New-York tribune., 1886-08-01
PENT UP IN A SUNKEN CABIN.
SEVEN MEMBERS OF A PLEASURE PAkIi
LOSE THEIR LIVES.

| THE SCHOONER SARAH CRAIG, WITH ELEVEN PHIL
ApELPHIANs on BOARD, CAPsIZED IN
| sQuALL NEAR SANDY HOOK-sIx WOMEN
AND ONE MAN UNABLE TO ESCAPE
| FROM rHG CABIN AND DROWNED
sad accident to a pleasure party from
Philadelphia occurred at Sandy Hook Point during the
violent storm Fri ay night. The schooner sarah
Craig which had been chartered for excursion along
th" coast. WAS capsizcd, ard ak women and one man
out OF party eleven lost their lives Not since tue
schooner yasht Mohawk was wrecked In the bay on
July 20, 1876 and Commodore william 7. Garner anu
several others lost, has serious calamity oil 'h".
kind occurred in the waters about New-lork Four oi
the party tho Crlig, besides the members OF
the crow, tho COOK and tho steward. escaped dean'
and not OF them attaches blame to any one III Is
Described by them of those unfortunate caas
trophies which no skill or foresight could avert
Tho Sarah Craig is wo-nssted schooner OF 2O.o3
! tons burden. Her length over all Is 4s.7 feet
beam 1913 feet, and depth OF hold D.
feet and l iucr. she was built at Patchoeue
l. l., tive year. ago by Elisha and Edwin Post
and was owned By Potter Price Elisha Sexton Henry
Mills ard T. A. Rnland latter her captain aud sailing
master AT tho time OF the accident During tho winter
/ she was engaged In the oyster trade in Great
oouta Bay AMI Long Island sound and In the summer
sue carried fruits from Southern pots to Philadelphia
ON Saturday July l., ehe left Elent0n. Ca, Win
load Of melons. and arrived at spruccs, Philadelphia
Tho foowin; Thursday. The captain was supcrntend-
Ing tho unloading OF the cargo. when young man Ill
troiuccd himself Marcus 3 BIkley. of the hrm OF
soutnworth Bukoy a CO.. Wholesale paper dealers Mt
Nos - anl - south sevcnth-st. and said he was IN
search OF sailing vessel to take a party OF ten Or
twelve for pleasure trip mp the Atlantic coast
My vessel probably good any you Will nnd
hcroabout," Suggested Captain Rnland, and as soon
as can get these melons Oh she Is open for charter
Nj Bu.Acy looked the Craig Ovor and appeared to be
thoroughly satisfied with her appearance and accommo
da,ons lie ,de engagement with the captain meet
him AT his home, No1 olj Sprag Garden st. on sunday,
when 1t hnay settled that tho Craig should take
the party for days cruise. for whIeh the charges
w-re to bc ut tho rate of Sl3 day, aud Sl30 was
paid at The four other young men who con-
templAeI making the trip wero present when the
and at tile suggestion ofthe captain
went 10 taks look at the schooner All expressed
themselves satisfied with the boat and were enthusi
sc the prospect OF pleasant vacation away from
the bu.ts and confusion OF the ordinary resort
TWAS decided that should he made early Tuesday
mornins and Monday wagouloat OF provisions was
slowed away III the hold OF tho vessel. At III on
Tuesday the members OF the party, accompanied by
their friends. began TO arrive tno wharf and at $50
tho w4.i was gwen To lot 20 the lines There was
hsh breeze blowing and the schooner moved slowly
Of tho lock tho merry people on tho dsck OF tho
Craig waved their handkerchief ami shouted laughing
responses to gods pcci" OF their friends on tho
wharf
There were eight women and nve men In the yachting
party, most OF them wo.iknown IN Philadelphia
Mrs. r. Hood stevens, wife OF the manager
OF the Mutual AID Union ani Beneficial Society. hnd
been chosen the chaperon. Wlth hor were her two
daughters. Mss Mamie L. Stevens ani Mrs. H. A. As
ku. who wAs recently married To Harry A. Askn. one
Of the rcasurcrs ~ McCau's opera House. Tue other
ladies were Mss Bessie and Miss Emma
Merritt daughters OF T. 4. Merritt, OF No
sci North Twcntisth.st; Miss lude L. Het,ew, the
daughter of re lrcd tobacco merchant living at No
l5o1 North Twe.fD-st; Mr, Martha BIIkley and Miss
jessie Mcclure Tao i've mou Al
fred Potter paying teller OF the Cou-
monwcalth Bank anl son OF Henry Potter;
i..cns s BnlAley the Juuof member OF tho nrm OF
southwor.h BIlScy & CO.. whpir.a.o ptper dealers at
40 - south seventh So Chester C4r.. clerk and tel
egraph operator In the oce u the Pennsylvania Rail-
ROAD Company; Frank ". Han. OF thf hrn OF Louis =
Hal 4 sous yg,Ols dealers At No 20 south second
So L~pI J'rd Az tho mead of 'lc real estate de-
partmcnt = the G.rafl Lac anI trust Company. With
the exception % Mr.. stevens. 10 m1or Of tao party
Was over TWEEN, y-oisht years OF axe. samuel Jones
(cooredi. Oi No. ia LON ari-st was engaged "a
cook and William ftrris wooroil. Of 10 i22
G4ski.-st., ~ waller. Tho crew was composed
OF narIes r. Ferguson. tho mate aud Louis Bowman.
