Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-04-12

Two Schooners and Their Crews Lost In
 the Gale and Great Damage Done All
 Along the Coast-The Efforts of the Life
 Savers Were In Vain.
 MANASQUAN. N. J., April 12.-The fu- rious gales and high tides which have pre- tailed left their mark all along the Jersey roast. Along the Jersey Central railroad to Toms River the high tides have done enormous damage, and the sea has over flowed the shore and formed little lakes for a considerable distance. The beach far down the coast is strewn with light wreck age. The wind has blown full gale all day, the high seas roaring and pounding and foaming with mighty rage.
 In the height and fury of the storm the three masted sch ooner Albert w. Smith was driven ashore at point midway be tween SeI Girt and Manasquan. In less than half an hour after the vessel struck she was pounded into kindling wood by the seas which broke over her. What was left-a portion of the hull-was carried up about q quarter of mile south of the life saving station.
 Eight men, it is said. composed the crew of the Albert W. Smith, not one of whom has been seen since their boat was wreck ed. and it is unlikely that any man of that crew has survived to tell the tale of his eX- perience in the awful gale.
 Story of the Wreck.
 The wreck was discovered by George w. Green of the 'Squan Beach life saving sta- ton. Captain R. F. Longstreet and two or three of his men went out from the red building which serves as the headquarters of the station to the spot where what was left of the schooner lay The wind at that 
 ing along at the rate of 70 miles an hour. The sand which it lifted up cut the flesh, and it was with difficulty that the party could keep t heir feet.
 All along the beach was scattered the wreckage of the ill fated craft and her battered hull was rolled and splintered with every pillow that broke over it. The beach for 100 yards was foam crusted, and the surf as far as the eye could see was q mountain. rising and falling with fear full roar. Captain Longstreet related the following story of the wreck:
 Green went out to cast his eye down the beach early in the morning during the hlinding snow and when the storm was at Is height He saw the outlines of yes sel which was struggling with the break CTS above the station. Two masts were standing at that time, but there were no topmasts.
 We got our men at once and endeavored to launch lifeboat, but by the time we got to her only one mast was standing. A very short time afterward she broke up. There was no sign of living person on the schooner when we got to her. The wreck drifted with the sweeping current quar- ter of a mile south of the station. In the binding sand and snowstorm we dragged our gun to her and made one shot with a line, but by the time we could get ready to shoot the second time there was noth- ing left to shoot at
 Among the wreckage was the quarter board, and on this was painted the name of the vessel Albert w. Smith.
 Four spars were found on the beach, and it was thought that the fourth spar was probably a part of the wrecked Kate Mar kee, which went ashore near Long Branch.
 The last wreck at this station, according to Captain Longstreet. was that of the schooner Hattie s. Williams on April 20 last. Just prior to that, on the 14th of April, the schooner R. G. Magill succumbed to the furies of the storm.
 The life saving men are on the lookout for any bodies which may wash ashore, though it is not expected that they will do so until the wind abates and the sea calms down.