New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-13
loss OF THE HYLTON CASTLE
HOW HALF oFTHE MEN ON BOARD ESCAPED.
rUr CAPTAIN AND NINE OTHERS SUPPOSED lo ID"
IosT-TRYING TO KEEP THE SHIP AFLoAr.

Tho srrrsce of the Great South Bay. except where
a., main shin channel comes in by Fire Island WAS
eoyered with snow and ice yesterday and over the gut
tetinC cxpanse blew keen north Wlnd, winch sent '
mercury in the thermometer down beiow zero !" '"o
orpiug and let it get only few degrees above that
noint all day In the fol enoon ten men CAME s'Ius
CLING over the ice to Pstchogue. They were the
.oscned sailors from the toundered steamship Hylton
castle and came from the Lite Saving Station at Point
&C Woods five miles east of Fire Island light. lhey
loft the shelter of the station in the morning ana
walked five miles to another where thoy got 'nrr
dinner. and then started on their seven miles walk
across the ice to the village of Patcho5ue. Ihe party
oomnrised First Officer John Marshall the second and
third assistant engineers, the steward, COOK three
sailors and two iremen They were met at IatoDoG"e
by Charles Z. Rose. agent of the Underwriters Asso-
citation and brouglt this city, The first officer told
che toIioUinr story of the loss of the Hylton Castle
We lett Newly Ork on Friday-a day on WHICH dli
sailors dislike to begin voyage. We sailed in the
afternoon and had got well to the eastward OF Sandy
Hook-ffty miles, should say-when at O'Clock at
niobt we encountered terrific gale We plunged into
II making but little headway. There was binding
snow-storm and we did not know exactly where we
were II was bitterly cold aud the ship was soou
coated with ice. The captain was Oh the blldge ana
the matches were battened down. The storm grew
worse as the light and the vessel was OadlY
strained by the huge with which she struggled
In the height of the storm she became unnaha@eaoo
and refused to answer her helm. Then she sprung
leak and water began to pour into the hold. lhe
steam. pumps we're set to work and the hand-pumps
manned but we were unable to keep her free. Some
of the waves which boarded the vessel tore the tar
nanns off the haehes and water was soon pouring IN
from the decks. Morning, which we hardly had
expected to see, found us in terrible piight' Inc
shin WAS one solid of Ice the crew were ha dead
from cold and exposure and exhausted with hard
work The storm abated somewhat and the snip
answering her helm again the Captain headed her for
New-York The worked On AT the hand-Pumps
and the m-pumps were still going.
"Our only tope, as thought, was to keep her
aAoat until we reached New-York. No land was In
sight and the tremendous seas which were running
made il inpossible TO take to the boats. The captain
and the wheelsman had to be iashed in their places
10 keep them from being washed overheard. All day
we struggled westward, but night found us with our
horrib. situation unchanged. and the odds against Ills
in our fight for life greater. How we lived through the
night l don't know, but we dd' ana nhalIy sunday
morning dawntd The water gained on us rapidly all
day and at O'clock in the evening 10 reached the hreS
and put them out. We spent night OF suffering ana
suspense on the sinking steamer At O'Clock FIRE
Island Light was sighted about fifteen miles TO the
northwest At o'clock Captain ColIin gave the
order to abandon ship Went IN the S cutter M with @ na
the other halt When WI had got two miles from The
ship we ,aw her 60 down bow first We kept III com
many with the captains boat Until within about seven
miles of the shore Then the boats separated the
captains taking easterly course. The last seen
Of the captains boat she making to the northeast
/ am afraid that the meU were exhausted by the IN
tense cold and the hard work and have all persisted
and nv men were badly used up, some OF us had our
eas and ands frost bitten and we we're able to make
bnt slow progress We the Life Saving Station on
shore and pulled toward it. At o'clock in the alter
noon when within a mile or 80 OF the shore We saw
