Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-22
A Tale OF Shipwreek and Suffer
ing at Sea.
The Tug Morse with Two Barges in
Tow Runs Aground on Harding's
Ledge, Massachusetts.
Terrific Hurricane and a Heavy Snow Storm.
Wave-Swept Deek-1IiraeulOus Escape
of the Grews-A Noble Record.

Boston, MASS, Jan. 81 Capt. Bell
of the tug Morse started from Boston last
Saturday for Vineyard Haven. she was
en- route to Portland with two barges.
At IL o 'clock p. m. Sunday when the
Morse was off Race Point she encountered
terrific hurricane with al heavy snow
storm, and her decks were swept by the
high sea. At 2:2O clock this morning
she heard a whistle which she took 10
be from the Boston Light, and
soon after struck on Harding's ledge
When the tug went ashore the bargeS Jo-
sephine and Banyan, in tow, dragged
heavily and soon the ropes parted. The
tug fOundered and the Josephine went
ashore also. When the Morse
struck on HaTding's ledge she
began TO leak and filed rapidly
compelling the crew of eighteen TO take
10 the rigging. \ short boat was
launched, and a fireman named Herman
Carleton, native of Norway, tried to go
ashore for help, but very heavy sea
struck the boat and threw it fifteen feet
in the air, drowning Carleton before he
could be reached.
AT o o'clock this morning the Hull life
THE CREW IN THE RIGGING,
and shot life line on board. 1t was
made fast TO the starboard, and all the
men on board were rescued. Leroy
Westman, the steward s son, aged
twelve, was dashed to the rigging by
some of the crew and was the first to be
taken from the vessel. All the men eX-
cept the drowned fireman were brought
here in an exhausted condition.
During the storm all the hawsers were
washed from the deck of the Morse. The
tug and both barges viii be total losses.
The barge Banyan, with a crew of
fourteen, went down almost Immediately
after striking. All of the crew were lost
as far as known except Capt. Lund.
The Josephine after striking on the
Harding s ledge was lifted off by the sea
and driven with great rapidity toward
shore. Passing over Buglight bar she
was driven with tremendous force against
a breakwater on the southeast side Of
Point Allerton hill, and in very few
moments was
DASHED INTO PIECES
on the great Lodges that line the coast at
this point. Two of her crew of four men,
Peter Hansen Bergen. steward, and
Charles BircheTson, both of Norway,
were lost. Capt. John HOun of Brook
Ign, y. Y, and Mate Harry Ander-
son of Sweden, were thrown into
the water when the vessel
grounded, and both succeeded in grasp
ing pieos of floating wreckage on which
they were thrown by the waves high upon
the beach. Neither had the least sus-
piciOn that the other had been saved.
The captain, seeing a small cottage near,
went to it and finding it unoceupied,
forced an entrance and went
to sleep. Late in the afternoon
he was discovered and cared for.
The mate wandered about the shore until
daylight, then exhausted he fell upon the
beach Soon after sunrise he was seen
by a fisherman named Sylvester, who
took him TO his house and furnished him
with food and dry clothing. To this
same fisherman s place the captain was
also taken when found.
The rescue of seventeen men from the
Morse makes total of forty-five lives
saved thus far this winter by the heroes
of Hull