Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-16
HIGH ON THE BEACH.

rdte Ol tne SHlteU StAteS steamship ID
 Galcna-Her Hull Badly Hogged-
 Story of Lieutenant Commander
 BickneH - How the Men Were
 Rescued.
 GAY HEAD, Mass, March 15.-A cold and tedious drive of twenty miles from Vineyard Haven this morning brought the Associated Press representative to Gay Head shore. The beach presented a lone ly appearance, to say the least. The United States steamship Galena lay high upon the beach, broadside on. She was full of water, her hull badly hogged, her mainmasthead sprung, her jib and staysail flying to a fresh northwest wind and her rigging was covered with ice, which ex- tended to the mastheads. The sea broke over the ship constantly from Friday until midnight last night, when the heavy west south wind changed to northwest, mederating somewhat and making the sea comparatively smooth where the wrecked vessels lay. The steam tug Nina lies head on so high up on the beach that persons can walk aboard of her at low water. She lies per fectly quiet, the only water in her being in her fore room aft. It is thought that she will be saved. The Galena's starboard boats were washed from the davits and thrown upon the beach, where they were broken in pieces and burned by the sailors in their efforts to keep themselves warm. The officers and crew are distributed among the few dwelling houses on the Gay Head, which are filled to their utmost capacity. The only church in the place is appropriated for temporary lodging house. The seventy seven United States sea men forcing themselves upon the Gay Head Indians makes it necessary to SCOUT the locality for provisions. Arrangements are being made to transfer the men, and United States revenue cutter Samuel De1- ter is expected to soon arrive for that pur- pose. The generous hearted natives are doing all in their power to make the ship wrecked men comfortable, and neither off cers nor sailors have suffered since land ing They were gotten ashore with diff culty on account of the terribly rough sea, seven and one-half hours being consumed in the operations.
 COMMANDER BICKNELL's STORY.
 Lieutenant Commander George A. Bick- nell of the Galena states: At 3 p. m., on the 18th instant when off Easton's Neck the vessel encountered dense fog with heavy wind. When Block Island was reached the fog lifted so that Block Island light could be distinguished and were en- abled to get our bearings and shape the vessels course for Vineyard Sound Light ship and Gay Head, which course was given to the tug Nina, east-by south. Soon after the fog shut down as dense as before. We saw just a red glimmer of Gay Head light, off the starboard bow, about thirty minutes before the vessel struck. We supposed it to be about ten miles distant We neither saw nor heard anything of the Vineyard Sound lightship. When we sup posed that the ship was between Vineyard Sound lightship and Gay Head the tug was stopped by signal and another course giv- en the tug, which was northeast three quarters north, to take the tow out by Gay Head into Vineyard sound, but before the tow could be strengthened out again the vessel struck. l was on deck when the ship struck with Ensign H. A. Field. The breakers were reported immediately be- fore the ship struck, but because of the strong southerly current and the violent l south southwest wind which was blowing the ship could not be turned quickly enough to avoid the disaster. A line WAS hoated ashore from the Galens by means of large box. By means of this line the WuOlt CItW was SOt dSuOlc WILL lIlo ooSASk | ance of the Massachusetts Humane socie- | tvs crew and the Gay Head residents" Lieutenant Commander Bicknell further states that the Gay Head people well sus tained their reputation in regard to hos, | pitality to shipwrecked people. Captain | T. NJ. Smith of the tug Nina, states that he | received his orders and courses from the commanding officer of the Galena, and acted accordingly.
 WILL SAVE THE CARGO.
 Commander Bicknell has made arrange ments with the Boston Tow Boat com. | pany's wrecking agents at Vineyard Haven to save everything possible from the wreck. Steam tug Mercury, and steam, lighter Oak, with divers, steam pumps etc, arrived at Gay Head this afternoon | for that purpose. It is thought that steam tug Nina will be saved, if the weath CT becomes moderate for few days. Every thing of value will be taken from th' Galena, but the prospect of floating her are considered poor. She had consid
 erable ammunition aboard designed for th'
 United States steamer Lancaster, now fit
 ting out at Portsmouth. Many seafarine
 men well acquainted with the locality anc
 tides between Gay Head and Vineyard
 Sound ightship, attribute the disaster tc
 the strong southerly current which, at th
 time the ships were in that vicinity, mus
 have set them from the proper course. Tn
 tug Nina not being of sufficient power t
 tow the heavy ship on a straight cours
 against the current. However correc
 this theory may be, the two vessels now Ii
 about four miles out of their proper course
 United States tug Triana, which wen
 ashore on the south side of Cuttyhunk to
 day, has two holes in her bottom, ant
 probably lies on the rocks. The Bosto
 Tow Boat company has made arrangement
 to float her.
 NEW BEDFORD, Mass, March 15.-Th
 government tug Triana went ashore O
 Schooner Ledge, Cuttyhunk, at two o'cloc
 this morning, and now lies broadside o ; with the tide ebbing and flowing throug the hole in her hull The vessel was gt ing to the scene of the wreck of u