The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-05
HARD FATE OF PATRIOTS,
THEIR STEAMER SUNK WITH ITS
PRICELESS CARGO.

Story of the Wreck, as Told by the survi,
rs--Meavy Loss in Arms and Anuni.
Observation-Disclosures of the Rescued Par.
ty.
New YORK, Jan. 2S.-Seventy OF
the survivors of the alleged filibuster-
ing expedition which sailed from this
port on Jan. 26, on board the steamer
J. w. Hawkins, were landed in this
city late this afternoon by the tug Z.
B. Dalzell. The men. composing the
party Immediately separated on arriv-
al, and it was impossible at the mo-
ment to get details as to the founder
ing of the Steamer of Montauk Point,
as reported from Vineyard Haven,
Mass.
The captain of the tug Dalzell says
that while cruising off the highlands
this morning he was hailed by the
schooner Leander V. Beebe, bound
from Baltimore for Boston. The
schooner's captain reported that he
had picked up 70 men who were in
eight life boats, while on his way up
the coast, and requested that the Dal-
zell land them in New York. The
men were transferred to the tug, which
brought them to the city.
The tug was commanded by Captain
Harry Denise. He reports that he
was lying off Long Branch early this
morning. looking for a tow. At s
o'clock he sighted the three-massed
schooner Leander V. Beebe from Bal
timore to Boston. An American flag,
inverted, flew from her rigging and
the Dalzell ran up and hailed her.
sThe schooners deck" said Captain
Denise tonight, "swarmed with men
in all stages Of undress. Wretched-
ness was written in every line of their
faces. Very few wore mats, some OF
them were without shoes and nearly
all were minus coats.
"What price do you want to take
70 men into New York2" shouted the
skipper of the Beebe.
II told him." continued Captain
Denise, land we made the bargain. |
ran up alongside and after an hours
dangerous work, got the 70 men on
the Dalzell. After the tug got under
way it was agreed that I put one man
off at pier s, North river, and did so.
He said he was a gunner. l did not
catch his name. None of them made
any secret about their efforts to reach
Cuba to fight for her freedom. The
most detected man on board was an
old man, who told me he was Calixto
Garcia, and was in charge of the expe-
dition. He was accompanied by his
son, Carlos. Garcia seemed COM
pletely broken down. He said that
the Cubans had played one of their
strongest cards of the revolution in
sending out this expedition and that
more than 5000, 900 worth of arms and
ammunition had been lost by the sink
ing of the Hawkins.
He then related to Captain Denise
the story of the wreck. He said:
1--WE loaded the steamer James w.
Hawkins for the expedition of Port
Morrise. All day the matches were
closed and nobody ever had any sus-
picion that we had thousands of dol
lars worth of arms in her hold. All
the work was done at dead of night.
We sailed Friday night and went out
by Long Island Sound. We had ex-
ceIlent weather until Sunday, when
it began to get rough. On Monday
morning early the vessel sprung a
leak. The waves and wind just open
ed her seams. Pumps were manned,
but they soon choked with coal and
became useless. Then the men got
buckets and bailed for their lives. The
water gained inch by inch and finally
coal went overheard, and then costly
arms and ammunition. 1t broke our
hearts to throw these arms away, but
we had to keep the vessel afioat some.
how. Gradually the Hawkins settled
down at 11:30 o'clock on Monday
morning we took to the life boats and
deserted the sinking steamer. Half an
hour latter after the Beebe hove in
sight and took us on board. At the
time the Hawkins went down she was
As miles south southeast of Barne-
gat and the sea was very wild"
Captain Denise said that the men
saved nothing but two valises filled
with United States bank notes. These
were in the possession of General Gar
cia.
The Hawkins was making some Wa
ter when she left port, and when she
encountered the rough weather out
side with a heavy sea, she filled in
about 20 minutes. Those on board
had barely time to get into the steam
er's boats. One of the boats was pick
ed up by the Benedict and her % occu-
pants taken to Woods Holl, where
they embarked by train for Boston
and New York. 1t was reported by
those rescued that the steamers true
destination was Cuba, and that her
cargo, consisted of $4,000 worth OF
ammunition, one gun on board hav-
ing cost $4,000. They were, without
doubt bound on filibustering expedi-
ton to Cuba. The fourmasted schoo-
ner Alicia B. Crosby, Newport News
for Boston, fell in with another boat
from the steamer about 60 miles south
east by east of Sandy Hook lightship,
which contained % persons, but owing
to the rough sea only 13 were saved,
the other 10 being drowned. The
Crosby land the 13 survivors at Woods
Holl this morning, and they left on a
train for New York this afternoon.
Another vessel, three. .masted schoo-
ner, picked up rs of the survivors, and
it is supposed put back with them to
Delaware breakwater. The men would
say but little. There were three Amer
leans among those at Woods Holl, the