Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-06

Z. The captain OF the schooner, his
wife and crew of eight men were all
huddled together ON the deck-house on
the schooner. A life-boat was sent out
from the British steamship "Rhodesia,"
in charge OF Chief Omcer Jewell, and
they were all taken on board the Brit
ish ship and brought into Norfolk this
morning. In the attempt to hoist the
aife-boat to the deck, after the party
had been rescued, 1t was smashed by
the heavy rolling sea and lost.
B. Captain Bates says that the wreck
of the Carrie a. Lane" Is right in the
track OF vessels plying along the coast,
and is very dangerous to navigation.
Very respectfully,
j. ASHBY WILLIAMS,
Acting in Charge.
The photographer, Washington. D. c.
ARRIVAL At NORFOLK.
The British steamship Rhodesia, Cap
tain Bate, arrived at Lambert's Point
from New Orleans, cargo ladenI for
Hamburg, and bunkered. On board
were Captain J. Z. Skolfield and his
wife, of Bath, Me-: Mate c. Van Lipe-
noy, of Philadelphia; Second Mate John
Shore. of Baltimore; Engineer P. a.
keeler, of Baltimore; Steward c. E.
Jones, colored of Baltimore, and Sea-
men George Dolman, Ernest Johnson,
Joe Lops and Charley Albert, all col
ored, OF Baltimore, being the officers
and crew of the Inflated schooner Car
rie a. Lane, an 500 ton three-masted
vessel, Mailing from Bath, Me-, owned
by w. D. Sewall, and lumber laden
from Appala chicola, Florida, to Noank,
Connecticut.
THE VOYAGE.
Captain Skolfeld and his wife, fol-
lowed by the crew, made their way to
j. NJ. Jordan 6 Co.'s store at Main
Royal Corner, and there the marine re-
porter of the Virginian-Pilot found
them and to him the Captain and En-
glneer told the following story, which
is one of almost Incredible hardship:
Tuesday. September 10th, the Lane
set sail from Appalachicola, with hold
and deck load of lumber, the weather
fair and moderate. Tuesday, the 26th,
when off the north of Tortugas. she
met a northeast gale which soon de-
velopcd into living gale and she was
heave to under double reef mainsail and
storm trysail on, her mizZen mast. At
10 p. M. that night she wore ship and
stood in on the starboard tack until
Sunday at daybreak, when she again
hove to. AT S a. m. the crew slowed
away the mainsail and laid to under
storm try-sail.
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
The vessel fell in the trough of the
sea and shipped an immense sea, which
threw her on her beam ends and shift
ed her cargo and deck load to leeward,
causing her to leak badly. The crew
were put at the pumps, with two feet
Of water in the hold and making free
~, while the trysail was taken in and
the ship put before the wind to right
her, but to no effect. It was the Cap
tain's intent at this time to run into
Charleston and anchor. 1t was found
this could not be done, however The
engineer tried tire steam wreckins
pump. but 1t was out OF order and af-
ter working two hours to repair If. If
still refused to suck water During this
time the vessel had steered about 60
miles west by south and west, south
west. She then had TX feet Of water
forward and feet aft.
At $3.50 p. m. she went on her beam
ends again, filling the cabin and
smashing the boats, thus cutting off
escape by them. The main and mizzen
masts We're then cut away and She
riGhtcd. IT was attempted to get near
shore with the foremost, but at 10
o'clock she went over again and the
foremost was then cut away. The miz-
zen mast had broken off fifteen feet
above the deck and 9rt midnight the
captain dashed his wife to this stumn
and the men dashed themselves to the
rail to prevent going overheard. The
awful seas caused the declS-load to
break and thus lightened her q bit.
PASSED THEM BY.
All hands then burnt torches. About
2:30 n. m. a steamers lights were sight
ed The stars and stripes had been
set n-down, the national distress
signal and this steamer bore down on
hnr until near an0Ioh ho 10
see her red and green lights and sa-
loon lights, she being, 1t is thought by
the crew, a passenger boat. Her saloon
was plainly visible, as also her two
smokestacks and general rig. and the
distress signal must have been plain
ly visible In the glare Of the torches.
She, however, passed on her way and
officers say they will hunt her down
and give her name when found
a LINGERING HOPE.
They kept torches burning all night.
but saw no more vessels. The seas
were by this time continually breaking
over them and tearing the vessel IN
pieces beneath them. Provisions were
scarce and water there was none save
in the steam boiler. as 1t was impossi-
BILE to get forward to ge. any and the
casks aft had been washed away. One
divided among. the ten and n few cocoa
nuts found in the cabin furnished
milk to drink.
! a SAIL SIGHTED.
Il. Monday night at shutdown sail was
Sighted to southwark and in answer to
signals She cama. within two hundred
yards and waved the Spanish flag. She
was q small brig. She kept away about
a quarter mile to windward and laid
~. n M i