New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-08
DREADED BY SEAFARERS.
THE PERILs OF THE JERSEY COAST TO
SHIPPING.
A STRANDED SCHOONER TURNED INTO RES
TAURANT FOR TIME-INC1DENTs
OF IIFE-sAVING.

A STRANDED SCHOONER TURNED INTO fH@o'
rAuRANT FOR TIME-INCIDENTs
OF MFE-sAvING.
Asbury Park N j., Nov 5.-Fcw OF the p'ea'u'o
seeking multitudes who throng in summer the cons.
resots NJ New Jersey know that although this coast
is odored by the summer girl, II Is detested oy e
sea captan fiat while the gay youths when epproach
ing begin TO unpack their tennis suits ana DIRECTS
the sailors when they sight the yellow sands Oh 'eSey
at once think OF their olsSins and sou wesers' ~
the lsndsman II means gaycty; to the salior uee
tho one thinks OF bathing suits the other, Hre pre-
servers.
II &c said that n all the vessels which have been
wrecked or stranded upon this coast could be placed
in line they would reach from Sandy HOOK 10 cape
MAY II vessel breaks up upon the bar IL Is ho'
long before every trace Of her Is carried away oy
tides or buried under the sand but yet there are many
places along the coast where the worm eateh Fo'une
ribs of schooner lying in the sand, the deckhouse
OF ship used a fsherman's shanty or a tall spar
in Use as a flagstaff can tell a tale OF the sea as
thrilling as the wreckage the rocks OF Finsterre,
or body cast by the waves upon the shores Oh the
North Sea.
When trying to make Sandy Hook or Delaware
Brealwater let captain get driven little out OF Ills
course and he bumps the of his ship upon the
low-lying sands Of Jersey During great Storm the
scene Of wreck at night in winter is wild and awfu
one when the sea roars and seethes mady, and poor
wretches cling to Icy ropes and look towao
the shore for the welcoming glare Of burning Costoh
light or a sight of the formidable seven men and
blue pucart from the life-saving station
But there have been times when a small schooner
strnding in calm weather, its captain and crew have
entirely discouraged the efforts OF nfe-savers ana
smoked philosophical pipes while the breakers beat
upon their vessels seward side. In the morning
tug from New York would wrench loose the grasp
OF the Jersey sands and the philosophers ana ther
vessel would proceed calmly in tow OF the tug 10
New York. When the three mssted schooner Mabel
Thomas was cast upon Bradley Beach. its captain
was such philosopher and his vessel high and dry
upon the beach, was such novelty To sigtseers that
he did fine ice cream and confectionery business on
his quarterback, and his cook roasted clans ana
baked oysters in his galley the delight of the summer
guest and to his own great profit and satisfaction.
And it was even whispered in the dim religious light
of the Ocean Grove street lamps that this waf tossed
lid by The sea sold bottled beer his premises and
heads wageed and consultations held. But there
came an unusually high tide and three tugs, the Mabel
Thomas departed for New-York and the greater part
of the summer population Of Ocean Grove had no
chance to test the truth Of the rumor.
About a mile north of this place and one hundred
and fifty or two hundred yards from the shore, the
old rsted boilers of the wrecked steamer Pny rear
themselves from the waves, like monuments over a
grave. A white gull occasionally perches upon
one Of them and around the bases under the
water is favorite resort for the sea bass
The wreck Of the Pliny occurred on May 10, 1882.
She was a British steamship bound from Rio Jsneiro
to New-York with valuable cargo OF coffee and
hides The chronicles Of the day inform that
there were twenty-five souls and thrtyslx sailors
board, though Just how many human beings this
might be often not mentioned. An inqusitive
man would probably ask whether II one sailor hap
pened to possess q soul he would not count as two.
And asst must be ow-grade kind Of soul that is not
and
let the souls save themselves However the United
States LfeSavng Service report for 1882 kindly tells
us that there sixty-one persons, all told mono
waterproof, and that the souls above mentioned were
immigrants and the sailors were sailors. Among the
immigrants were three and ten children. The
captain had believed his ship to be far to the east
ward, the coast of Long Island, and he therefore
headed his vessel I'm westsouthwest direction
straight at the bluffs of Deal Beach, When the look
out cried that lie perceived breakers ahead the helm
was Immediately put hard to starboard, but before
she could be brought around the vessel grounded on
the outer baf at o'clock In the morning, with her
bow pointing southwark and her broadside exposed
10 the full force of the breakers. The waves swept
over her decks With tremendous violence bursting in
the matches and pouring into the hold. The officers
and clngng to the ropes, scanning the low black
shore line for sign Of help were suddenly bcsieged
by crowd Of white faced shiverng. shrieking pas
sengers, who, panlcstrcken by the roaring OF the
seas as they dashed down upon the decks, the dull
grating OF the bottom upon the bar with the creak-
ing Of every timber of the steamer, had rushed from
their quarters and in momentary danger of being
swept overheard. Women casped their little children
and men shouted frenzed appeals to heaven in a half
dozen different languages. With great difficulty the
captain induced the passengers to return TO their
quarters
Several "distress" rockets were fired and a signal
burned, lighting up for moment the surround
ing water, black, except where the foam boiled and
seethed each wavecrest gllmmcrlng for an instant
OH the white set faces OF the and making the
shore look deserted and desolate than ever. But
in the east the sky had began TO turn from FOR
bidding black TO dull gray and soon little streaks OF
yellow showed above the horizon mile TO the
south rocket went up from the beach
The stations OF the Fourth District OF the LfeSsving
Service do not remain open during the latter part OF
spring. during the summer, and the crew OF station
No. g. at the northern boundary Of Asbury Park, were
scattered the coast plying other avocsons. But
three OF the crew, meeting BY chance In the early
evening had agreed. as 1t was such d stormy night TO
go TO the shore ard watch for wrecks. One OF them
observed rocket go up TO the northward and eagerly
informed his companions one started at once for
farmhouse to borrow team OF horses to draw the
apparatus The two remaining tried In vain TO force
the huge double of the station and at last had TO
burst a door open with hatchet. Familiar with the
INTERIOR they speedily found the signal rockets, but
how to light was question: for neither OF the
men had match. After diligent search they found
one IN the station and long train OF fiery sparks
across the face Of the black sky told the anxious
Oh the doomed steamer that help was at hand Their
companion arrived with the team. The horses were
hched to the these three started for the
scene OF the wreck. They were. however Joined by
Others and soon there proceeded with the apparatus
force experienced and caoable. although Of them
did not belong to the regular mile north Of the
station the Pny lay the bar the breakers dashing
over her in huge masses Of white curling foam In
the gray dim light OF the morning her people could be
seen grouped wherever shelter from the could
be found, and all with their faces turned shorewarc
ManfulIy and we'll worked the little handful Of men
ON the beach their hard and trained muscles straining
under their SKINS bronzed from the rays OF the sun