The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-02
GREAT HERoIsM
Sailors Rescued by Crew of Life Saving
Station after Persistent Struggle.

Sailors Rescued by Crew of Life Saving
Station After Persistent Struggle.
Vineyard Haven, Dec. 1.-Sylvanus
Calhoun, member of the crew of the
Gay Head life-saving station. has
reached here, bringing news of the
loss Of the schooners Amelia G. Ire
land of New York and the Clara
Leavitt of Portland, Ne, and of the
captain, mate and four seamen from
the Leavitt and one seaman from the
Ireland. The captain, mate and four
seamen of the Ireland We're saved and
one man came ashore from the Leayitt
on wreckage.
The story of the rescue is one of the
most thrilling furnished by life savers
IN this vicinity in many years, and it
also GlScloses persistence rarely
equaled by members Of such crews
The usual patrol of the shore in the
vicinity of Gay Head was begun on
Saturday evening, and the men were
expecting heavy storm on account Of
the barometric conditions. By s o'clock
Inc northeast gale was upon them, in
creasing in force every moment.
A $50 O'clock through the storm. the
1lashlight of a torch in the direction of
Dog Fish bar was seen by the patrol
man.
The life savers FASTENED to the sta
ton, and Capt. Hayman quickly mus
tered his crew, and in a few minutes
a lifeboat and all the apparatus neces-
sary, drawn by yoke Of oxen. was
soon on its way to the nearest point to
the wreck which was 2l5 miles from
the station.
BY II O'Clock the wreckage of the YES
sci was coming ashore. Nothing could
be seen of her and it was soon appar-
ent that she had gone to pieces. Soon
larger pieces Of the schooner appeared,
and later, elinging to a fragment one
man was driven in and rescued from
The waves.
While the life savers We're peering
into the storm in an effort to discover
another possible survivor, another sig
nal torch was seen from a vessel which
was at that moment almost upon the
rocks. The next moment she struck
but went on in position a little less
exposed to the fury Of the waves
Quickly the lifeboat was run down to
the edge of the foaming surf Then,
with six stout men at the oars, an
attempt was made to launch her. She
was swept back like d chip, and nc
sooner had she struck the beach than
she was picked up by the wind and
blown 20 rods away.
Capt. Hayman then decided to try
shooting line to the wreck, but this
could not be done until daylight. With
the first appearance of dawn the gur
carriage was drawn UP for service
Seven men could be seen clinging to the
rigging of the vessel.
The line was shot toward the schoOn-
sr. 1t fell short The effort was re-
peated, with the same result. Again
the apparatus was put into operation
and again and again until y shots haC
been fired in vain.
Spurred by the sight of the men in
the rigging. and the increasing sever
fly Of the storm, Capt Hayman called
for another trial of the surf boat The
craft was tossed back on the beach
Seven times the boat was launched, anC
the most persistent efforts Of the crew
to breast the waves We're Of no avail
on the eighth trial, however, success
came, and under the tremendous
strokes of the men, the boat was driver
from wave to wave till she reached the
vessel. One seaman had persisted but
the captain, mate and four sailors. wht
were barely alive, were rescued and ia.
ken to the station. The vessel was the
Amelia @. Ireland
The Clara Leavitt was a three-mas
ter of 1897 85 net tons. 127 feet long, anC
was built at Cape Elizabeth. Me, il
1871
The Amelia G. Ireland also was
three-master. She was owned by tn,
Tide Water Oil Company Of New York
and was bound from Bayonne n. J.
to Boston with cargo of oil in tanks
She was of 2T0.31 net tons 124 fee
long, and was built in Somerset, Md.
in 1866. She win be a total loss.