New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-24
HEROIC RESCUE AT SEA.
CREW OF SINKING SCHOONER SAVED
BRAVE MEN RISK THEIR LIVES IN SHATTERED
ROAT FOI THEIR FELLOWMEN.

BRAVE MEN RISK THEIR LIVES IN \ chhI4GnSA&s
BOAT FOR THEIR FELLOwMEN.
In the midst of bowling storm six brave uen
put TO sea in shattered boat the other day and
rescued the crew Of a sinking schooner. The
American schooner Benjamin Courtney, OF Bos'
ton, left Tampa Fla, February for WeyS
mouth, Mass. She was loaded with rock pRc4
phate She had "a crew of seven men. and her
master was Coptain William Elliott. 1t wa
pleasant weather when the stanch little scnoonO
sailed from Tampa. There was not a cloud n
the sky, and soft breeze sent the vessel On iron
the land of flowers" to the land Of snow.
There were light eastcrly breezes until February
10, when there came high wind from Sne
southwest, which at midnight veered around q
the west. northwest and blew tremendous gaze
The seas writhed and rothed under the lash OF the
elements and mountainous waves ent tns
schooner reeling and staggering along. Inc NAM
sail foresail lib and staysail were carried away.
The vessel turned and ran before the gaze unoes
bare poles. The gale blew with tho force OF
hurricane The schooner was covered Win sprsVs
which froze "a It fell upon the decks and rigging.
She was covered with ice from stem to stern ana
the crew suffered terribly from the intense coid.
For two DAYS the schooner scudded along unoec
bare poles. Her boats were wasned away "or
matches were broken in, and her wheehouse W.
shattered under the hammer-like blows OF ths
waves Before the pumps could be manned shs
schooner had shipped twenty inches OF "aoet'
The pumps would not work Wien the men at
tempted 10 work them they broke down. Tne
schooner was helpless, and the gale was increasing
in fury. II was then that the perishing crew
saw the lights Of the American Line steamer
Pennsylvania. 1t was then 10 80 p. m on Feb
ruarv o. The men on the schooner burned fare
~ The steamer SAW
the signals aud promptly answered them. Captain
Thomas. of the Pennsylvania, ordered boat TO
be lowered. Six men volunteered to 90 to the
rescue OF the schooner's crew. No sooner
had the boat touched the water than
ono side was shattered by the waves and tho
fraiI craft was whrled around in tho rushing
waters The men who manned that boat were
beroes Had they gone back to the vessel foS
opo,bor boat il. too. would probably have been
crushed. The storm was growing in fury, ana
No time WAS TO be lost. The men turned the
Injured side of the boat to the leeward ana
laboriously made their way to the schooner
They got alongside her and ordered her crew
70 lump into the boat. The schoonere Grew
obeyed the order. Some OF them were DruiSeu
by the fall, but they never knew tiaS un.n
hours later. Bufeted by tho waters, the nsh0
boat. with its burden doubled started back TO
the steamer Several times the men gave tnem
selves I'M for lost, but their commander, Chel
Officer McThurston, was not dismayed 1t tooh
tho cripplcd boat over an hour to reach the
Pennsylvania.
A few minutes later terrific hurricane sweps
over the waters Ii the rescue had been at
tcmptcd half an hour later, or if the crew OF the
Pennsylyania's boat had put back to the steamer
for another boat, all hands on the schooner would
have been lost. az the schooner went down i1
the hurricane. The PennsylvanIa was Soqga ~
from Philadephia TO Antwerp. She took me
.ra,T % tho Eenauia GNMstney to -Antwssps WhegS-
they shippa Tor this port on the Red star stean9
Balsenland, which arrived here Yesterday mornAne