The Princeton union., 1895-03-14

r - The vessel was on
49, ....' home voyage
49, and nearing the
end and carried cargo of South Ameri.
can products picked up at Surinam,
Guiana, for Boston. For two days and
nights the Witherspoon had scudded un.
der bare poles, driven by fierce gale
from the south. At midnight on Satur.
day, Jan. 10, when the skipper sup.
posed she was approaching Montauk
point, the wind suddenly changed to the
westward, blowing with increased fury
and driving into the faces of the sail
ors clouds Of biting rain and sleet. The
ship was just up from the tropic, and
although the sailors were Of the hardy
seafaring race, hailing from the coast of
Maine, the sudden change of tempera-
ture, falling to degree Of intense cold
nearly paralyzed their frames The
night was indeed terrible for the hardi-
est men, the worst Of that long storm,
memorable as the iercest in many years
on the New England coast.
Toward morning the captain saw
light on the starboard bow, which his
reckoning told him should be the we'll
known beacon of Montauk point. His
ship then must be outof her true course.
Swinging her off to the eastward, he
soon brought the light on her port bow.
Driven now by the gale almost direct
astern, the ship dashed on at frightful
speed, and couple of hours before day
struck heavily upon reef in the midst
of breakers. The shippers reckoniugs
were sadly at fault. Instead of Montauk
point, which should be west of him on
the left as he was sailing north, the
light which had drawn him from his
course at midnight was Sankaty head,
on the eastern end of Nantucket island,
more than 100 miles from Montauk
point. The moment she struck the bar
all hands sprang into the rigging, think
ing to put canvas on and work her into
deeper water, but the sails, yards and
lines we're stiff with ice, and the be-
numbed sailors could do nothing to get
the stranded ship under motion. She
rolled slowly under the force of the
wind and sea eastward until her keel
set solidly in the sand only half a mile
from the Surfside life saving station.
There she lay broadside to the beach,
headed east and the seas breaking over
her, dashing showers Of spray as high
as the masthead. A thick coating of ice
quickly formed on everything outside,
SO that ropes, masts and spars soon be-
came double size. Only two sailors kept
their place on deck, Charles Wulf and
another, who was the first to perish on
the i'll fated ship. The others, five in
number, including the captain, took
refuge below, where, in a most terrible
plight, were the wife and child of the
mate.
Very soon after the vessel struck the
patrolman of the Surfside crew saw her
and waved his arms to signal the men
on the wreck and also to arouse the
surf1nen in the station, for day had not
fairly come, and the weather was too
thick for the eye to reach the distance
from the station, about half mile.
Keeper Veeder, who was on the lookout,
saw the patro]man's gestures and the
masts Of the vessel at about the same
moment through rift in the snow
clouds and Immediately ordered out the
crew. Although compelled to haul their
beach apparatus in the face of the storm,
the brave surfmen reached the shore
abreast of the stranded vessel within
half all hour after the wreck had been
sighted, and not more than an hour
from the breaking Of day.
Rescue by means of the surfboat was
out OF the question, as the small craft
could not live moment in the breakers
around the wreck, even if she got off.
The gun was quickly brought to bear,
and the first shot carried line into the
arms Of sailor in the mizzen rigging.
This happened to be Wulf. Calling up
help from below, the line was hauled
away until the whip block was almost
within grasp, when all but two Of the
crew, Wulf and another, dropped away
and went below. The piercing cold had
snapped their strength SO that they were
unable to haul against the current which
bowed the line to the leeward. With
only two men to pull the current drew
the line almost all back through their
hands. The surfmen walked the line
! against the current to slack it, then mo-
toned the sailors to begin again. The
two alone, assisted by the current, drew
the line off until the block was almost
in their hands, when the rope snapped
off. A second line was fred, which the
: men caught, and, aided by two others,
who joined them from below, they haul
ed it off, and the block was once moro
within reach all but few feet. when it
broke again. The cause Of the breaks
was the frozen line which speedily
ohafed in two on the rigging, where it
rested to facilitate the work of hauling
against the dragging current. But the
break was not the worst Of the mishap.
Wulf's steadfast companion in the work
Of hauling at the line stood on deck un-
supported. with the line twisted around
him for stronger hold upon it, and it
broke behind him. The full power of the