The sun., 1896-12-10
SWEPT ny A GIANT WAVE.
The Fishing Smack Mascot Loses Two o
Her Crew.

Her Crew.
The Fulton Market fishing smack Mascot
came into port yesterday afternoon without
five OF her dories, her fiEurehead. ono skylight,
and one man, all lost week ago last night,
when she was wrestling with q West India hurri-
cane that churned up the waters of the Atlantic
of Cape Hatteras. Skipper Wesley Robinson
looks philosophically upon his losses, and when
asked to give an account Of the big storm that
came SO near overwhelming his little craft, he
remarked: Yes. it was q big storm. but then we
expect such things in tho Gulf Stream at this
time OF year" When he warmed up to the
narrative, though. he said it was the biggest
blow he was ever in. and that there were times
when he didn't feel O bit comfortable like"
The Mascot is one of the largest smacks sail
ing out OF this haroor. She is q broad. substan-
tial schooner. eighty-two feet over all, measur-
ing seventy-seven tons. Two weeks ago
yesterday, with q crew of fourteen. all told. she
left Norfolk. Va, for the Gulf Stream, to angle
for bluefsh for tho last time this season. The
fishermen had only fair success. and on Sunday,
n week ago. a nor'-norwest course was laid and
the Mascot started for home. On Sunday night
1t breezed up bit. but only enough to send her
gallopinR merrily through the water. aud
Skipper Robinson sat on the deck house and
hoped the breeze would hold out He was not
in communication with Farmer Dunn, and
didn't know that q well-developed hurricane
was after him, whoopinR aud bowling as II It
meant to strew the whole Atlantic seaboard
with tho bones Of the Mascot and her crew.
On Monday. the 3oth. the breeze increased to
half gale that whipped up the sea- and by dark
1t was blowing great guns and giant seas were
running. Sail had been shortened In the day
and tho Mascot had slowly fought her way
homeward against wind and sea, but at about
10 O'Clock the bllows were tremendous and
the gale so fierce that the skipper gave up the
fight and hove to under dou uble-reefed foresail.
She was then in the Gulf Stream OFT the North
Carolina coast. and 1t was eighty-sx hours be-
fore sail was made again. and the Mascot re-
sumed the homeward journey. 125 miles south
west OF the spot where she had been hove 10. On
Wednesday morning the fury of the gale be-
The Mascot WAS built for heavy weather. and
all day she rode the mountainous sea: like n
the elements decided to make n final attempt to
swallow her up, II was 50 black that a man
out OF the bIsckness came a cry of warning
from the lookout but almost with the cry ca me
huge wave that smashed IN over the bows of
the smack, bringing the tRurehead with 1t. and
that had been lashed tightly to the deck: The
skylight was smashed and the cabin filled with
water. Skipper Robinson WAS at the wheel,
and standing beside him, Just aft Of tho COM
and Jack Anderson. At the warning yell OF the
lookout the skipper grasped the spokes Of the
men ' ran for the life lines but before they could
reach them the mountain of water waS on them.
and they were swept into the sea.
The little craft staggered under the blow. and
she won't down In tho deep trough OF the
great wave II seemed as II she could never
como up again. But she shook herself free and
rose to meet then ext billow. AS she rose
Hough. who had been washed back to her.
caught hold of the taffral and was pulled on
board. Anderson was never seen again. For
nearly f1ve minutes, It seemed, the cries Of the
then ceasel
was nothing for those the smack to do.
Their dOries were gone. and II they had
had them the little boats would not have
lived minute In the furious sea- and the night
was so black that even with u moderate sea
the man could not have been found. All that
Skipper Robinson could do was to keep the
Mascot's head to the sea and hope that more
such waves would board her.
On Thursday the gale abated and the sea went
down. The Mascot was :hen seventy-fve miles
of HatterAs. Skipper Robinson set a little sail
and started for home once more, arriving yes
terday without further incident