The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-01-31

breeze. Mate
MoAuley had
climbed into the
.@ %1 rigging to keep a
lookout for the
lights of the Highlands and Sandy Hook
beacons, which he supposed to be not
far away. The fog and darkness COM
bined were so thick that he could not
see the length Of the vessel. The only
sign to tell the mariners their true po-
sition was the roar of tremendous surf
caused by the breaking of long easter
ly ground swell upon shore, and that
shore was the outer bar off the beach of
Long Branch, although this the men
on shipboard could not divine. The
bark sailed slowly under light canvas,
making west course. AT 9:30 she
struck on the bar, $50 yards from the
bluff, and all hands quickly sprang on
deck and tried to head the vessel off
shore. The wind was SO light, however,
that she wouldn't move only as the sea
lifted her higher and higher upon the
bar. In that position the waves broke
over her, gradually swaying the hull
until it lay broadside to the sea, receiv-
ing it's full force. The bulwarks were
quickly torn loose and carried overheard,
and the tons Of water coming down on
the decks stove them in, showing those
on board that the ships doom was seal
cd, though they fondly believed she
would hold out until daylight
The sailors could do nothing but try
to save themselves. The halyards were
cut to let the sails run down, fagots
made Of oakum soaked with oil were
lighted for signals of distress, and the
men took refuge on the highest part of
the deck preparatory to launching their
boat The wreck lay off the bluffs where
they rise 25 feet in height, but not even
these nor the houses upon them could
be seen, except through an occasional
rift i'll the fog. No answer coming from
offshore to their signal torches, the sail
ors gave up all hope of summoning help
through that means. The boat was their
last resource, although its chances in
that wild surf were not much better
than those of the wreck itself While
they were loosening tackle and getting
out the oars q tremendous sea swept
over and carried it away, breaking the
davits like pipe stems. Life lines We're
then strung along the deck, and the
men, believing they were doomed to
night of it on the wreck, took refuge
upon the cabin roofs and the rails on
the port side, which, owing to the list
ing OF the ship seaward, arose so,ne feet
out of the water. AS hours passed on,
realizing their extreme peril, they from
time to time hallooed at the tops of
their voices, hoping to attract the at
tention Of some one at the houses whose
dim outlines they had seen early in the
evening. These forlorn cries at last pen-
etrated the cluster of cottages on the
bluffs of the west end, Long Branch.
One Of the occupants aroused his house
hold and hurried to the beach, where he
lit a fire to encourage the men whose
voices he Had heard out at sea. At the
sano time watchman at the West End
hotel, hearing tho Same cries, hurried
to the Long Branch life saving station
a mile below the wreck
Notwithstanding the admirable sys-
tenn OF beach patrols sent out by the life
saving corps, the presence of the wreck
had escaped their attention. At that
point Oh the beach the patrols are COM
PEELED to walk along the bluff because
the sand shore is broken by series of
jetties extending from the bluff out be-
yond low water mark. In dark and
stormy nights travel is slow and also
hazardous along the rows of piling which
form the jetties and act as a breakwa.
ter. On the night of the wreck of the
stovis the patrol passed southwark along
the beach, but there were no sounds from
the sea to warn him Of danger until near
midnight when he was far to the south
Of the scene, with the wind blowing in
his face.
The hotel watchman alarmed the sta
tion at 2 O'Clock, and Keeper Green,
with all his crew and the beach appa-
ratus, reached the spot where the fire
was burning on the sand alta quarter be-
fore o'clock. The dim outline of sails
and spars could be seen through the fog,
but there was no sign Of life on board |
the wreck. The first shot line was fired
from the beach mortar at O'Clock, and |
fortunately it fell across the maintop,
where the active mate, McAuley, climb
ed up and seized it, passing it into the
hands of those on deck The masts were
already swaying terrifically before the
mate sprang aloft, for the ship was fast
going to pieces under the power of the
sea.
Hardly had McAuley left the tops
when the mainmast and forenast togeth-
er fell with an awful crash that sound
ed on Shore and seemed to those there
anxiously watching the fate of the ship
like the rattle of musketry. AS soon as
the mast came down the stern Of the !