The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-12-05
GONE TO THE BOTTOM.
a German Bark Wrecked on Lon
Rranch. and Ten Of Ner Grew Drowned

German Bark wrecked IN Long
Rranch, and Ten OF Her Grow Drowned
New YoRK, Nov. 2s.-rn the dark
ness and furious gale Wednesday night
the bark Germania drove ashore of West
End. Long Branch, and almost at once
went to pieces. Before the life-saving
crew could get to the men struggling in
tho water ten Of them, including. Captain
Windhorst, were drowned.
It was about o'clock when the Ger
mania struck. It was pitch dark and
blowing bowling gale. Patrick Mo
Namera, a beach patrolman, heard the
shouts of the sailors and made out in
the thick night the lights OF q vessel
fast on the inner bar, half mile from
shore. He ran through Long Branch
shouting the alarm. Postmaster Nun
nally sent his son to summon Cap
tain Asher Wardell and his life savers
from Green's Pond, while he burned
fambeau Of old papers on the beach.
For half hour the shouts Of the
sailors continued. Suddenly there
came great crash and the ships
light disappeared. The masts had
fallen and the vessel broke in two by
the great waves that broke with such
force that they showered the spray COM
pletely over and hid the battered hull.
Then the cries ceased. BY this time
Wardell and his men drove up with the
life-saving apparatus. One spar only was
standing, about which some flvo or six
sailors were clinging. The lifeline was
fired from the Lyle gun within three
minutes from the time Of the crews ar
rival. At the same instant heavy
wave struck the wreck and carried OF
the last remaining spar. Instantly the
vessel broke up, and before the line
reached the wreck she had sunk into
the boiling waters. The seas were tre-
mcndous.
The Eve or six sailors that had been
seen on the wreck were discovered float
ing on empty barrels and broken spars.
Charles Denning, one Of the shoremen,
saw by the phosphorescent reflection on
the water two men struggling in the
surf. He boldly jumped off the bluff
into the sea. One after the other he
brought them safely to shore. When
he reached them they were almost ex-
hausted. Had it not been for his aid
both men would have been lost in the
deadly overflow.
Meantime the life-saving crew had
not been idle. They had plunged into
the sea with lines and brought to shore
the boys who we're clinging to spars and
wreckage in the surf The bright lights
OF the life-savers we're sent over the
waves, and repeated searches failed to
show another survivor. All the rest of
the crew but the four who had been so
bravcly rescued had gone down with the
wreck.
Gustave Hillen, one Of the rescued
men, said that he was on deck whom the
vessel struck. He had thought for some
time they were getting too close to
shore. The wind and sea were high,
but the captain didn't seem to notice
the danger he was running into. Hillen
said:
Il think the captain was Intoxicated and 70
were some OF tho other men on deck. We
sailed on in the direction In which We had seen
land before night closed in. A little before
o'clock the vessel struck, apparently on .
sandbar. There was . panic on board, and
the captain seemed to lose his head. Every
UOuy Wcut running 0Uout lA0 OcCA. N1p.
tain Windhorst was in @ terrible
rage. He ran up to the man at the wheel
shouting and cursing ana hiandishing . re.
volyer. He yelled that ilc would shoot the man.
Just then huge wave dashed over the vessel.
II struck the captain and carried him away
with the revolver In his hand. We didn't see
him again. jumped overheard and struggled
as long as could in the waves. Then lost
consciousness until was dragged ashore.
Tho Germania was owned by d. Fl.
Watzen a. Co.. Of Bremen. She was old.
but regarded as stannch. She was built
Of iron and registered 800 tons. The
survivors said that she was not in good
condition, and that was why she went to
pieces SO quickly.
The storm along the Atlantic coast
was one of the seyerest in the memory
Of the old mariners. Reports of wrecks
have been coming in, but no details can
be learned. It is feared that several
coasting vessels have gone down in the
aNnnA