New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-12
FIFTEEN SAILORS DROWNED.
TWO CREWS SWEPT TO DEATH.
TWO VESSELS LOST WITH ALL ON BOARD
on THE NEw-JERSEY COAST.
THE KATE MARKEE AND THE ALBERT W. SMITH
DRIVEN BY THE GALE INTO THE BREAK
ERs OFF THE HIGHLANDS AND SEA
GIRT-INEFFECTUAL EFFORTS
OF THE LIFE-SANERS.


OF THE IIFEsAvERs.
| Highlands y. j.. April 11.-Shortly before
| o'clock this morning when the storm was at It's
height the atmosphere thick with peting rain
and snow. and the wind. blowing a hurricane,
| was scraping up great cOmbers that beat with
terrific fury on the Jersey coast. the operator at
| the Highlands station OF the Jersey Central road.
\. II. Bernadon. saw three-masted schooner off
| shore laboriously working along under trysails
in the course usually followed by vessels making
| for Sandy Hook. bound n-northeast by east,
half a point east. In sight, in such weather,
| meant in danger. and the operator, without walt
ing to see the unfortunate schooner overwhelmed
| by the breakers, notified to the marine observer
at the Hook to Lfe-Saving Station No. l
| that n vessel was coming ashore. This was done.
| and Captain Patterson OF that station. using the
| telephone connecting the various llfe-saving sta
tons which are about five miles apart, informed
| Station No . at Sperm City Cove. five miles
| nuearer the scene Of the threatened wreck and
then set out with four men,. lie took Captain
| J. W. Edwards with crew Of eight men from
| Station No. 3 who were hauling their apparatus
| toward Highland Beach
| Meantime Bernadon watched the schooner. She
| was carving a forestaysail and foresail under
| three reefs. and the man at the wheel seemed
| oblvous Of his danger. At o'clock when the
crew was doubtless changing watches. the sea-
men evidently discovered their danger. for the
spanker was run up and the schooner was worked
around close into the wind and headed Off.
BLOWN INTO THE aREAKDRs.
There was chance for her STILL but suddenly
she swung back and it was seen that the
| spanker was torn 10 shreds She was being
blown by the seventy-mile gale directly into the
breakers. Speeding on. she was halted only
| once and then for but minute. II looked as
! though one OF her anchors had been got over
| for as she brought up. her stern was again
blown around shoreward The hawser must have
parted. for her bow gave way under the pressure
of her forward canvas and she came head on
10 the beach All hands could be seen clamberlng
aIoft. She had hardly got ashore when the life
| savers were on the scene. They had brought
| no boat None could live in such a surf They
| cot their ufclines and guns ready. one was hred.
| b,t the line parted. Another line went over the
| schooner and hung over the stay between the
main and mizzen masts. Two men were In the
| mizzcn shrouds but they could not get to the
limo Another lin, fell over the stay between
| the main and fore masts. Three more OF the
,,ckloss sailors were In tho foretop. but they
| could not reach the line. Three others OF the
| crew were clnging to the bowsprit The DOW
| ~, tho schooner was fast put under the power
| l,Ff fha
| - side and pounded against the beach lurch
| 10 starboard broke the port stays ana 'ne
shrouds OF the mizzenmast. and another iurch
carried that stick by the board puihns 0''e main
| topmast along with It.
LOST ~ THE ROARING SEA
-r.o ,,,., v,ho had been I'm the mizzen shrouds
| wore not seen again. AZ this point captain ~
II Yves, and seven men arrived from the He
| Se.b
| south Although ne had secured a team Of horses
- helm him along wi,h his apparatus. he mad
| hoon unable To- get It 10 the wreck. The seas
| were breaking h!gn over the long stretch ot
| beach which Hes between the ocean ana the
Shrewsbury River. along which the Journey had
10 be made. and ca atan West said that 1t was
| "a much as his men could do 10 look out Tor
| themselves.
Just as he arrived at the wreck the mainmast
and the forcmast OF the schooner succumbed' and
went over the port side; as the forestry held.
their weight broke Of the bowsprt and the last
man had been washed into the roaring. seething
breakers. Only two reappeared: one was big
and powerful man. and had been seen jumping
! from the bowsprit as it snapped oh. He fought
desperately to gain the shore. and got near
enough TO get footing waist deep. Another line
was fired at that moment. and he might have
been saved but none were left. three being the
outfit number of a station. and the two not
parted were tangled in the wreckage Of the
schooner Another comber broke and the man
disappeared. one other man was seen clinging
To one OF the masts. His strength gave out, he
| let 60. ana not again seen
THE WRECK KNOCKED TO PIECES
The fury of the storm continued with unabated
| violence. and as with 'he rising tide the bulk
| of th,. ill-fated vessel was lifted higher the
shelving beach. under the bombardmcnt Of the
seas It began to break up. Heavy pieces Of the
| bulwarks. sections of the decks and matches,
portions of her cabin and broken spars were
| thrown high on the beach. Some Of these frag-
ments weighed tons. while other parts of the
| wrcckage. smashed To finders. We're heaped up
I'm piles Of kindling wood In less than two hours
after the schooner went ashore only a portion
Of her bow. held together by the bracings OF the
| forecastle. retained any semblance to ship.
This was thrown over on its starboard side. and
on the port side could be- distinguished the name
| Kate Markee.
No bodies came ashore They were carried
| out by the under tow. which is extra strong
when the wind is inshore. With a change Of
wind some Of the bodies of the luckless crew
| may be washed upon the beach.
| The Kate Markee hailed from Cape Ann,
whence she was carrying paving stones To Phila-
| dephia. She was commanded by Captain Daniel
Handy who. IL is presumed. was trying to make
| a haven when his vessel came onto the beach.
| The schooner was owned in Fall River She was
| built in 1850 at Bath. She was of 5O377 gross
| tons 142 feet in length 80 feet beam and IA feet
| depth
| EIGHT SAILORS LOST OFF SEA GIRT.
| Just off the Beach House at Sea Girt. In the
| early hours Of the morning. the three-masted
| schooner Albert w. Smith went hard and fast
| on the treacherous sand Of Squan Beach and was
wrecked Every board was lost. The
Smith took the beach In the midst OF the storm
| at o'clock In the morning. The men Of Life
| saving Station No discovered her and tried to
| rescue the eight men who could be seen on her.
| Several attempts made to shoot the line
| 81, ocros, bar rrhey fai iIed several times The