Loat coming Off 1t proved be the boat of the Lie
saving Station commanded by Captain Miller He
took halt my men into his boat ana pqt some o l5
crew aboard of us. When the resculnS Doat leacOeu
us the cODk and steward were lying IN the bottom OF
nv ertter insensibte from cold and hunger; we
reached the shore in safety and were given dN cothg
and food M the Life Saving Station. we had eaten
nothing tor eighteen hours and we're badly used nP
The names of the rescued men are Joih haPn .ai @
engineer; Frederick Bessa, third assistant engineer
Walter Howard, steward; Edward huTe. eoo6
Wiuiam ZONES and Ettore Bellucie. seamen. those
snnnosed 70 have persisted i'll the captains boat were
Captain Colyn, John AmSs, d chiu. n GaETo and fi,
Rees seaIueu and James Hearty. james Thompson,
Thomas Lowell John Black and Frederick tisher
Tbe men who reached the shore arrived in the cty
last plight They went directly to Tue OF &c OF the
Rrtish Consul but found il closed. They then went
60 The Miners Arms a sailors boarding-house in
Bridpe-st but found that also closed. While they
were standing on the Sidewalk debating what 10 90
next thev were approached by man who after asking
them If fbey rere shipwreckcd seamen showed them
the way TO The Church Street Police Station. The men
horse of the British Consul, No. 44O west twenty
third.st and procured order on the st amens Hone
for the board and lodging OF the men; ne the re-
turned TO the station aud, accompanied by the men,
went to the Home at No. 16S Cherry-st. mle the
men were at the police station Captain Berghold sent
out to restaurant for coffee aud soup. which the men
deyoured with evident relish. The party arrived AT
The Seamen's Home about 10 p. m more weather.
beaten and stomossed gTon Of men Is seldom seen,
which almost hid their faces. and some had thclr
trousers tucked into their boots and their hands thrust
Il, a1rafa of flGfr
encrused with the sal spray and Their ear and hands
showed the effects of the intense cold One man clad
IN o kus had Olotl es bag snRg over Lis shoulder
and pair of sea-bcots under his arm tut The others
saved only the clothes which they wore. The men,
one after another, walked up TO the desk ana gave
their and positions Oh board the SNIP men all
were taken down TO the dinin9-roon, where ihey re-
ccvcd a. the said, the first square feed they
had bad since leaving the ship. "
Frank Morris the second assistant engineer. said in
regard to the loss of the steamship: We left New
York Friday morning and about 10 o'clock that night
II began 60 blow hard from tie northeast The gale
Increased and by 2 o'clock the next morning ii was
hard work TO keep your feet in the engine room on
account of the pitching and rolling OF the ship About
O'Clock Saturday morning some one told me that the
ship was LEAKING and in a few minutes cot orders
from the captain to start tl1 steam pamls lhey We're
started at once but the leak Kept gaming and the
hand pumps manned. The pumps were KEEP
going ali day Saturday and Sunday, but we could not
keep the ship clear even keep the leak from gain
ing On Sunday night the water reached the stoke
hole and although were set TO work with buckets
10 bale il out the water kept rising dnd before morning
was so high to drive the men out. by daylight 1t
had reached the fires and put ttem out After the fires
went out the steam went down and III short time
the ship rolling holplessly about IN the trough
of the sea. About - O'clock MOn1aY nOruing the
cant ain decided to abandon the ship aud had the
boats lowered. The captain and ten men
got into the and the and these you
see here the side and into the whale boat The
pulled Yor the shore and about O'Clock in the afternoon
We sighted the beach. In short time We saw life boat
coming out TO us through the surf. The IN
ii hailed us and told TO follow them In through the
surf We did and all landed safely on the beach.
While we In tho boat the sea
was dasning over most OF the
time and we had TO keep bailfng to keep the boat
ahOat"
Walter Howard. the steward. Raid: 81 don't know
much about the time We LEFT nor about the