Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-04-11
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sinking of the Barge Sunrise ia
DeiAwaFe Hsy-The Captain, Rhis
Wife and Ewo Ghiidron and a
Seaman I0st.
The big coal barge Sunrise, with a
cargo Of BOO tons Of coal, foundered 10
the gale Of Saturday night in the Della
ware bay and the captain and his wife
and their two small children and sea-
man went down with the vessel. Joseph
Coyle, another seaman, drifted about vii
night In small boat and was picked up
on the beach nj LeweB in an almost life
less condition by one OF the life.saving
crew. He was taken TO the Marine Hospi.
tai, where restoratives were applied, and
AZ soon ss he was able to speak he told
the story OF the disaster in disconnected
way, which gave evidences OF the terrible
ordeal through which he had passed.
The Sunrise lett Norfolk on Thursday
afternoon for New York in TOW OF the
tugboat b. W. Morse. when off Bsrne
gat on Saturday morning the wind was
blowing a gale from the north east, and
ir shut down thick fog. The captain
concluded that he was going to have bad
weather, and as the barge was heavily
loaded he decided TO put into the Della.
ware Breakwster. Accordingly the
southern lightboat on Five. Fathom Bank
was rounded and the barge was towed
into the Delaware Bay. The Sunrise was
drawing nearly % feet of water and there
was no safe anchorage in the harbor for
such heavy draught The captain do
cided to 60 up the bay as far as the Brown
shoals where the water would be
smoother. This Is one OF the most dan.
gerous shoals in the Delaware bay, and
vessels who anchor near there usually 90
we'll over towards the eastern side of the
channel to anchor. Either the captain
did not know this or else he miastook bis
bearings in tho fog, for he dropped his
anchor close TO the bell buoy. The tug
boat left the barge and went down to the
breakWater, distance of nine miles.
During the night the wind increased in
force, and by O'Clock it was blowing at
the rate OF 60 miles all hour When the
Hood tide began to run the seas were tre-
mendous, and the Sunrise rocked and
rolled at her anchorage until her decks
were almost Hooded. Towards midnight
the captain ordered the other anchor
overheard and an additional scope of
chain on each cable. ALI hands were on
deck Watching the cables, and abont
midnight the captain dropped the lead
overheard to see if the vessel was drag
ging her anchors. He found that she was
drifting along with the wind veryrapidiy
and more cable was paid out. II was of
no avail, however, and finally one of the
chains parted, and the heavily laden
barge dragged rapidly down upon the
dangerous shoal. When she struck n
culver ran through the chip from stem 10
stern, and when the pumps we're tried a
few minutes later, it was found that she
was leaking badly.
e All hands went to work ut the pumps.
but the water gained on them to suoh an
extent that the captain realized that the
vessel was doomed. He then began
making arrangements for taking to the
boats. The Bkiff, big, heavy one, was
ioosened from her lashings and lowered
into the water Coyle slid down the
ropes and cast of the hooks.
The tremendous secs were sweeping nv
the doomed vessel and each time the
painter would tauten up with n ieyk
While tho captain was trying 20 hand
Ooyle the oars a huge wave lifted the
skitf on its crest and the painter parted
with snap. As Doyle drifted astsrn he
launch the other boat and ihen the vessel
gave Sudden lurch and seemed 10 90 10
pieces. Coyle who saw aei hipF more OF
ms barge and has no doubt thNt All on
noaro We're lost, tLen gave himself np
10 Inc mercy OF tho waves. He had
MS oiiskin coat and heavy boots on
ana WIN an old broken oar no man.
aged to keep the skitf's head up
TO the seas while he bailed the water
ont with an old scoop. He drifteh
around the entire night and when day.
IIeht broke he was almost exhausted.
fortunately the northeast wind and
nooo tioe drove him toward the beach
and ne landed not far from the I.ewes
lne-saNing station. He was 10 thoroughly
exhausted that he could hardly speaE.
ne SAID that he did not know the names
OF anybody on board Of the vessel. The
captain, he said, was known as George
ana his wife as Nellie. The two children
were boy aged 6 years and girl Of 8.
they belonged in Belfast, Me. There
was another sailor known az 'Mjke."
WHO eame from Liverpool. Ooyle Ia from
frovldence, IL. !. He will remain in the
hospital until be has sufficiently recovered
and Will then go to New York.
Inc Sunrise was formerly the oiipper
snip OF that name, wAA owned by tho |
worse transportation Company Of New
iork, and was considered u stannoh Yea.
sci, having been transformed from ahin |
INTO barge in the winter OF 1887. Sbe |
was built in Boston Is years ago, and az
snip mad made many trips TO Philsdel. |
phia from various foreign ports.
dGEAr DAMAGE Az NORFOLK,
NoRFoLk, Va, April THE sto,m of
thunder, lightning and hail which b,osa |
ever this city yesterday morning obanoad
at 10 O'Clock last night, turning IMP. a
gale, the wind blowing AZ the rate ~ ~ |
miles an hour until 8 O'Clock this morn
ing. The wind came from the por,beast
and blew into the harbor and its trim
tarles A tide et high water tbis morn
ing at l.36 o'clock was is inches HIGHER |
than ever recorded before. The Iower
part OF the city was flooded. and ti,a
broke ont on Water street, caused from
stacking lime on the wharf OF John q
damage u Son. The eptire block with |
tine exception Of Savage. Son II Oh u |
commission merchants, was in Hames
Inc old Cotton Exchange building oon.
tanning about $50 bales OF cotton and |
the warehouse OF j. w. Perry d %
containing about 900 bales of. cotton
were totally destroyed. Many stores
were greatly damaged by flood. Dnring
the storm the roofs Of the Opera Homse
Masonic Temple, and many dwellinos
were toru on, and the Virginia Beach
railroad depot is badly injured, and tho
tracks for hundreds of yards are serionsly
damaged.
Ia Portsmouth FIRE destroyed the lime
AND lumber yard of Trugle & Hill. Tho
United States ship Pensacola sank in arr