VINO u.ually served cook, bur who was pressed lhto
service n deck hand FOR this trip.
\ goo, sailing brecl. wAsbowins from tho south and
the Craig made fast time To Cape May. whcl wAsreached
carly Wcdnes lay morning. The patty went ashore for
a iew hours and Mrs EI.Key, VINO hai suffered from
se..icAn-ss left them Tiers, r,msrknS that sAo WAS
not good enough sailor 20 20 fur her" Just before
dusk the anchor Wa. weighed aud the CrIs once moro
started northwari with el5ht-knot bre 1e
Atlantic cry tho next stopping place.
ana reached AT sunrise Ihdrsiay morn
ing Mr. ami Mrs. John r Bsiz, jr.. Mrs william Nc
Fsrllnd. Mrs. j. f. Thorpe. Harry Irainor aud H.
Askn AL OF Phiadeph were to JOIN tho party here
but did do Messrs. Trainor aud A-hin teIe-
graplsd that business engagements detained thom IN
Philadelphia Inc disappointment resulting from the
nonalrva of these expected members OF the party hd
not last lonr and the day vas spent III seeinS the
sights the city 10y All slept ashore, but were
up early Friday ami took small boat oil to tho
schooner. vessel the point of starting
when Mcclure. FOR unlcc"unthhie reason
suddenly decided that she woad 20 no further and not
Withstand NJ the earnest potestailonS Of her- compA
IONS. was rowci ashore. start finally made al !
o'clock. Tho pleasant weather ana favorable Ur,cle |
which had favored the voyage from the first osted
throughout the day. ~ had been Intended {" m'ho
,niy Hook ail 10 BAY liIee where l.
Hood stevens to go oari. then return to an an
cnorAgr III tho shrcwrbdty hlycr dha sp-h thc o'eh-
ius al Long I,rauch day no Concy lsand another at
Irc island aud quick SAIL back - Philadelphia hirI
sandy HOOK vas sightel about /. IN IN" "lhi sun
denly died ont AMI tor n.t Al hour me san, n'upcl
Nerr 1.' , s t,,l , and Ils ooI WAS ic, Te
moved tu tho cabin. The rain ana not last moro than
mint ana the Ladies. who had gone below to avoid
wetting came NJ deck. seeming greatly anuS|i ~
n. unnecessary haste with which tho supper had been
removed. Heavy clouds were COLLECTING in the west
ana IL was not many minutes before al tie
party VITA the exception Of tho Misses stevens aud
ettow wcro clad to seok tho sh, tier o. the cabin t0
avoid second shower. What followed can best be told
,v CAPTAIN Ruand who l. "a native OF IatchOgue has
been for many years Great South Bay buatnan was
two "a member o. the Life Saving Corps at tue
alton near Patchoeuc, deep soa sailor heiorc the
mast Tor twenty months. has korossed tho ocean
fonr times ana generally regarded fIlly comretoht
TO handle ves,c Of any kind Ia ANY sort OF weather
lie said: |
When ths second dash of rain came We were about
mile duo east OF sandy Hook point. hau loticeu
h-cacnng and murky looking clouds gathering 10 the
and considerable lightning. but didn't look oi
AN, thin. IL ore than dinary thunder shower
had I'm the oIesa and tied /; fast To the must 10
he ready Tor "a blow, thinking could haul down the llD
III the wind too strong let the vessel come 10
and drop anchor. That was my idea. Misses StcNebs |
and Eettew deck aud told them that they ha
better 20 below IN order to give mo plenty Of room
was at the wheel. Suddenly saw fi0m thu appearance
OF the water Lhat ssqusl WAS coming from the west,
south west and ordered tho mate and bo~n 10 hhu