Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-22

N"oiieiu' VI NorioIk, is tod In the fol-
lowing interesting way by the New
york World:
captain and crew Of the three masted
schooner Oliver Schofeld, lumber laden.
from Norfolk, We're rescued by life
savers off the shoals of Lavalette. N.
j., after their craft had been driven in
shore wreck by the northeastern which
caused havoc along the Jersey coast.
Escape seemed impossible for the i'm
periied seamen. waves high as the
crosstrees of the ship overwhelming
her, while the hurricane flung back the
me which the iitesavers trled again
and again TO shoot across the wreck
ne seas We're so high that attempts
10 launch the lifeboat were abandoned.
liali dead from exposure, the seamen
were at last brought ashore in the
breeches buoy and revived in the life
saving station.
The Oliver Schofeld had fought
against stress OF weather since leav-
ing Norfolk. She was commanded by
captain a. SpraGuc and manned by six
seamen. Not until the last of his men
had been saved did Captain SDracue
leave the wreck. The Schoneid was 1893
gross tonnage, $50 feet long, 3l5 feet
beam, l4.5 feet draught ana her home
port was New London, Conn.
she began going to pieces soon after
! Is strewn with the wreckage and lum-
Der from the schooner
Inc lookout at Life Saving Station
NO. lS, near Lavalette. first sighted
, the schooner shortly after 2 O'Clock.
she was vainly endeavoring to work
mo oeep water in the teeth of q 60
mile gale. The seas were breaking
over her deck and her sails had been
hauied down to the last reef and it
was pain to the life savers from the
iirst that the schooner was ut the
mercy of the tempest and could never
get out into the open after once hav-
ing been driven so close in shore.
where she must pound to pieces in
the breakers. The sailors could be
seen working desperately 10 warp the
schooner about. losing ground at every
tack. An alarm was immediately
sent to stations Nos. - and ii for
rclnforcemer,s to save the crew.
The life savers made ready their gun
and hauled +, along the beach as the
schooner beat slowly along the shore.
but as surely in shoreward the bar
lathered with combcrs. The tempest
increased in fury toward SHUTDOWN.
until the wind had attained a velocity
of nearly 10 miles an hour.
About 100 feet beyond the outer bar
as nearly as could be seen from shore
the life savers, the sailors could
be made out through the spray Juggling
at the anchors One was cast. held
for an instant, and then the cable
parted with a snap. The second and
| last was let go. bul did little to retard
the shoreward progress of the vessel.
Every stick of canvas had been blown
away or taken in, and the schooner's
course was on Il line with the wind,
which was blowing from the eastward.
| From the moment the anchors were
let so the life savers watched with
straning eyes. They saw the sailors
clinginG to the ropes.
Fifteen minutes later the schooner
was won by the tempest into the outer
breaker line and was doomed. Almost
at the same instant her last anchor
cable parted. blast caught the
| schooner as she rose on an unusually
| heavy sea, and she shot forward rap
idly. The parting Of the cable proved
to be fortunate. however, for the outer
bar could not hold the Schofield and
| she plunged into deep water between
the inner bar and the beach Seas 20
feet high were rolling over the bar
and ii was on one of these that the
schooner had been lifted. Had she hit
the bar and remained there nothing
could have been done to save the
crew. as the lifeline Would not have
carried. The Schoneld drove broad
side on and grounded so far off shore
that the life savers feared even then
the line would not carry against the
tempest.
They nevertheless began to sink
their shore anchor and the nthe lines
were coiled ready and the firing gun
called into play The first shot went
wide of the mark. New range was
taken, but the tempest drove the mis-
| sile and the line fell yards short of
| the schooner.
To the sailors. who had taken refuge
.,c. Aal,l
| issue was one of life or death. They
| chung doggedly in the shrouds while
the life savers waited for the wind to
moderate. The gun was made ready
| for firing and a man stood ready to
| take advantage of the least subsistence
| OF the tempest. The wind held strong,
| however. and every minute lessened
| the chances of rescue. as the schooner
| could hold together but little longer.
| IT was decided 10 make another try.
| The gun was fired and the missile APP
| peared to hit the deck of the schooner,
| but it slipped back before the sailors
| could secure ii. Instead of abating.
| the gale increased. ana at times the
| schooner was on her beam ends. But
| time she rose on the seas they dropped
| her Il few feet further inshore. Time
| after time the lfe-lines darted from
| the gun, poised in the air for a min
ute. then hung in the tempest and
| dropped into the sea.
! The life-savers redoubied their efforts
and at last, by some strange play of
| the winds. the line scared over the
| doomed ship and settled clear across
the decks. The sailors tumblcd out of
| the rigging and fell across the line. An
instant later it was drawn taut. it
| held. Iife-savers and the scamen
| worked madly. The crew, being an
American one, knew the working OF the