Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-08-14
BURIED IN The SEA.
Seven Out Of a Party Of Sixteen Go
to Watery Graves.


New YORK, Aug. LIN the terrible gale
which swept over the bay on Friday night,
the schooner Sarah Craig, which was bring
ing party of sixteen ladies and gentlemen
from Atlantic City to this port, was cap
sized off Sandy Hook. Seven of the sixteen
perished The party were Philadelphia peo
pie and consisted of Joseph w. Sordan,
head of the real estate department OF the
Girard Life and Trust company; Morris b.
Buckley, Pennsylvania railroad telegraph
operator, son Of Marcellus Buckley of the
firm of Southworth, Buckley & Co., OF that
city; Chester Clark, Pennsylvania railroad
telegraph operator; Alfred Potter, paying
teller OF the Commonwealth bank; j. II.
Stevens and wife and his two daughters,
Miss Mary Stevens and Mrs. HI. A. Askin
Mr. Frank Hall, Misses Bessie and Emma
Merritt, Miss Maud Rettew and Miss Jessie
Mcclure On the vessel were also two col
ored male cooks, Capt. Z. A. Rutland, Mate
c. Ferguson, Steward L. Bowman, with tn
seamen. Sam Jones and W. Paris.
The schooner was hired by the party for
pleasure trip to New York by sea, stop
ping on the way at Cape May and Atlantic
City. Mrs. Askin expected to meet her hus-
band in this city to-day. The party left
the Spruce street wharf, Philadelphia, on
Tuesday morning in the schooner. The YES
sci was Just outside of Sandy Hook on Fri
day evening when the storm broke. About
$50 d. m. when about 900 yards below
Sandy Hook buoy outside and the same
distance from the beach, a terrible squall
struck the vessel and she was forced com
pletely over on her beam ends, throwing
those on deck into the water. The schooner
| filed very rapidly, but was kept afoat by
| her sails and the air imprisoned
/ cabins The passengers and crew in the
II thn baa "A 1cll a iIsI Ipr n II
| ly to the pIanks. The occupants of the ca
| bin were still alive. The imprisoned ladies'
| in heart rending tones screamed and pite-
| ously begged for help. Their angushed
| friends were helpless and could do nothing
| to save them. One Of the young ladies reach
| eel up To the window, which was under wat
/ er and one of the men caught her hand, but
| it slipped. leaving one of her rings in hit
| hand She fell back and was not seen again
/ The others were in part where the air kept
/ the water down. Their agonizing cries con
| tinued for a while, then all was still. Some
perished by suffocation, for their faces, wher
| found were black az from choking. Other
held on to the sides of the cabin az long M
they could and then let 90 to drown. a pI
| lot i'm "A skiff came out and saved the Othe
| passengers and the crew. Three tugs cam'
| out to the wreck but nothing could be dom
To save the unfortunates in the cabin. On
of the tugs tried to tow i'm the wreck to tn
government wharf at Sandy Hook. Th
force of the storm caused a high sea, AM
the tide was too strong to do much, bu
they persevered in the teeth OF the storm
All night long they worked until a. m
when they reached the wharf. After tn
wrecked schooner WAS partially raised, Capt
Gully began diving for the bodies. He wa
three hours in the water and recovered a
the bodies but that Of Mrs. Rettew. Tha
could not be found. 1t is supposed that
has fioated under one Of the berths unde
water Capt. Gully was thoroughly exhas'
ed with his heroic exertions.
The grief OF the saved passengers was tel
rible. Mr. Stevens was almost heartbroi
en- in the loss OF his wife and two daughter
None Of the party could speak OF their teri
BILE calamity without breaking down. IN
remains of the drowned ladies and Mr.. Clar
will be sent to Philadelphia.
The wrecked schooner lies on her beal
ends near the government wharf at Sand
Hook. There is no damage done to her b
vond the soaking OF the cabin furniture an
the rigging and rails. The following is
list OF the dead:
Mrs. Cora f. Askin, aged "a years. Mr.
, T. Stevens, aged % years. Miss Nam
Stevens, aged 81 years. Emma Merritt, age
2l wears. Chester Clark, aged 81 year
, Miss Maude Z. Rettew, aged II years. II
body OF Rebecca Merritt, aged 22 years, wi
i. not recovered.