The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-23
OIL SAVED
SHIP AND CREW
The Captain Remembers
the Biblical lnjunc=
ton in Time.

tered hnlk on tho North Carolina const,
WIS saved by the oil with which their
vesssl was partly laden. This tale Of ship
wreck and rescue was given In the advices
from Chicamicomico Beach yesterday.
Fenrs had been entertained ever since
Che Minnie Bergen weighed anchor that
she would meet the great hurricane. She
was one Of ths few vessels whose voyages
to the South would place them directly In
the track OF the blow.
The lost schooner halls from Philadel-
phia where she is owned by J. G. Davis.
The vessel is total loss.
There arc few II any instances on r,cord
where chip las been driven by furious
sea high on desolate beach, and where.
despite the raging Of the elements, which
made her obstruction only matter of a
few minutes, her crew have all bcen saved
by the contents of her hold The wreck
of the Minnie Bergen Is unique and will
likely live long in tho memory Of Philadel
phia's marine fraternity.
Captain Bolman encountered the hurri-
50
sailing to the south of the Delaware capes
Although 1t was but the fringe OF the
storm Captain Bolman's long expert
ence taught him that something moro SER
ious might soon be looked for
Thore were only afew hours to wait
when theimpending gale burst upon the
devoted little craft with unpre"edent fury.
Its direction was from the northwest a
bal quarter. as it would drive the i'm peril
ed schooner toward the coast
The head of the Minnie Bergen was turn.
ed toward the sea and her crew worked
hcroical'y to check her lecwny. 1t was all
III vain. Tho drift to end in destruction
had begun. Toward evening on the 18th
Of August 1t had become very apparent
and it was evident that before another
day the schooner must strike the beach
unless the wind changed to another
quarter.
During Friday night the mon woro in
despair. They would have launched a
boat but Captain Bolmar would not con-
sent. Iu answer to their protests he
pointed ssaward, and at the sight Of those
dark, fonming valleys OF water the crew
was silent.
In he meantime the drift continued.
The coast was 100 miles off when day
broke on Saturday. The gale had in q
measure subsidized, but the sen ragged in
fury, occasionally laundering over the
deck of tho schooner in mighty rollers.
Piece by piece tine deck houses, bnlwarks
and lifeboats went by The board. The
foreuost gave way and in its fall oncum-
bored tho vessel with Hrocliage. The
sailors were forced to lash themselves to
tn, rigging. All hope abandoned, they
waited for the inevitable crash.
The latter came about o clock on Sun
day morning. The Minnie Bergen was
driven by "a furious ssa bow on against
long sand spit. separated from the beach
by about 200 yards Of open across which
tho breakers roared increasingly.
After the first crash the schooner became
utterly dismasted. She swung parallel
with the tar and listed to starbnard. leav-
ing her dock at an angle Of nearly 90 do
grees.
The beach patrol at ChlcAmicomico had
discovered ho predicament of the vessel
and the usual measures were ut once taken
to rescue the crew. The lot was shot from
tho mortar and secured, but it was impos-
sible to go ASHORE In the Car from the
height of the waves, which in their break
burisd even the frail rope in tie whirlpool.
Captain Bolman saved the lives Of his
men. So!rcely halt an hour bcfore the
schooner went to pieces he remembered
tho 1900 cases OF oil which mado up a por-
tion OF bis ships cargo. Under his drec-
tion the crew worked frantica'ly to pour
thu lubricant on tho seas, while one omi-
nous tlembe succeeding another told
them that the strained and battered hull
under their foet had approached the point
Of final dissolution.
1t WAS fearful race with death, but
It's outcome WAS salvation. In few mo-
ments tho fierce seas no longer broke. A
long, beaving swell succeeded their fury,
and the life line. high above, showed II
comparatively Gear ROAD to life and safety
Each in his turn the men were drawn
across. Captain .Bolman was The last to
leave his vessel. ScarceIy had ho set his
foot Oh shore when with final crash, au-
tiiblc above tho raging Of tho elements,
the Mimic Bergen was no more. The
only reminders of the disaster are u few
cases of petroleum which the sea has cast
upon tho beach.
Ths Minnie Bergen was three -masted
schooner CT 36D cons. She WAS built at
Milford DEL, in 1889 and was one of the
best kn own of the coastwlse traders. Her
cargo this trip was .U) tons Of coal, valued
at $500; 1900 cnse5 of oil valued at $l,34O;
1872 sleel rails, valued at $5,200 Tho to-
tai value of the cIrgo was $l2,34O, and
that Of he vessel about $4,000.
In addition to the loss of tho Milnio Ber
gen, which was tho greatest disaster dur
ing the day from local standpoint, many
others loss extensive became apparent
Incoming vessels report tho sea strewn
with evidences Of wreck. The Norwegian
steamer George Dunois, which arrived
from Port Antonio on Aug. 20, when tif~
teon miles east of Hatteras passed boon
aud any quantity of small wrecSage scat
tered over m are of several miles. Near
Hat eras Is tho Diamond SI onls ligLtship
No. 90 which had broken from hor moor
ings.
Captain Senloft OF tho Dumois, men,
tiona The sea along the coat as bearing
the widest aspect which he has ever seen.
Luckily and by some strange vagnry of
tie hurricane he escaped q brush with it
and brought his vessel in unchanged.
! Advccs from loves, imply that the
damage Is close to home waters. The
schooner Lem Meta is reported ashore four
miles north Of North Beach AID will like
ly 90 TO pieces She was bound for Chin
coLgne with lumber
Road Needs Attention.