The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-01-20
SHIPWRECKED In THE BAY.
A SCHOONER CRUSHED BY THE ICE.
PERELOUs CONDITION OF THE CREW
GALLANT REsUE by TWO COLORED MEN

Last Friday. about half-past nine O'Clock,
Joseph Johnson, colored. brought information to
Michaesville that vessel had sunk off Stony
Point. in the Chesapeake Bay, and that two men
were clinging to the rigging. calling for help, no
means of rescue being at hand. Mr.. Charles W.
Michael Immediately organized q party. consist
ing Of !. w. Bolts, John Elliott. Samuel z. Kim
bic and VIM. G. Osborn, and proceeded to the
hay shore. From the point where the road from
MlchaelsvilC intersects the shore they could see
the mast Of the vessel and distinctly hear
the cries of the men. The wind was ION the
land" und the weather foggy. The bay was full
of ice and impossible in any boat that could be
procured Accordingly Mr.. kimble and Mr..
Osborn went TO Spesutia Narrows and procured
the assistance of MIR Fox. who had boat and
fixtures suitable to combat the ice. In the mean
time Mr.. Michael and Mr. Bolts went to Perry
man and telegraphed to Mayor P. Lesley Hopper,
of Havre de Grace, for assistance. All of the
steam vessels being tired up for the winter Mr..
Hopper replied he had telegraphed to Chesapeake
City. Mr.. Michael then suggested that suita-
bic boat and crew be sent by land to the point
nearest the vessel
Mr.. Hopper and party of seven men at once
started IN wagon for Stony Point, taking with
them a small boat. Before reaching there they
heard that the men had been rescued by two col
ored men william Johnson and " lillian Christie,
who procured n boat AT Black Island, two miles
above the point where Mr.. Michael and his patty
first saw The wreck. The bay at that point. for
the time being. was comparatively free from Ice.
The boat was frail one and the imminent dan
ger of the ice closing in on them ut any moment
made the rescue Of the men hazardous in tho eX-
IRENE The two brave colored men, neverthe-
less. regardless of danger, broke their way
through the ice along the shore to the clear
water and brought the men safely to land about
twelve O'Clock, the ice closing in their wake.
The rescued mon were found to he Captain
WIN l. Hand and his mate, Henry j. Burke. the
schooner being the Judge Hopkinson, loaded with
oyster shells and bound from Baltimore to Havre
de Grace
Mr. Go,. Fl. Mount took the men to Michacls-
vile and after their wants were kindly provided
for they werc sent to Perryman and thence by
train To their homes IN Havre de Grace.
BY tins time the neigh jorhood was thorough
y aroused and people began to come into
Michaelsvic from every quarter all ready and
willing To do their utmost to save the untOrtu-
nate men. Mr.. Fox had nearly reached the scene
of the dislsteT when he mot the rescued men and
on his return home met the Havre de Grace
party, commanded by Mayor Hopper.
Capt. Hand said that his vessel, with himself
and Burke on board, left Baltimore on Tuesday,
at ii o'clock, bound for Havre de Grace. The
wind blew heavily from the northwest and when
they reached Sandy Beach, about nine miles be-
low Havre de Grace, early Wednesday morning,
the muinsail had been carried away. The run
ming ice impeded the vessels progress and as
they could no longer steer the craft she dritted
about all day Wednesday and Thursday with the
tide and ice They raised signals of distress and
one or two steamboats, attempted to reach them
nut could not on account of the floating ice.
About clock Friday morning the ice drove
in the sternot the schooner and she sank in l9
ieet OF wafer. Their small boat was crushed by
the ice when the vessel went down. Hand and
Burke then climbed into the rigging. where they
remained shouting for help until they were res
cued.
Soon after the vessel sank one of the masts fell
and the only remaining one cracked us it bent-n
the gallo. This half-broken mast was all there
wa between them and certain death. To add to
their discomfort cold rain was falling. Their
suffering was very great. Their food gave out on
"Wednesday and they had nothing to eat until FRI
day when they got TO Michacsville. Both were
soaking wet and covered from head to foot with
snow aud ice. The captains hands and the mate 8
feet were badly frozen.
The place where the vessel went down was
about two miles east of Black Island. opposite
the white House." about 20 miles below Havre
de Grace, and 1t is thought she went to pieces and
is total loss. The vessel drifted about twelve
miles down the bay alter the ice was encounter
ed on Tuesday night Capt Hand is a man over
~ years old. and his physical orga ization is very
much shaken.