The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-04
LOST IN THE STORM.
Terrible Loss Of Life at the Dela
ware Breakwater.

Terrible Loss Of Life at the Delk
ware Breakwater.
At least twenty-five persons were drowned
,r frozen in the harbor at Lewes, Del, dur
ing the great storm and many vessels were
sunk. Several Of the stranded vessels are
70 far up the beach that they can never be
re-launched. More than sixty seamen were.
bound hand and foot by ics and most OF
them were so severely frostbitten that they
are now confined to bed. -
The steamboat pier parted in three places.
At the extreme end we're eleven men, surv1-
vors from vessels which had sunk, VINO mao
taken refuge there. They were cut Oh fron
all communication with the land for twenty:
three hours, and during that time their fran
haven was constantly threatened with de-
struction by the heavy seas. When they
were taken of several were unable to move,
and had to be lifted into and from the boats
which came to their assistance. =
About thirty-hve vessels were In port. and
no danger was apprehended until about 1880
o'clock, when the wind increased suddenly 70
terrific gale from north-northwest The
crews rushed upon deck, but failed to com.
prehend orders Everything was In confu.
zion, and high above the din OF the storm
could'be heard voices of men shouting Tor as
,istance A collision occurred between the
tug George j. Simpson and the Wreckng
steamer Jameson, owned by the Somer PonS
Wrecking Company.
The bow of the Simpson struck the steamer,
almost Instantly causing an immense gap,
into which the water streamed. The 16
also was badly damaged and flled rapidly.
The crew Of the Jameson, which had been
living near the pier, with great difficulty
iI1mped on the structure before their vessel.
sank Only two Of the Simpsons crew gained
the pier. The others were finally picked up
by the tug Protector. While their compan.
ions were being rescued Mate Eli Walls and.
Steward Fletcher gal!antly breasted the.
reached the piling around the pier. ~:
Their wells for assistance were heard blythe
men, who dragged them into O place OF COM
narrative safety. Here, from IL o'clock ~
NIGHT until 10 O'clock the following evening,
eleven men found a precarious foothold.
During the night twenty-eight barks ana
schooners were driven ashore and forced
above the high water mark Among them
! were the Zephyr, which was totally dis
mantled; the Flora E. Newcomb, whose en-
tire rigging was carried & aWayi We yio Spg Irdsr 5.ys
j. W. Anderson, William g. Bartlett, Provi-
dence, Isabel Alberto, Elliott I. Dow, Earl
P. Mason and Hester A. Seward The crews
were all saved.
A two-masted schooner came mp with all
hands on the mainmast When she had al.
most reached the pier the wind increased and
started the mainmast from its braces. Soon
the mast fell, and the men, with two e1cep.
tions, lashed themselves to the foremast
| Two of the men, unable to extricate them
selves in time from the wreckage, were
washed overheard and drowned Others
were rescued from their perilous position by
| the life-saving crew. OF those in the rigging,
one was frozen to death and four 80 seriously
frostbitteu that they had to be removed TO
the hospital
An unknown tugboat, with barge In tow,
sank with all hands off the Hen and Chickens
shoals ,,a,-,,i,,- a,,.-,,i,-. !.
The tug Thomas Crawford crashed into the
pier and carried away her hawsers and decks.
She foundered shortly after and her engiIeer
and fireman lost their lives. The pilot boats
Turley and Tunnel were forced on the beach.
The loss to shipping is estimated at between
| S40O 900 and $5U0.O .OO0. r.G So