The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-28
ALMOST A TRAGEDY
THE SHARPE ENTERPRISE RUN DOWN
At MIDNIGHT
The Clyde steamship Saginaw Cut
Her In Two Amidshfps-Her Captain
ard Crew Saved One Man Cut Out of
III Cabin aud the Others Picked Up
In the Water-Damages S3 200

There came very nearly being a
tragedy Tuesday night about IL O'Clock
on h Cape Fear just below the Dram
Tree, two miles south Of the city.
The Clyde Line steamship Saginaw.
which left the city about 1913 p. m,
bound out, ran into Captain r w.
Gibson's sharpe Enterprise, cut her in
two and capsized her. The sharpe was
turned Yer on her masts and they
held the vessel hard and fast by stick
ing in the mud. The snarple was
struck amidships and the prov Of the
steamer u through her hul and went
through the centreboard ana box, two
feet beyond. i.
Captain Guilford Styron, master OF
the Enterprise, had three other men on
board with him. Captain Styron and
two men jumped overheard when the
crash came but Mr.. John w. Dixon,
of Lockwood'S Folly, the captains SON
in-law, was in the cabin and vas i'm
~prisoned, with the water rushing in OF
him.. When the steamer struck he was
thrown into a heap with packages of
hingleS and it Is miraculous that he
was not instantly killed. The alarm
was given hat he was in the cabin OF
the upturned sharpe and men from
the Saginaw, hearing him calling for
help, cut through with axe and res
cued him from drowning. He had a
very narrow escape in both instances
Captain Styron chung to the biggest
piece Of the sharpe and remained there
until taken off by the Saginaw's crew
Another man was picked up by a yawl
that "a launched from the Saginaw
Harry Pickett, another man VINO jump
ed overheard, swan until he got holC
Of a couple of bundles of shingles and
with one under each arm he floate6
down stream clinging to them. He was
picked up by the. steamer Seabrigbt
one of the steamers Of the Wilmington
and Little River Transportation Com
pany, which luckily anne along a few
minutes after the accident, on her re-
turn from Little River. The Seabright
brought Captain Styron and his crew
to the city after midnight.
The Enterprise plies between Will
mington and Lockwood's Folly, Bruins
wick county, and is used by Captain
Gibson in transporting shingles from
his shingle mill in Brunswick county
She had on a cargo of 80, 900 shingles
about two carloads, n was sailing
up the river on her way back to VIII.
mington from Lockwood's Folly. While
she was in the channel below the
Dram Tree" the wind died out AND
with the tide against her she was be
claimed in the channel when the Sagi
nav hove in sight. Captain Styror
seeing the steamer bearing down OF
him sent one of the men forward to b.
sure that his lights were burning al
right, thinking they would be seen b!
the Saginaw and keep her from run
ming, into him. His man reported tina
both the red and green lights on th'
| sharpe We're burning. 1t was high It'd
on1 fhnr1o fharo yyo no wind 90 Mt a IN
Styron made every effort to steer on
of the channel to get out of the way o
the Saginaw. Captain Fred B. Rice
the government inspector of hulls, wa!
on board the Saginaw when the acci
dent occurred.
Yesterday morning Captain Styrol
and some helpers went down to tn,
scene of the accident to see what o
the cargo could be ave- The mast
had held her fast in the river and tn
shingles that had not floated ava.
kept her afioat. A large portion of tn
shingles had, however, been swept of
by the tide and the river was full o
them. When the Seabright came u
yesterday afternoon she towed tn
wreck of the Enterprise to Messrs. s
w. Skinner & Sons skip yard. TIL
shingles on board will be taken OF
and a survey of the sharpe Will b
made to ascertain If she can be re
paired. 1t is believed though, that Sh
is a total wreck.
The Enterprise was built here 70
Captain Gibson and was valued at 81,
900. The shingles on board were value'
at $500, SO that the loss will be from
$500 to $1,000, including the effects o
the men on board. Captain Gibson
claims that it can be proven that tn,
Enterprise was not at fault and viii
demand damages to the full amour
from the Clyde Company. He ha.
placed the matter in the hands O.
Colonel Thomas Evans, the we'll known
marine lawyer. He thinks, however
the Clyde people will do the RICH
thing about the matter without going
to the courts
The Enterprise vas "a feet long ant
it is said h was the biggest sharpi'
in the south. 1t is said she was al
excellent, seaworthy vessel, capable OF
sailing out of the United States.