself would rescue them" One of
our party thought that means Of rescue
could be made by battering in the side of
the boat. We had no axe to break the
hull, and in addition, it would have been
futile. as the captain expla ined at the time.
"Boys,'' he said, with great emotion. as he
held fast to the rail, "all I own In this world
is seven-eighths of this vessel, but l would
willingly 20 to my home without shirt to
my back, if I thought that could save
the ladies, but it would be useless to break
the side in, even if we could, as the air
which they are now breathing would be
driven out instantly by the surging water.
The only hope to save those in the cabin
is to be towed into shallow water and
there tear opensthe craft" In half an