The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-10-19

life and death struggle in the turmoil
Of waters pouring in cascades over ev-
erything upon the ship Offering refuge.
Yet six of the seven managed, after
frightful struggles, to lay hold of some
thing above tide. The seventh and the
unfortunate one was the master of the
crew. He was at extra disadvantage be-
cause he had but one arm. When the
ship went over, he stood in the passage
way alongside the cabin, and when his
companions turned from their places in
the rigging to view the scene on deck
they saw him struggling to climb the
mainbOOm. His cumbersome clothing
had become soaked, and either for that
reason or because he WA caught and held
by some weighty object he soon ceased
to move. On Wen the tug, beating
against a furious wind to get the wreck
into calm water. When the lifeboat
pulled alongside the PROSTATE schooner,
the surfnen saw two men clinging to
Il horn Of the fore crosstrees, their
bodies half submerged in the sea. An
other was hanging to the main cross
trees, and three We're hanging in the
main shrOuds, which were dashed up
and down with every movement Of the
wreck as the sea sucked under and
around the plunging hull. The body of
the unfortunate, drowned or drowning
below, was not then visible. The men
upon the fore crosstrees seemed in the
greatest danger. A loose timber trailing
by a rope thrashed around them, threat
ening to knock them from their hold.
The boat was steered directly for them,
although it was necessary to row above
the sunken masts and rigging. As the
sea fell away the boat rode upon wreck
age. The rescue was made by the surf
men in the bow, who seized the unfOr-
Inmates and dragged them into the boat.
Unnamed by their terrible sufferings,
the poor fellows begged to be put ashore
Gt once, for fear the lifeboat would be
Capsized and their lives again imperil-
ed. But Keeper De Young declared that
he would save the last man Of them all
or perish in the attempt.
The rescued men were then slowed
under cover in the bottom of the boat,
which pulled around to the submerged
bow Of the schooner. CHANGING over the
wreck, the keeper decided that the man
in the main crOsstrees could hold on the
longest and the men in the shrouds
should be saved next. He told the nan
his purpose. receiving a cheerful assent.
A surfman in the bow of the boat then
threw the painter into the shrouds. but
the men there gave no sign of life. and
it fell back into the water. The next
effort was to attach the boat to the
whirling wreck by means of a grapnel,
but that could not be made to hold.
Boathooks were then resorted to to Crap
pie in the rigging. BY this means the
boat remained alongside in the surging
water until one Of the unfortunates
could be dragged loose and hauled over
the bow. Just then a huge wave caught
the boat and lifted it from the wreck,
loosening the hooks and tearing them
from the surfmen's hands. A second
wave swept the boat around to the stern
Of the wreck. The oars were snatched
up and the boat pulled back alongside.
The man in the crosstrees had meanwhile
worked his way out along the rigging
within reach Of the life savers and was
seized and dragged on board with
scarcely a moments delay. Suddenly a
tremendous sea closed over the wreck
and buried n of the men in the
shrouds completely under water. Keeper
De Young at II ordered his men to
jump after him, for his head could still
be seen. Surfman Van Vredenburg
plunged in, but his foot caught in the
sunken rigging, and he was pitched over
into the sea clear of the wreck. Surfmen
Van Toll and Fisher then jumped to-
gether and brought the man in the
shrouds above water and managed to
lay hold Of the rigging themselves.
They held the man up and also turned
and extricated Van Vredenburg, who
had to tear his foot loose from the boot.
1t had become entangled in the shrouds.
All hands then turned to the work of
getting the helpless and half drowned
men into the boat. Both were uncon-
scious and in their drenched clothing
as heavy as lead. The capsized schooner,
it must be borne in mind, kept steadily
moving on, while the boat was fire.
quently tossed away from her as she
rolled and bounded from side to side,
flashing the water like some huge mon
ster with enormous tail and fins. The
wonder is that the frail boat was not
hurled over or smashed in collision with
the wreck.