The record-union., 1899-02-15
Feared That the Fourteen Persons Occupy
Ing Them Have Been Lost.
The Men Rescued From Boat No. 2
in a Pitiab1e Condition-Three
Of Them Had Their Feet and
Legs Frozen Stiff, While the
Others Were Badly Frost Bite
ten.

SAVANNAH (Ga-), Feb. 1.-two
Mfeboats laden with men from The
wreck of the steamship William Law
renee are still missing, and it is fear-
ed that the fourteen men who eubark-
ed in these boats have been lost.
The steamer Lawrence of the Mera
chants and Miners Transportation
Company, plying between Baltimore
and Savannah, struck on the rocks ofc
Hilton Head Island, S. c., near the
Port Royal bar, on Saturday morning,
as told in these dispatches last night,
She is now a total wreck.
The crew stood by her for nearly
twenty-four hours, but when the ship
began to break up Captain Willis gave
the order to take to the boats. The
sea was running very high, gale was
blowing, and it was bitter cold. The
Captain was the last man TO leave the
ship, and it is said that he chose the
poorest of thel boats.
Boat No. /, in charge of Second As+5
sistant Engineer Morrissey, with seven
men, as stated last night, made Paris
Island, where the Government naval
station is situated, on Sunday morning.
Boat No. 2, in charge of Second Off
Ger r. A. Beale, contained, besides
Beale, Chief Engineer Reach, Steward
Frank Dingle, First Cook Harry Kel-
ley, Quartermaster Oscar Bowler and
Seamen Jack Montgomery and Charles
L. Green. These underwent a most
terrible experience. They found il inn
possible to make land, and as darkness
fell on Sunday night the cold became
more and more intense. They were
benumbed, wet, hungry and exhausted.
The freezing spray was driven almost
through them by the piping winds. By
lucky accident they located the sea
buoy off Port Royal bar, and by an
almost superhuman effort managed to
catch to it, They made it fast to the
boat and spent the night there, where
| they We're found Monday morning by
pilot boat and taken aboard
Boat No. 3, under First Mate l.. E..
Hooper, and boat No. 4. under Captain
Willis, are still missing, with fourteen
men. In Hooper's boat is First Engi-
neer L. e. Harper and in the Captains
boat is Quartermaster Assistan; An
drew Burgess. The names Of the 9TH
ers cannot be ascertained.
Agent CarO1an, at this place, to-day
sent the tugs Cynthia and MacCauiey
to the scene of the wreck. The Gym hia
returned late tonight, and reported
that the Lawrence is broken in two,
and that nothing could be seen or heard
from the two missing boats.
The passenger steamer Clifton this |.
morning, en- route from Beaufort, was
hailed by the pilot boat having on
board the rescued crew of No. boat.
They were transferred to the Clifton
and brought to this city. The men were
in a pitiable condition. Chief Engineer
Roach, Steward Dingle and Second t,r-
ficer Beale had their feet and legs
frozen stiff, and their hands were frost
bitten. The three men may lose one
or both feet. Thel other men were frost
bitten in both hands and feet, but not
so badly as the three men named. No
story could be gotten from them, ow-
ing to their suffering.
The wreck lies within few miles
of where the passenger steamship
City of Savannah was wrecked in the
West Indian hurricane of 1893.