The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-15
Freezing Spray Almost Driven Through
Them by the Wind.
TWO OF THE BOATS STILL MISSING
the Story of Their Hardships.
Some Wished to Com
nit Suicide.

Savannah Ca, February 1.-THE steam
ship William Lawrence, of the Merchants
and Miners Transportation company's line,
between Baltimore and Savannah, is total
wreck off Hilton Head Island, S. c., near
the Port Royal bar, where she went ashore
Saturday morning while helpless because of
stormy conditions, as told in these dis
patches. The crew stood by her for nearly
"a hours. When the ship began to break
up, Captain Willis gave the order to take
to the boats. The sea was running very
high, a gale was blowing and it was bitterly
cold. The captain was the last man to leave
the ship, and it is said that he chose the
poorest of the boats.
Boat No. l, in charge of Second Assistant
Engineer Morrisset, with seven men, made
Paris Island, where the government naval
station is situated, ON Sunday morning.
From that point telephone message was
sent to Port Royal and a telegram to the
Savannah agent, reporting the loss of the
ship. The names of those saved with Nor
risset were given last night.
Had Terrible Experience
Boat No. 2, in charge of Second officer r.
A, Beale, contained, besides Beale, Cnief
Engineer Roach, Steward Frank Dingle,
First Cook Harry Keller, Quartermaster
Oscar Bowler Seaman Jack Montgomery
and Charles l.. Green. These underwent
most terrible experience. They found 1t i'm
possible to make land, and as darkness feil
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 wind BY lucky accident they ioea'ed
the sea buoy off Port Royal and by almost
superhuman efforts managed to eaten hoid
of It, They made it fast to the boat, Whefe
they spent the night and where they were
found Monday morning by pilot BOAT NO
OF Port Royal and taken aboard.
Boats No. 8, under First Mate l.. n.
Boooer. and No. A, under Captain Willis,
are still missing, with fourteen men. In
a,ooper's boat is First Engineer l.. Il. Har-
per, and in the captains boat Is Suart
masters Assistant Burgess. The names oil
the others cannot be aScertained.
Tugs Sent to Scene
Agent Carolan, at this place, under or
ders from President Jenkinson, or the Mer-
chants and Miners company, at Baltimore
today sent the tugs Cynthia and McCauiey
to the scene of the wreck. The Cynthia
returned to port tonight and reported tha'
the Lawrence is broken in two ana tha'
nothing could be seen or heard from the
two missing boats.
The passenger steamer Clifton this morn
ing en- route from Beaufort was hailed by
pilot Boat No. g. having on board the res
cued crew of this boat. They were trans
ferred to the Clifton and brought to the
city The men were in pitiable condition
Chief Engineer Roach, Steward Dingle and
Second officer Beale had their feet and legs
frozen stiff and their hands were fros'
bitten. They were taken to hospital In
carriages and the report is tonight that
each may lose one or both feet. The other
men were frostbitten, but not SO badly as
those named. No story could be gotter
from them on account of their suffering.
The Hero of the Night
It appears, however, from their dis
concerted remarks, that Sailor Green was
the hero of the terrible night. Some of the
men. crazed with cold and pain, wished tc
commit suicide, but Green told so many
funny stories, sang many comic songs and
could see so many light houses on ap-
preaching vessels which did not exist, that
the spirits of the men were kept up, ano
none jumped overheard Green and his
sailor companions, including the crew OF
Morrissetts boat, are now being cared fol
in one of the best hotels of the city.
Agent Carolan will leave the city early
tomorrow morning on the tug Cambria tc
renew the search for Captain Willis and
Mate Hooper and their boats. 1t is posi-
BILE that they have escaped to one of the
sea islands. Telegraph and telephone
wires have been down since early Sunday
morning, making communication very slow
or cutting it off entirely.
The wreck lies within a few miles of the
spot where the passenger steamship City
of Savannah was wrecked in the Wes
Indian hurricane of 1898.