The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-27
SAVED FROM THE WAVES
THRILLING VOYAGE OF THE
SCHOONER kRANz.

Three Weeks in the Face of Terrible
Storm The Vessel Snaps Her
Anchor Chains and Plunges over
Overfalls Shoals-Terrible Suffering
of the Crew From the Cold - The
Vessel Covered With Ice and the
Men Stick to the Pumps Until They
Freeze.
Reports are still being received at most
of the South Atlantic ports Of loss of life
and great destruction to shipping caused by
the recent terrible storm and blizzard
I'm all my experience, covering period
of thirty years, going to sea-" said Capt
Andrew Day, of the Wellheet, Mass.
schooner John II. Kranz, to a MORNING
News reporter yesterday as he stepped
ashore from the deck of his staunch vessel
Il have never met with such weather and
stared death 90 nearly in the face as on this
voyage. Our experience was enough to
make the stoutest heart quail. We left
Newport News, Va, March 8, with 1920
tons Of coal, bound for Boston. The wind
blew pretty fresh and by March 10 had in
creased so that we anchored in
Delaware Bay for a harbor. The wind was
then blowing east southeast. On the night
of March IL it changed to northwest, and
almost as suddenly into terrific hurricane
accompanied by binding snow and hal.
The decks and rigging were quickly COW
cred with ice, making it difficult, and at
times almost impossible to work the ship.
THE ANCHOR CHAINS SNAPPED.
The second anchor was let go and paid
out all the chain of both anchors, which
hall y II
ing of March T. when, with a tremendous
sea running and the wind still northwest,
the two anchor chains snapped like pipe
stems, and the vessel began to drift toward
Overfalls Shoals
AT this time" said Capt. Day, 81 felt
that it was all up with us, as knew
that if the vessel struck the shoals
heavily there was nothing under the
heavens that could save us. The wind blew
so hard that no one could stand on deck and
the men had to hold on to keep from being
blown overheard. The vessel drifted steadily
but swiftly toward the shoals, and in con-
temptation Of the probable fate awaiting
them the crew qusiled before it and every
man ran from the deck into the cabin. l
must confess that at that momenO l felt
that had seen the last of this earth.
STRUCK THE SHOALS.
At 4 o'clock in the morning the vessel
struck, but lightly. She struck again and
third time, going clear over the shoal
and out to sea. Had she struck
just twice her length, and on the shoal
further east she would have gone to pieces
AS she passed over the shoal towards the
a we attempted TO hoist the foretopsail
so as to pny her off, but it was blown away
while hosting 1t and the fOresail was split
The pounding which the vessel received
going over the shoal caused her to leak, and
the crew set to work at the pumps.
AT this time the sea was Washing aboard
the vessel, making clean breaches over her
and she rolled heavily from side to side.
he frequent heavy seas co wing aboard
caused the foreboom and gait to break, and
the bcoby hatch was stove In, filing the
poop and cabin with water and w, shing
everything movable off the decks
The vessel kept constantly flooding
and the bulwarks were knocked off to free
her of the water on deck, which was icing
up and constantly adding to the tremendous
strain and weight on the vessel At II
O'Clock ON the morning of March IL she
shipped her anchor chains which kept her
IN the trough of the sea, and we ran her
before the gale as means of safety.
FOUR DAYS UNDER BARE POLES.
1--WE went under bare poles for four days
with tremendous seas still coming down on
deck. The pumps were kept constantly GO
ing. Finally the pump amidship gave out,
and this added to our troubles We were
expecting every hour to sink On the fifth
day, in latitude 81, longitude 60,
the gale began moderatlng and
the vessel stopped leaking Then
we knew that the leak was in the top
sides. At length we got into the Gulf
stream, where it was warmer, and the ice
began to melt and fall from the rigging.
From that time on we encountered several
gales, the severest being that of last
Wednesday morning. We arrived in Tybee
roads Sunday night and we're boarded by
pilot, the tug Forest City towing us up to
the city.
Immediately on the vessels being made
fast the Captain came ashore and went to
the Western Union telegraph office, and
telegraphed his wife in Boston of his safe
arrival He remarked on leaving the tele-
graph office that the receipt of his message
this morning would make one little family