New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-07
CARRIED AWAY BY A BIG WAVE
THE FIRST NATE OF THE sCHooNhn ,O
r. MAY LOST-A THRii'LiN" r>i
ENCE FOR THE CREW

.s s.booner John +. May came
into this port yesterday morning one ' 80 Hat
after a thrilling experience IN s'ie o .osance
,aros Rut for great good luck ana 'ne ,e',
y, ,,,rd NJ one Of the crew there "ouu nav" 49,
Vi -" - ,oon carried over the bulwarks Oh '"e
assa, II was big wave that bore away ~ ~
the first mate. William Nugeht' 49,, o
The schooner left Jacksonville ntteeh uaya "eo
uitb a heavy cargo of yellow pine iuhoer' an" 49,.
Thursdav afternoon ran into a severe gaze ''i",
,, forn tho northeast For time the NeSse'
do moor progress against the howhng gaze
Toward evening the deckload OF JolS'S u w
carried began TO work loose ana ap'" 10
,o,,h: decided to heave to until they couid De
made fast. - H.. .ho riob,
,ad fairly settled down, the May was hove TO on
tho mort tack SO she lay pitching ana toSshs
noinfully all that night When morning came ''''
gale still continued. Nothing of special import
ance happened until about o'clock that morning.
Ar that time double reef was taken IN the lotesa'i
and in the spanker and a single reef IN the mum
coil While John Edwards a coored man, was
engaged in putting blocks under the uecA'oau ~
steady it. suddenly. without the least "arhhs d
mountainous wave loomed up on the port sue
of the shin and fell In one great mass upon the
dock II smashed hole eight feet square In the
deck. tore away the starboard rail- swept win II
tho mainsail the boom and the gaf and in the
midst Of all this wrcckage went the Hrsl mat
over the starboard rail he vanished IN the swift
ing sea before the sound OF the dealehihS crash
had fairly died away Robert Gaskins. the second
mate was standing near the wheel and just as ne
himself was bowled over he the unfortunate
man go over the side Of the ship. Near by MIN
q, IN. wheel ST 1od the captain. The water sweep
ing aft covered them both and bore them toward
Tho rail but Caskins managed to grasp the wheel,
and groping blindly with his other hand ne seized
the captain's coat Just in time to hold him back.
In another instant the wave had gone over the
vessel and Gaskins struggling TO his feet with
shout seized a line and cast 1t over to the star
board where ne had last seen the first mate. IL
was in vain TIE line did not grow taut The
mate was never seen again
Edwards the colored man. had narrow escape.
The wave threw him up against the belly of the
sail and into the miZzen rigging. As he fell he
struck the starboard rail and. luckily for him.
bounded off onto the after house. This he clutched
wildly and as the violence of the wave was spent
managed 10 hold on Edwards is an exceedingly
black negro but he is sure he turned Whlte at
that moment. When Tribune reporter saw him
covered from the effects of his fright; He trem,
bled yisiby when he spoke of his danger. and
when he walked he limped painfully from the
effects Of blow he got on his leg he doesn't
N''i Been foown in deep sea foh ten yeahs-nebbah
see no sech wabe's dat befoh-nebbah, he said
shaking his head.
Captain burroughs said that the that car
red away the mate and did much damage to
the schooner was Of the nature OF tidal wave
1t without the least warning There were
no especially big waves just before It, He says
II must have been as much as thirty feet high
The schooner lay TO until Sunday morning
August 30 and then the crew rugged a storm
trysail and the vessel proceeded to this port
William Nugent. the mate who was lost. was IS
had sister living In New Brunswick and had fol-
lowed the coast for many years