New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-28
EIGHT LOST IN THE WRECK.
A NORWEGIAN BARK GOES TO PIECES.
DRIVEN ASHORE on THE VIRGINIA COAST
HEROIC WORK OF LIFE-SAVERS-THE CAP
TAIN's WIFE REFUSES TO MAKE USE
OF THE BREECHEs BUOY AND
pERIsHEs WITH HER CHILD


Norfolk, Va. March 27.-The Norwegian bark
Dictator, from Pensacola to West Hartepool,
England was driven ashore near Life Saving
Station No. 2, at Virginia Beach, this morning at
10 o'clock. OF the seventeen on board eight lost
their lives. Among those who perished were the
captains wife and little child.
The weather was so thick that the vessel was
not seen until some time after she struck and
tnrn she in the breakers broadside on,
within a quarter of a mile of the shore. Full
crews from two life-saving stations, those
of Cape Henry and Seatack, were promptly on
hand and began firing lines TO the bark. The
guns could not deliver the lines so far. The ship
finally succeeded in getting line ashore tied to
barrel which the surf carried to the llfe-savers.
The breeches buoy was quickly rugged and sent
TO the vessel, but unfortunately the barli's crew
were ignorant of its use and the rescue de-
layed until Captain Drinkwater of the lfe-snving
crew, wrote Instructions put them in a bottle and
sent it to the Dictator by the line connecting the
vessel with the shore. The men on board broke
the bottle at once, as could he seen by glasses
from the Shore and proceeded to carry out the
directions The first man was delivered ashore
in eight minutes, and seven others were
rescued before sunset -Four of them came
ashore in a lifc-boat which was capsizcd,
but the men succeeded in reaching the shore IN n
half-dead condition, one man having his arm
broken.
During the entire day the ship rolled and
pitched terribly. and made the work Of resculnS
the sailors exceedingly difficult and slow, as the
lifeline would tighten or slacken in response to
the motion Of the vessel. Once the line broke
with a man midway to the shore and he was
hauled back to the bark half-dcad The line was
mcndcd and the man safely landed.
At niahtfall there were still nine persons on the
bark and among the number the captain, his
wife and little child. The captain had urged his
wife during the day to take the buoy and come
ashore but she steadily refused she would not
leave her husband and child and only one could
take the buoy at n time.
Captain JOrgenSOn never left the vessel until
size broke up. Then laehng life-prcserver
around his wife. while his child was secured
70 his body, he jumped into the raging waters.
The wife and child pcrlshcd. The captain was
picked up on the beach scnsclcSs. Six others
pcriShcd
Those saved are Captain j. " JorGcnson. Second
Mate Julius Anderson, Ampcr Barritt, John
Stevens, John Patterson lIclmcr Olsen, John
Malt. Carlo Olsen. and Charles Joseph tcolored).
The Dictator was trying to make Hampton
Roads, having been disabled by hurricanes since
March t.
All that could he gathered from the half-dead
sailors IS 70 the cause of the stranding of the
vessel was that they did not know where they
were, the sun not having been seen for four days
and the weather being thick last
night and this morning that they struck the
breakers before they could see the coast The life
savers worked all day without food. The APP
parcnty slow progress Of the TX Of rescue was
due 10 the fact that n lifcboat could not 1--we
in the surf that the guns world not reach the
bark and that the could not use the
rrccches buoy until they were instructed from
shore which caused great delay