St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-09-27

f'-&e miles from m Fire g
o'clock watch was set with every in
centive to make the surfmen alert That
day the crew had taken 81 people from
the British steamship Oliveto, which
had stranded near the station. The cap
tain and four of the crew had chosen to
stay on board, and the life savers ex-
pected signals of distress from that
quarter.
The patrolmen had scarcely separated
on the beach for their lonely tramp up
and down the margin Of the roaring sea
when one of them saw through the mist
faint glimmer Of light ahead Of him,
q mile or SO distant. Hurrying on, he
found that the rays came from the red
port side light of vessel lying ground
ed on the outer bar, 800 or 400 yards
from the mainland. Flashing Coston
light as a signal to the shipwrecked peo-
pie that Their situation was known upon
shore, he ran back to the station to
alarm the crew. He found the keeper
alert and the life savers in harness, all
ready to start out with their beach ap-
paratus.
Keeper Smith had seen the red glare
Of the Coston signal sent up by the pa
trolman and supposed it to be a response
to call Of distress from the men ON the
Oliveto, whom he had warned Of danger
when they decided to stay upon the
wreck. He had summoned all his men
from their beds and ordered the brooches
buoy gear out, because the wild state Of
the surf, which he had already braved
within the "a hours and which had in
creased in violence, would render the
lifeboats perfectly useless All the lines
were stiff with ice and frost, having
been soaked in the operations at the
Ohveto wreck. Once under way the
difficulties increased, but the brave life
savers quickly warmed to their work,
spurred by the recollection of their re-
cent good luck in taking off the Oliveto
people. But the elements may battle
mans most spirited labors. The high
storm tide rolled far upon the beach,
leaving the sand in burrows and holes,
so that even with the aid of strong oxen
the hauling of the cart was slow and
tedious. Not only was the night one of
pitch darkness, but rain fell in torrents
"a freezing rain driven i'll to the skin
by the fierce wind and chilling muscle
and bone in spite of the activity of the
life savers. Impatient at last with the
slow, stumbling gait of the oxen, the
keeper and several of his men placed
the line throwing gun and few articles
necessary for firing it in light beach
cart and set out at full speed for the
scene of the wreck.
They reached there soon after half
past s, or less than 30 minutes from the
firing of the wary patrolman's signal
Fortunately the light still flashed upon
the wreck, and the surfmen were able
to locate the position by known land
marks on the beach. Before the gun
could be rugged out, however, the light
disappeared, but the faint lines of masts
could be- seen against the black wall OF
sky. Just as the gun was secured in
position ON eligible high ground, but
before it could be trained, tremendous
crash was heard out in the sea, a crash
that drowned the roar of the surf.
Then the bold outlines of the wrecked
vessel suddenly disappeared. She had
burst open under the powerful sweep of
the sea, her masts going by the board
together and her forward part going to
pieces Instantly 1t seems that the ship,
which was the British bark Charlie
Hickman of st. John, N. B., had heeled
offshore the moment she struck, and
consequently lay at the mercy of the
storm driven sea, which poured through
every opening and soon filled her hull,
causing tremendous outward pressure
upon the sides as she arose and sank III
the heaving tide. When the break came,
it was complete. Only the stern remain
ed upright, that portion having firm
anchorage in the sand. Upon that, for
tunately, the crew had all taken refuge
before the catastrophe struck the ship,
and there they chung, dashed to the rail
and other upright projections to save
themselves being washed overheard by
the terrible waves.
At 8 O'Clock, with nothing whatever
to guide the aim except recollection OF
aspecter that had stood out in the wlld
surf and suddenly vanished, the men
fred the line seward. Then followed a
painful suspense. Was the wreck but a
mass of floating planks and spars! IL
seemed so, for fragments OF the hull ana
decks and of the cabin furnishings had
been cast upon the shore. With throp-
bling hearts the men watched the line
for an indication that it had fallen
across the wreck. A strong lateral cur
rent swept the blight Of it far out OF dl-
rection, but by and by, slowly and YET
perceptibly, the line crept to the WIND
ward against the powerful current
There was life behind that slowly creep
ing line--life and fellow men upon the
wreck to be saved
Oh, how it cheered those falthlul
surfmen at their almost hopeless TASK
drenched with the freezing Storm 10
know tbat thair ain, had NOT missed 1Or