New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-19
ABANDONED TO HER FATE.
HARD AND VAIN FIGHT OF THE SCHOON-
Err DEERHILL IN A STORM.
HER CREW AND PASSENGERS TWO YOUNG
WOMEN RESCUED BY THE STEAM
SHIP PAWNEE.

WOMEN. RESCUED BY THE STEAM
SHIP PAwNEE.
The steamship Pawnee. which arrived here
yesterday from Mediterranean ports. brought
with her the captain and the crew Of the three
masted tODsail schooner Deerhll together with
two young women. whom she rescued in mid
ocean December l.. Captain Akenhead of
the Pawnee said that he sighted the Deerhill
on December at about 1890 o'clock. The
Deerhill had sailed from St. John. New Bruins
wick on November 90. She carried a load Of
lumber, part Of 1t upon her deck. and was bound
for Santos. When about week out the schoon-
into a heavy gale from the southeast.
In few hours the gale had developed into
hurricane that swept the seas continually over
the decks Of the vessel This sort OF thing con-
tnued for several days. In the mean time the
ships rudder had been broken. and she became
utterly unmana geable ald fell into the trough
of the waves Everything movable on her decks
had been swept away including Of course. her
deckload of lumber. while her matches had been
stove in and her hold filled with water To cap
the climax Of misfortune the pumps became
clogged and refused to work. the ship rapidly
became waterlogge1. and slowly settled lower
and lower into the water. All this time the
crew had been doing everything possible to
tighten the ships load and 10 keep her head
ing up into the wind. Captain c. W. Burns
directed the crews efforts and he had little
sleep during the week Of awful experiences
Ii only with the greatest difficulty that a
fire could be kept In the galley, and therefore
the crew got little food and only at irregular
intervals. Louisa Burns, the captains daugh-
ter who is only eighteen years old, and Hazel
Merritt the daughter OF the ships owner who
is two years younger. stood the terrible strain
we'll and remained In the cabin all the time
The condition Of the schooner fast becom-
ing desperate In the opinion of Captain Burns
when the Pawnee was sighted. which had seen
the Deerhs signals Of distress.
The Pawnee hove % by the Deerhill for four
hours before it possible to get towline
TO the schooner by drifting small line TO lee
ward. AS the gale had gone down little, Cap
tain Akenhead ordered a boat launched. and
the first officer Of the Pawnee took command.
The boat managed TO reach the Deerhill only
to be smashed against her side The boat ;
crew got aboard the Deerhill with much diff
Guilty and they remained there until the fol-
lowing morning. when the PaWnee got another
line aboard and started to tow the schooner to
Bermuda.
The gale freshened soon after this, however,
and the tOwline parted. As the weather grew
cided TO stand by the Schooner until the weather
moderated. For three days the Pawnee stood
by. and then the gale abated. Captain Burns
signalled that he wished to abandon the sChOOn-
er which was taking water rapidly and the
Pawnee sent another beat. in which Captain
Burns, Miss Burns, Miss Merritt and the crew
Of seven men were taken off The Deerhill was
then abandoned. The schooner was built in st
John in 1891. was Of 3il tons burthen. and was
owned by W. II. Merritt. Of 81. John.