Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
THEY KEPT RIGHT ON.
Neither of the Vessels That Collided
Off the Jersey Coast
CHANGED ITS COURSE AN INCB,
Though the Rargraves Sighted the Vizcaya
Five Miles Away.
CAPTAIN ALLEN BLAMED BIZ HIS NATE

off Tompkinsville, L. l., at o'clock this
morning. having on board five sailors OF the
ill-fated Spanish ship Vizcaya, and the Sec
ond mate, Walker, of the Cornelius Har-
graves. The pilotboat picked them up i've
miles south of the scene of the ocean dis
aster at z o'clock yesterday morning. Mate
Walker, who is an intelligent young
Yankee, gave to a reporter who boarded
the Marshall this morning graphic and
detailed account of the disaster. He said:
IT had just finished supper and came on
deck Q few minutes before o'clock Thurs
day evening. I saw the Vizcaya about FIVE
miles off. Her green light shone on the
port side. I did not feel the least bit un-
easy.
THE VESSELS APPROACHING.
"Our lights were burning, and must have
| been plainly visible to those on board the
| Spsniard. We were sailing at the rate of about
| eight knots an hour and neared the Spanish
ship rapidly. I turned a flare light to chow
him that sailing vessel was near, but he
held on his way, and I began to think that
we might strike him or he us if one OF US
| did rot alter our course.
"Captain Allen and First Mate Henry
| Pheran were below and l was in charge of
| When he came on deck he looked at the
cloud OF canvas on the Spanish steamship,
and then at our sails, all of which were set.
"'We can clear him, l guess, he said,
and we went on our way.
'I watched the Two vessels drawing near,
and finally ventured: Il think we will
strike them, Captain
"'Yes, by heaven. we will. Hard a-port!
| Hard a-portp he shouted, but it was too late.
Like race horse our vessel darted forward.
THE FATAL CRASH.
1--WE struck the Vizcaya amidships, and
i hope L may never be witness to such an
other scene. The Hargraves tore great
| big hole in tile Spanard's side. 1 saw our
bowsprit sweep along her deck, and man
in gold buttons and peaked cap, whom l
took to be the Captain, was knocked off the
bridge. Then the vessels swung slowly
about until almost side by side, and for a
| fraction of a second there was the solemn
| hush of death.
"Then agonizng human cries burst forth.
Men and women darted hi:her and thither
on the big steamships deck, and soon l
| heard the sound o! their feet as they jumped
| down on our decks. They thought that with
US they would find safety, but our ship was
as badly off as their own.
| ga moment after the crash I caught
glimpse of Captain Aliens face, as he stood
immovable under the light OF pinnacle
lamp. His face was white, even to the lips.
Then, as he heard the nic-stricken people
dropping on our deck, he shouted to me:
THE CAPTAINS cowARDICE.
"Waiker, keep them backl Let's so re our
! own crew first --Te- the boats, meni To the
| boatsp He himself, with a broadax cut
away. the fastenipgs of the long boat and
| jumped in. The first mate and three of our
crew followed. Meantime 1 was fighting a
| gang OF Spaniards who were bent on getting
to our boats. Suddenly 1 looked around
and saw that Allen had showed off with his
| four companions The boat would have
carried 16. l jumped into the rigging and
shouted
Captain. you are not going to desert
| your second mate, are you? For Gods
sake come backp
"He shouted something in reply. What
| it was l don't know, but / saw him waving
his hand in farewell, and 1 knew the cow
ard had made of. leaving the rest OF his
| crew to perish miserably.
"There were ten of us on the Hargraves,
all told. For a moment l did not know
what to do. 1 saw my comrades mounting
the rigging, with a crowd of Spaniards at
their heels.
81 felt the schooner sinking, and fearing
that she would be submerged, masts and all,
1 grabbed a big gangplank and jumped
overheard with it. 1 went under water, and
when I arose 10 the surface again men were
| jumping off the schooner into the water all
around me.
FINALLY, counted 13 of the Vizcaya's s
| men clinging to the gangplank with me.
| One was gentle-taced Spanish lad, about
! 16 years old. The sea was calm, but there
was heavy, long swell. We were all sit
| ting astride o. the gangplank. Suddenly
an extra heavy sea turned our frail raft
bnttom up, and We all went, over with it.
Down into the water 1 went, feeling arms
and legs kicking all about me.
"When 1 got to the surface again, I
climbed back on the plank, and then one by
| one the others came back until counted
seven. A minute later another big wave
| washed us all over again. When got
back to the gangplank there were only five
of US. One of these was the handsome
Spanish lad. He could speak little En-
glish and he had great nerve.
COMPANIONS IN MISERY.
"'Our chances are mighty thin,' he said
to me. 1 acquiesced, and he continued:
Every time the old gangplank turns over
| grow weaker and weaker. l don't think
| l can last much longer
"'Well, guess we have all got to co. l
| told HIM, but let US hold on as long as we
can. When we go under, hold your breath;
| don't swallow the salt water
"T don't know how long I can live. but
| [ will live as long as can, the poor lad re-
| turned, smiling sweetly, and few minutes
later his head fell forward on the board. I
tried TO work my way up to him, but before
| l could reach him he gave great choking
| sob and rolled over into the deep. He
seemed to sink like lead.
"There were only four of us LETT I could
| see that the others could not last long.
| They were in the water hanging to the gang
plank, with their hands and arms too ex-
| hausted to cling to it. Their heads Law on
| the board, and only for the convulsive tight
ening of their arms when the sea was wash
ing over them would have thought they
| were dead.
DROWNING ONE BY ONE.
zone by one they slipped quietly off and
drowned. 1 was left alone before 9o'clock
The moon arose about that tille, and you
cannot imagine the terrible feeling of fear
and desolation that took possession of me.
had to battle with myself all the time to
keep from giving up and sliding into
eternity. On all sides of me the most in
tense quiet reigned. ielt that my mind
was going.
81 think would have gone crazy, but
suddenly saw the light at Barnegat flash
ing, and to keep my mind occupied began
to paddle with my hands in the direction of
it. Occasionally dead body would slip by
me in the cold water, face up, in the brilliant
light of the moon. My lower limbs were
warm in the water, but my body was freez-
ing from the bitter wind. Every now and