The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-14
F RTY HOURS.
TWO MEN CLING TO A VESSELS
RIGGING.
Enduring Bitter Cold-They Were Inc
Only Two Saved-They Were
Ready to Succumb When They
Were Rescued.

Fire Island, Feb. 10.-Two men who
chung for 40 hours to the rigging of their
vessel off Fire Island, We're rescued at
midnight by the crew of the Lone Hill
life saving station. The vessel proved to
be the schooner Louis Place. Captain
Squires, coal laden, from Baltimore to
New York. She left Baltimore on Jan. 3
and was wrecked during the height OF
the gale. Nine of the men took to ,he
rigging when the vessel went down, an
eighth of mile from shore. The water
was freezing as it dashed over then until,
one by one, seven Of them had slipped into
the sea, or hung lifeless, bound to the
rigging. Two only We're able to endure
the exposure. They are:
S. ]. Nelson, whose home is i'll Proyi-
dence. r. |.
William Stevens, a German, of Rock
Island, Me.
The rescued men were badly frost
bitten, and it is thought Nelson will lose
both feet. The story of the rescue is a
tribute to the brave life savers who have
for the past two days been making almost
superhuman efforts to reach the wrecked
steamer. 1t was on Tuesday last that
the schooner ran into the gale and 1t
was found that she was leaking badly.
The coast of Long Island was dead
ahead and after careful preparations the
vessel was allowed to drive straight at
the beach. Half an hour later she
touched her nose on the outer bar and a
heavy wave lifted her high on the sand
bar. AS she settled on her side the
waves came furoiusly over her ana
chilled to the bone the men who had
sought safety in the ropes. The HE
savers sent out life lines, but not before
the men mentioned were frozen to death.
For two days repeated attempts were
made to rescue the men.
One by ona the men in the rigging
gave way to the exposure and whtn at
midnight the life sa Jcrs, nnder command
of Captain Baker. pushed their boat
into the surf and pulled like mad men to
the wreck there we're but two ll"cs re-
naming ont of the line. During all
that time the men IN the rigging had not
tasted food or drink. Just spark OF life
seemed to be left in the two who were
rescued. One of them presented a ter
rible appearance. His face, hands and
feet were frozen. He was unable to
speak for several hours. This was Mel
son. His legs were encased in pair of
long boots in which the water had
frozen. Stevens had been more fortu-
nate. He had slipped his boots off and
had wrapped his feet III huge piece ol
canvas.
1t was through his efforts that the sur
viyors had been kept alive. Each time
that Nelson's head sank on his brerast
during the binding storm Stevens would
reach over and pound him into sensibility
again. The latter was able soon after
his rescue to tell the story of the wreck
and the terrible experiences of the two
men. The dead are:
Captain Charles Spuires, 80 years old,
single, Providence, r. |.
Mate Jaiby, A years old, of Norway.
Fritz Ward, seaman, 20 years old,
single, of Norway.
Charles Morrison, cook.
Gus Olesar, 20 years, of Sweden.
August Fuller, seaman.
The bodies of the mate and the Swede
are still dashed to the rigging.
/ The others dropped into the sea.