New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-28
ASHORE AT SANDY HOOK.
A THRILLING FIGHT FOR LIFE IN THE ICY
SURF.
THE SCHOONER MELISSA TRASK WRECKED 81
THE sTORM-HER CAPTAIN AND CREW


SAVED WITH DIFFICULTY.
Wien the storm of Friday swept down upon
the sea it caught the schooner Melissa Trask com
ing up along tie jersey coast She was from
jacksonville, Fla, with load of lumber. ami
her captain expected to ride at anchor inside the
Narrows on Friday night. She now lies on the
Sandy Hook sliorc, and her eve it TO the
crew of the Sandy Hook Life Saving station that
they alive. Her cargo OF lumber is scattered
all along the beach, tossed up by the sgrf which 10
still laundering the Hook and sen'linG its
flying spray and pieces Of wrcckaee far inland.
When the fierce gale struck the schooner ana
the binding snow and slect wrapped her in an
icy cloud through which NJ eye could penetrate.
her captain tried TO work her off shore to the
northeast in the teeth Of the gale Had he sue
cceded in getting far enough to the nortbward he
could have run in for harbor behind Sandy
Hook. The gain OF a few miles would have saved
the vessel but in the teeth of such gale with
the clouds of spray flying, and every now ana
then n solid wave dashing over her, there was but
one end 10 the unequal struggle.
All day the vessel and her crew fought for lie,
only to see the nselves steadily driven further IN
toward the beach, on which a tremendous surf was
laundering When in the afternoon the sect and
snow gave place TO a cold and heavy rain, they
were 50 near the beach that both anchors were let
20 as last resort.
The standing and running rigging OF the
schooner was one mass of ice, and her crew,
numbed by the cold, their clothing covered with
ice. could only cling to the CLASSY decks. and
hear through the binding rain tie roar OF the
surf toward which, in spitc of the anchors, they
were RAPIDLY driven. Just before dark the YES
eel struck only short distance from Shore but
that short distance was mass of fierce and roar
inc breakers that would have beaten 10 death
any man who attempted to swim through them.
The sea made Il clean sweep over the schooner,
tearing her deck-load of lumber away and pound
ing the vessel on the hard sand with tremendous
force.
Clingng TO the icy shrouds tie nearly frozen
sailors suddenly saw Il SiInal fired on the beach,
and knew that a lfc-saying patrol had seen their
pPrilOuS position and that help was AT hand. lt
WAS dark and while they waited every minute
sccmcd hours until lIgh:S again appeared on the
beach. The crew Of the Sandy Hook life saving
station had from their house among the
scrub pines with iic-boat and other life-saving
appliances. I'm such a surf as thai no liie-bOat
could he launched. and resort had TO the
rccches buoy. \ line fired from a mortar on the
beach was thrown over tie vessel The sailors
on board pulled the line IN and the brcechcs-buoy
was riggcd In the buOy the crew were one by
one got ashore and taken 10 the lfe-saving sta
tion where they were revived and thawed OUT
The crew consisted of Captain Atwood and six
men.
The schooner will prove total loss. She was
y vessel Of p?j tons and was bnilt in Brewer,
Ne. N IsSc She was owned by Cutter & Eddy,
of Bangor, from which port size hailed.