The St. Johns herald., 1898-11-12
A SHIPWRECK.

Thinking some of tue readers of the HERALD might enjoy hearing the story of shipwreck told by one, who, many ofthem are intimately acquainted with. pen you tIese few lines hoping you will find space in your columns to pub- fish them.
 On Saturday, Oct. 15, 1898, It con- menced raining and it blew fercely. it continued so for several days.
 On Tuesday afternoon elders Brown of Nutrioso and Jepson of Alpine. who many of my readers know, and n.y. self thought we would go to Redear R little seaside resort on the Eastern coast of England to see the the rough sea. We went to the Central station of Middlesborough, and took the train at PAP arriving at Redear at o'clock. As we stepped of the train someone said there was a vessel on the rocks. We hurried to the beach and there on the rock not more than a mile end . balffrom the shore lay beautiful three mast sailing vessel, the angry waves seemed bent on destroying her. We soon made our way to the Redear pier getting out on the end we could see a little life boat fighting manfuIly to get to the ship, but see her masts are all giving way! There they have gone. But look there, you can see men still on her deck, but alas the life boat is re- turning she is unable to contend with the waves. Some say that al. drowned, but upon looking through my opera or field glasses was able to see men still clinging to her deck. The angry waves were fast making away with the ship, finally all disappeared and We were just leaving the pier thinking all were drowned, when two men were sighted floating in the water with life buoys around them. We rushed back to the end of the pier, and there we beheld eight others floating on wreckage, they came within one hundred yards of us. We threw ropes to them, but they were to far away to reach them and we were forced against our will to see them float on by not knowing whether or not they would reach the shore alive; if they reached it at all. Three of them were standing on a large piece of the deck, the others were on seperate pieces It was one of the most distressing sights ever witnessed. to see men toss- ed to and fro by the angry sea on & small piece of timber and within hal- looing distance, and being unable to help them. After they had passed by the Redesr pier and we saw that noth- ing more could be done, we left pter. By this time thousands of people had gathered to see the dreadful scene,
 Still further up the shore is the Cat hampier, to this place we all went and while there one man was rescued amid the cheers ofthe crowd; but look! there are those three men-before mentioned drifting towards the pier; they have struck it and rope is thrown to them, two have caught hold of it and are be- ing pulled out, but one has lost bis hold and falls back into the sea while the other one is rescued. The cry was given that the pier was going down, at this time there were at least two or three thousand people on the pier and at the cry all ran for the shore, the pier going down just behind them. Elder Brown was on the pier at the time, but fortunately no one received any harm. If they had been a few minutes later many would have went down with the pier. The reason the pier gave way was because the wreckage struck it breaking the iron pillars on which it rested.
 In short time the beach was strewn with wreckage of all descriptions. One body was washed ashore, every means was uSed..to restore life, but to no avail. We walked along the beach among the wreckage where we found pillars. bed- ticks, washtubs and many other things belonging to the sailors, we picked up some Of the wreck so we would have something to remember the day we spent at Redear, not to remember the EhIpwreck, for it was sight never to be forgotten. By this time We were tired and wet through as it had been raining all day, and we also had several waves go over us while on the pier; as there was nothing we could do we went to the station and took the 5:55 train for Middlesborough.
 A. A. Gibbons,
 24 Victoria Rnad.