Evening journal., 1898-11-07

the oars and by the steersman in the
stern, another line was used to send
down the men from the ship
Each man, slung IN the center Of this
rope, was hauled through the water in
most cases to the boat and then tum-
bled in over the bow. 1t was a slow
but safe process, as the result proved.
for by 8 o'clock every man. as far as we
could see, was safe on board the Mer-
ritt.
"The force Of the gale and height OF
the sea may be best understood by the
fact that although only 230 fathoms OF
hawser separated the Teresa from the
Vulcan the watchers on the latter ves-
sell owing to the heavy seas. driving
rain and spray were only able to see
the boats OF the rescuing party at long
intervals when they came out OF the
trough Of the sea. The Merritt herself.
although a splendid sea boat, was bur
led IN the trough at times so that only
the ends of her mastheads We're visible.
THE first boat lowered made in all
four round trips between the Teresa and
the Merritt. and the second made three
trips. 50 that TO rescue all hands the
boats had to make the passage through
those heavy comblng seas IA times, and
compllshed the work. Lucky indeed was
Il for those rescued that the boats were
manned by past masters at the oar and
helm.
For two hours men with axes under
the direction OF the executive officer,
had been stationed aft, ready to cut
away at a moments notice the lines
that held the hawser in case the Te-
resa should founder during the trans
fer of her men. Every Vulcan man
watched the great ship with an anxious
eye as she plunged 'forecastle mead un-
der the head seas clear to the turret,
coming out again with the water
streaming from her hawsepipes and
showing the heel of her ram above the
next big sea. Forty-four shipmates Of
theirs were on board the doomed yes
sci. and II was yet a question whether
their rescue could be effected before
dark.
Heavy rain squalls beat the seas
down little at this time. but the wind
blew harder than ever. Struggling for
n foothold on the Teresa's rickety
bridge. her signal man, Crossett, wig
wagged to the Vulcan at o'clock:
Don't cast off the tOwline yet Two
more boatloads will clear the ship. We
replied, AN right; will hold on until the
last
High up on the bridge, silhouetted
against the leaden sky and bracing him
self against the fearful rolling of the
Teresa as she wallowed in the seas
stood the man at the wheel. He was
alone and probably the last person to
leave his post, for It was not until the
final boat was receiving it's quota Of
men that he lashed the wheel, came
down the bridge ladder and went aft to
leave the ship.
1T was not until II minutes past 8,
when Lieutenant Blow and his officers
were certain that the last boatload had
been taken off, that the order was given
to cut away Two blows of an ak sew
cred the lines. and as the links Of the
chain bride ratified out through the
stern chocks the Vulcans crew, led by
Chief Engineer Gardiner c. Sims, Unit
ed States navy. gave three ringing
cheers as a salute to the stars and
stripes flying as if in defiance OF the
elements at the Teresa's backyard and
also to the bravery Of the Merritts men
who had made such a gallant rescue Of
their shipmates.
Twenty minutes later 1t was so dark
that the Teresa was only black speck
against the horizon, and at O'clock
nothing but the lights on the Merritt
and Leonidas could be seen, while the
gale howled and the sea rose higher
than ever.
THE Leonidas left the scene of the
wreck at 4 o'clock on Wednesday. eight
hours after US. She makes eight knots,
we ii /"