The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-10
WRECKS AND RESCUES.
A CURIOUS CABINET MADE FROM
ILL-STARRED VESSELS.

Wreck of the "New Era and Some
Strange Survivals-
From the Nelo York Star
Snugly nestled among the pine forests in
Ocean county, and standing back about 400
Yards from Beaver Dam creek, is one of
those old-fashioned houses, the cornerstone
of which was laid some time during the
evolutionary period. Its quaint look and
inter loneliness cause the visitor to pause.
There is something about the place that
makes him forget the present and wander
hack into the past. He peoples the house
with the quaint Hollander, and imagination
rms riot as he places his characters, taken
from early history, about the premises. As
his ewes wander from the house to the
etream. taking in the wild beauty of the
ccane the dream is broken. Riding grace
fnllv at anch r, on its placid bosom, is a
handsome Yacht, whose lines and curves de-
note swiftness, craft that is not in keeping
with the surroundings, and such one as
the widest dreams of the simple Hollander
never pictured.
zon. the picturesque cottages of Mantolok-
inc can be discerned, while the faint sound
Of the locomotive whistle in the distance
tells one that erelong the peaceful spot will
assume a different aspect, and the relic of
by-gone days give way to one of those airy
structures in which the wealthy denizens of
the great cities delight to spend the hot
summer days.
ne quaint H0llandish cottage is not un-
known to many Philadelphians, who yearly
visit this section of the coast. Many of
them have partaken of the hospital les of
the master of the house, who is Capt. John
I, Dorsett, whose fame as a hfe-saver and
bavma n has gone far beyond these parts.
Can't Dorsett is the hero of twenty one
rescues from wrecked or stranded vessels,
and has a record of personally saving
thirteen lives Of mariners from old oceans
waters He is rs straight as an arrow; old
fashioned, yet keenly alive to the doings of
the outer world. He is in full harmony
with his surroundings, and is a lover and
hoarder of all manner of antiquities.
The interior Of the house has a very COM
Portable appearance Its low-raftered cell
ings are neatly painted, the walls are COW
cred with a quaint design of paper, while
some furniture of modern pattern goes far
toward subduing the grim rudeness of the
ancient carpentry. In the pleasant sitting
room at the west of the house, the visitors
gaze is engaged by a cabinet containing
many rare and curious things. The cabinet
itself attracts attention from the many diff
ferent woods of which it is constructed.
Small gilt figures upon it indicate that each
piece of wood has history. In fact, each
piece of this wood represents a los of per-
hapS thousands of dollars, and many of the
pieces have been associated with the death
struggles of many poor souls. Twenty-six
different vessels wrecked on the treacherous
Sandbars of the New jersey coast during a
period Of sixty years contribute material
for this cabinet, and in these wrecks $3.50
lives were sacrificed within call of help! 1t
is a CHASTITY record thus perpetuated, but it
is morbidlv interesting. The bits of wood
from these vesselS-the bleached skeletons
of many of which still dot the beaches, a
menace as well as a warning to other craft
are as follows:
No. is piece of walnut taken from the
ship Donaldson, wrecked near Squan Inlet
in 1903; g. piece of cherry from the
schooner Alabama wrecked on Squan
Beach Feb. Is, 1916, the entire crew, consist
ing of seven men, being lost. No. is a
piece of mahogany taken from the bark
Argyle, wrecked south of Point Pleasant il
February, 1854, in which eleven men be-
came the prey Of the storm; Capt Dorsett
also has the figure-head of the Argyle in his
possession; it represents the Duke of Argyle
in full Highland costume, and is in good
state Of preservation. No is a piece of
dark mahogany taken from the bark John
Farnum, wrecked on Squan Beach, Feb.
s, 1855 No. 5 is a piece of walnut from the
ship Clara Brookman, stranded near Squan
haywood that formed part of the cargo of
the brig Axel, which, with all hands, was
lost during the terrible winter of 1917 on
Squan beach, and z, composing the stiles of
the cabinet is art of the stair rail of the
good ship Sovereign, which was wrecked in
the spring of 1886, on the same treacherous
beach, one life being lost. No. is piece
IF a,fr tab So ~. Il. AZ
wrecked on Barnegat beach, Feb. l, 1875
No 9is piece of maple from the steamtug
Titan, which was wrecked Sept. s, 1856 on
Squan beach. Capt. Dorsett waded out
into the surf on that occasion and rescued
the captain of the tug, who was completely
exhausted, and would have persisted but
Tor the bravery of the captain. No. 10 is a
piece of white pine from the memorable
wreck, John Minturn, which was wrecked
near Ocean City beach on Feb. Is, 1916, the
same day that the Alabama came ashore
and which added fifty more to the oceans
victims. Capt. DorSett has the name-board
OF this vessel. 1t is about five feet long
with carved letters. gilded. No II is white
pine from the stranded ship Minerva, which
came ashore at Cranberry Inlet in March,
1901. No. IL is piece of walnut from the
ship Ayrshire, wrecked below Bav Head.
Jan. IL, 1850. The Ayrshire had 300 pas
Sengers aboard, and was the first wreck
where the nfe-saving car was used. Only
one person was drowned.
No. Is is piece of walnut taken from the
steamship Creole, wrecked on Suuan beach
march II, 1868, and IA is piece of ma
hogany from the ship Powhatan, wrecked
on Long beach. in 1854. All her passengers
ana crew, numbering 81 souls, were lost.
MS was the most heartrending wreck that
occurred during the existence of the volun-
Tba
Aorms part of Capt. Dorsett's ca met,
sno"s Tie unseawortny condition Of the I'M
lortunaIe ell, being dark and worm
eaten: No. Is is a piece of beech from tie
osrk llllam EngeS, wrecked in the spring
u u 1913. No. Is is also lockwood, from the
french bark Fauvette, which came ashore
On Squan beach In 1917. No. II is spruce
S5Ken IF m the bark Arion, wrecked near
cranberry Inlet in 1852. No. IS is oak from
vac snip Samuel Willetts, which was
stranded south of Long Branch July z.
5So'. No. 10 is maple from the schooner
SoTa A Lindsay, wrecked on Squan beach
~ February, 1854. and No. 20 is mahogany
rom the Bri ish ship New Era, wrecked at
treat pond Nov. 13, 1854
ne New Era, with mixed crew. had
oaleo from Bremen with 442 German emf
SAINTS, none of whom could speak the En-
sIish language. She was seen at daybreak: a
~ a. east wind breaking heavy sea over
t t9o Oar, and waiting in terrible distinctness
t tae cries and shrieks of the terrified vic
IT, os eunglng to the shrouds and rigging.