The record-union., 1897-01-22
Was the Napuma Chaplin, From Balti-
more for Boston.
Her Entire Crew, Together With
Woman and Child, Perish TliSer-
ably Within Sight of Hundreds of
People, Who Could Do Nothing to
Save Them, Owing to the Huge
Waves Which Beat Upon the
Beach.

QCOGO r (L. L., JAN Al.-IHe Iilee-
maSted schooner Napuma Chaplin, Cap
tain Arey, of Rockland. Me-, from Bal
timore for Boston with coal, was lost
within 800 yards off shore at this place
early this morning, and her crew Of
nine men perished miSerably within
sight OF hundreds of men and women,
who could do nothing to help them.
The vessel went ashore at o'clock.
She pounded higher and higher upon
the hard sandy beach. Then with a
crash she went to pieces, and one by
one the nine sailors ON her, who could
be plainly seen clinging to her rigging.
We're engulfed with the wreckage, and
died within hailing distance of the life
saving crews ON shore.
1t was raining hard when the Chaplin
came ashore. 1t was not exactly foggy.
but the rain was thick and a sort of
white mist enveloped the face of the
ocean, and hid from view even the tops
of the huge waves as they came tum-
bling in A stiff gale was blowing
from the northeast. The surf was unu-
sually high, and the waves beat upon
the beach with great fury.
The storm was at its worst when the
NI6ch OccuTTbu. lie say IIletl
1T was the worst storm that part of
Long Island has known for years. The
patrol from the saving stations were
on the beats. Suddenly above the roar
came a faint, shrill cry, full of mean
ing to the practiced ear of the patrol
for it was the wailing of fog horns that
sailing vessels carry. Then through the
darkness flashed a vivid light, the glare
Of a rocket. For an instant the whole
mist disappeared as though the curtain
was brushed aside, and coming madly
before the gale the men on the beach
saw a three masted schooner, her sails
in shreds, beating in hard upon the
beach not 400 yards from shore. She
struck the bar, and then careened over
on one side.
1t was the work of but few moments
for the patrol to give the signal to the
station to which they belonged, and in
a few moments the life-saving crew
was on it's way to the place. A rope
was fired from the mortar. The men on
the vessel could catch the ropes but
they could not secure them to the
schooner. The storm was at its worst
and the maSts of the vessel were swing
most every dip.
The vessel in the meantime had been
made out to be a three -masted schoon-
er. She was, ait daybreak, within 800
yards of the shore, and beating in fur
ther every minute. The life-savers and
those on the beach could make out
nine men in the rigging. Six of the men
were ciinging to the foremost rigging
and three men were ON the jibboom
The life-savers did all in their power
to get assistance out to the doomed
men, but 1T was impossible, and final
ly at few minutes before o'clock it
was apparent to all that the end was
near ait hand. The vessel had been
sinking, and her decks We're all under
water. Only the masts and jibboom
end. to which three of the men were
clinging, could be seen.
With every wave the men on the jib-
boom were buried i'm the sea and hidden
from the sight of the watchers on the
beach. AT last a huge wave came along
and when it passed over the jibboom
one man was missing. He was never
seen again. Other waves swept over
the ship, and five miutes latter another
man was swept from the jibboom and
but one man could be seen clinging to
the spar He held on to the last. In a
few minutes the mizzenmast came
down with a crash, and at the same
moment a cry from the six persons in
the rigging of the foremast told those
on the beach that it was all over
In a few moments great quantities of
wreckage began to come ashore. The
name of the vessel was not known up
to that time. but upon the wreckage
that came ashore her name was made
cut
At last it was seen that two of those
who were clinging TO the rigging of the
foremaSt We're not men, as had been
supposed, but that one was a woman
and the other was a child. 1t was sup
posed that the woman was the wife Of
the Captain of the schooner and that
the child was theirs.
The wreckage showed that the lost
schooner was the Napum Chaplin. The
Chaplin was a vessel of 800 tons burden
and belonged in Rockland, Me. She
was commanded by Captain Arey.
About an hour after the foremast
went down a mans body was washed
ashore with the wreckage. From the
dress it was surmised that he was
either the Captain or the mate of the
vessel. The papers of the vessel were
now for miles is strewed With wreck
age of the vessel.
rrucCacr TN porrr1