Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-09-13
TWENTY-FIVE DROWNED.
Old Ocean Claimed Them for
His Own.
SUICIDE OF THE PARGER's CREW

One After Another Of the Despairing
sailors Sought Death in the sea-Trains
Reach Atlantic city-sfore ships Ashore
at Lewes.
PHlLADELPHfA, Sept ID The Inquirers
special from Lewes, Del, says: 1t is known
that up to the present time there are twelve
deaths as a result u the devastating storm.
The sad intelligence has just come that Capt
Tracy and his crew Of six men perished. The
history Of the two nights aboard the Morse
and Parker is one Of suffering and despair.
The Bed star tug Argus sighted the vessels
Tuesday night, and noted that the men on
both ware in urgent need Of help So tumul-
tuous were The waves that the Argus was
unable 70 approach either the Barker or the
Morse, and the captain concluded that the
best thing to do was to come to the life
saving station and take out the crew. On
its way the Argus saved the crew Of the
Maritime Exchange, and this taking some
time, the boat did not reach the life saving
station until late in the morning and when
It did Capt Clampett refused to allow any
"a Ita iAA1n W OuA, Us LAcl were tAfitunAta4
Unfortunately the captain Of the Argus made
no suggestion of organizing volunteer crew,
and the stupidity OF the life saving people in
not attempting to organize a volunteer re-
lief corps is greatly denounced here, Had
they done so, it is believed that every man
aboard the Parker would have been saved.
HeaTtrending Scenes.
After the tug left the Morse and Parker
Z fha ftf fhfpma Iarafna EAlffgUE
4 The storm increased in volume and late in
the afternoon it seemed as if the boats would
60 to pieces The men on both boats strapped
themselves to the rigging and resigned them.
selves to their fate. All Wednesday after
noon and night and until noon Thursday
they remained bound to the rigging, with
the storm bowling and beating against them.
/ The men on the Morse could plainly see their
/ fellows On the Parker but of course could dc
/ nothing for them. Those on the Parker took
! 70 the rigging several hours before the men
4 on the Morse. and late at night it WAS evi
dent by their cries that they were suffering
terribly.
One After Another Leaped to Death.
Early in the morning nearly every man on
both ships was almost dumb from exposure
( and stiH from suffering. Finally one of thl
crew Of the Parker could stand il no longer
and tearing away the cords that bound him
threw himself into the water In few min
utes another followed his example, then an
other and another, until the last man, thi
captain, was seen to throw himself over
board and disappear ia the waves. Thos
on the Morse were horror stricken at tn
sight The captain Of the Morse kept hi
courage and frequently urged his men L
keep mp heart as he still had confidence tina
Some one would come from the shore anl
render aid The first gleem Of hope occurred
when Capt Henry Willamsonis tug, ownes
BY the LuEenhaks Of Philadelphia, saw th,
flag Of distress flying, and at once begar
making desperate efforts 70 reach the Morse
but it was soon evident that be was unable
to do it,
Rescue Of the Morse's Crew.
The sailors were almost exhausted, ant
just before the tug bad hove in sight severa
of the men had made ready 70 throw them
selves oveTboard just as they were abou
70 do so some one threw a line with a buol
on the end Of it to the schooner, and the mel
jumped into the sea, caught the rope am
We're pulled on board the tug.
The Death List sweiIed to Twenty-Five
The barges Cosilda, St Cloud, Tonawandl
and Wallace from Philadelphia anchored
near the Brandywine shoals on Saturday
The four barges were in hailing distance an,
rested ia security until Tuesday afternoon a
4 o'clock, when the Casilda was compelled b
put out distress flag, having lost a rudder
The crew were saved.
The ST. Cloud was still floating when th
crew Of the Casilda left, and the rescue
crew report that while they do not knoN
whether the men are drowned, they were ur
able 70 see q single man on the St Cloud
Late ia the afternoon the men from the Tona
wanda We're taken ashore. They also repor
that the men on both boats were drowned
Should this be true Il viii make the total los
Of Life UP to this date Twenty-Five
a Romantic Incident.
A singular indecent occurred ia connection
with the Bryan. Before her loss was know
positively a package Of letters was washed o.
the deck of ths boat Thomas r. Bayard
which had been heached over twenty mile
away from whore the Bryan foundered Til
Z letters We're addressed to the captain Of th
Bryan, y, al Risley, ID a feminine hand
They we're bound together by piece Of blu
ribbon, and were evidently cherished BY th
officer, who isl now at the bottom Of Delawar
bay. How the letters came such a long di.
tance and ii such perfect condition is one .
the many singular things Of the great storm
There is great concern here over the miss
ing pilot boat Ebe w. TunneiL She put h
sen on Monday morning and on that dal
spoke vessel. Since then no tidings of he
have been received, and it is feared that sh
is lost She had a crew Of eight men an
four well known pilots