The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-03-29
SHIPS SUNK AT SEA.
TERRIFIC EXPERIENCES ~oF TWO
q - 1 .s SHIPWREcKEp CREWS.

The Schooner White Swamped on Absecomb
Light, and Her Crew OF Eight Tossed for Two
Days in an Open Boat-Frightrul Suffering OF
tho Crow of tho Schooner Ford, Which Went
to she Bottom on the Delaware Capes.
Two shipwrecked crews, each number
ing eight souls. arrived in port yesterday
suffering from the fearful effects of expos
ure and frostbites. Their experiences
were strikingly alike. Both vessels were
schooners, and were struck by the same
hurricane on the same morning when within
100 miles of each other. Both were
wrecked
1t was raining heavily when the British
ship Record arrived at Wooduff's stores,
Brooklyn, last, evening. In her ample
cabin, stretched on hunks, were the crew
of the American schooner w. L. White.
They were: Captain j. ID. Whitmore, Mate
James Kemp, Second Mate Phillyss, the
steward and four sailors. Four of them
were badly frostbitten. Mate Kemp gave
the following account Of the terrors of the
voyage which began at Doboy, Ga, on
February 8, and ended so disastrously in q
hurricane:
When the White left Doboy she was one
of the stanchest three-masted schooners
adoat She hadn't leak. and was loaded
with lumber bound for New York. The
voyage went well until the night of March
IL, when Off Absecomb light. Down came
hurricane upon them from the northeast
The force of the blow was something of
which none of her crew had ever dreamed.
Huge seas rolled over her She rose to
mount them, fell into the hollow, and
groaned like dying man. Again she rose,
but as she did so u shock was felt
Il think" said Mate Kemp, chat she
struck some wreckage, for after the shock
she filled rapidly"
For twenty-four hours the hurricane
ragged. A binding snow storm accompa-
MED the wind, and with these terrors to
combat the crew set to work pumping.
They pumped for twenty-four hours, when
the water rose even with her deck. A
small boat was then lowered, Jug of
water and some provisions hastily thrown
in, and the crew left the pumps to save
their lives if possible by an only chance.
On the first night the water in the Jug
troZe and burst the vessel Thereafter two
taDlespoontuls of water were allowed each
man for three days they remained in the
open boat.
The mate, in speaking Of the suffcrings,
sald 'IhlS was our worst experience We
were suffering from frostbites and cold, but
Of water"
On the morning of March II the bio
british ship Record hove in sight and
picked them up, scventy-two miles from
Absecomb light, more dead than alive. Sc
great was the exhaustion Of Second Mate
Phillips that he had to be hOisted on board
OF the ship with rope In speaking OF
his suifcrings Phillips said that on the
morning of the rescue he had made up his
mind TO throw himself overheard. His
thirst was terrible
On The Record the men were most hand
somcly treated. They were furnished with
clothing, food and medicine, and were
iHud IN their praise for Captain Forbes's
hospitality.
The second mate and steward, whose
suilerings from frostbites dsables them
Will be taken to the hospital today.
The W.. l.. White was partially owned
by Captain Whitmore, and halls from
Rockland, Maine. She is q new vessel and
of G2G tons burden.
The schooner James Ford left Baltimore
loaded with 900 tons of coal, for New Bed
1ord, she was about thirty two miles of
Barnegat on March - when the terrific
northwest hurricane struck her full in the
mead Mountainous seas rolled down upon
her decks, ripping her boats loose, FLOODING
"N ''th anu SpullluS Der sails. Tho
watch below were washed from thei,
berths in the forecastle out on the deck.
This was at 4 o'clock in the morning.
An hour later the schooner lay rolling
ABOUT on the ocean, a helpless wreck.
Drcnchcd to the skin, in the face of the
biting wind and heavy snow, the crew,
headed by Captain Garfield manned the
pumps. Their labors commenced on Mon.
day morning and ended on "Wednesday
Night and day they pumped Tor life. Half
IroZen, starved and crazed from thirst, they
worked to keep atloat. AS their last hone
was about to go, the water having gained
upon them in spite of their efforts, the bark
Iallsman. from Trinidad, hove in sight
and rescued them. AS they left her, The
schooner foundered. She was then off the
Cape Of Delaware.
Captain Delano, Of the rescuing vessel
treated the men with every kindness. Ii
Is likely that several of them may lose
Their Get, which are terribly frostbitten.
The Talisman was obliged to run before
the hurricane, but escaped without any
great loss to her cargo of asphalt, her hull
or spars.
The Ford was doubtless sunk by her
heavy cargo of coal. She was built al
Bath, Maine, in 1871, and owned by Henry
Flske, OF Dcnnis.-N. Y. Star, 21st inst.