The Penn's Grove record., 1899-11-03
LOST IN THE HURRICANE,
Lumber Steamer CoIwell Wrecked
and Only One Man Saved.
HIS DESPERATE FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Captain of the Wrecked Vessel fickeo
In at sca-Clung to wrecksge For
Twenty-Five Hours-Thc Crew were
Observation-Disclosures Rescue of the soie
survivor-vessel Split Amidships.

CHAnbEsrox. s. G. (special).-The steam
ship George l.. Colwell, bound from FER
nandina, Fla, to New York City, with soo'-
900 feet OF lumber and a crew of twelve
men. was wrecked In the hurricane twenty
miles north OF Charleston. Captain Johp
II. Gaskill was the only man to escape ne
was brought to Charleston, bruised Il
Ill, on the Clyde liner Nayahoe, from New
York City. He was picked up hity miles
from Charleston, after having dritted for
twenty-five hours on a raft OF lumber
Seven members of the crew were lost when
the steamer was split amidships by the
storm and five others were drowne snort
time later,
When the Colwell left Fernandina the
winds were light and variable. On Mon
day morning, however, the storm proke
and continued to grow in fury. The squan
was heavy and Captain Gaskill tried 70
make for Lookout Light, but lost his bear-
inRs. There was a cross sea and the sup
could not be managed. AT 4 p. m. on Moa-
day the engines were choked and tue
pumps refused to work. A drag cornu-
copia and then a forty-fathom anchor
failed to hold the vessel and she surged
and wallowed 10 the trough OF the sea.
The gangs at the buckets could do noth-
ing.
While working to save the ship a'hign
sea came rushing down, sweeping the deck
load, smokestaek and cabin, and drowning
seven members OF crew. A momen later
the vessel was smashed In two amidsnips
and the men left were tossed INTO the
water. They made frantic efforts to gain
places OF safety on the wreekage. Captain
Gaskill, seeing no others, got on q bit OF
a ~sfk--a.1 o~l k,.~aI - IN vrud EnnHEa1
off, however, and bruised by a driving
stack of lumber, though he swan for other
RATS and fought desperately for a hold;
Time after time he was washed OF, to IND
another raft. For twenty-five hours he
struggled with the sea. He got cold and
weak and had given up all hope OF rescue
when he was found by the Navahoe and
picked up.
Captain Gasklll is unable to give tbs
names of all the crew. Those nerfefnem-
bers were William Murray, chief engineer;
Christopher Rockefeller, assistant engineer;
William Mckenzie, steward; Charles Oliver.
second mate and Nelson, first mate. The
crew skipped from New York City. The
vito OF Captain Gaskill resides at Hoboken,
N. j. The Navaboe came up to the WRECK
age Of the Colwell and Captain Staples
told the men on the lookout to watch for
survivors. In ten minutes Gaskill was
found with the glass.
1.-THE Navahoe steamed near and a small
boat was sent out to pick him up. The
storm was wild and rough. The small
boat was pulled from the steamer, but it
was caught and dashed hard against the
iron sides Of the vessel. The boat was
smashed and life lines were thrown the
crew. After this the Navahoe steamed
nearer to Gaskill and he was taken In With
lines. He is Ill and weak, but not In a Ian
gerous condition. No other signs OF life
could be found around the wreckage,
The Navahoe had q hard voyage, but
weathered the gale without loss or dam
age. Captain Gaskill vas caught in the
August hurricane, but managed to escape
harm.
The George L. Colwell was built at Bay
City, Mich, in 1880. She was 15t feet long
and measured 47 tons. She carried $50, 600
feet OF yellow pine in her hold and on deck.
Her crew consisted OF Captain Gaskill, two
mates, two engineers, two stokers and six
deckhands.