The daily Republican., 1902-12-23
TRAGEDY
OF THE SEA.
Survivors of Wrecked Ships
Tell Stories Of Horrible
Suffering.

BOSTON, Dec. 22""-Almost crazed
from their sufferings. frostbi,tcn and
helpless, ten men in Il boat have been
picked up by the schooner NanhasSatt
forty~five miles Off Highland light.
Then for the lrSt time il was learned
that the schosncrs Frank A. Palmer
and Louise B. Crary had been in COLI
sion and had been sunk of Thatchcr's
island on Wednesday evening.
The survivors of the tragedy were
landed here. or the twrniy-one men
who made up the two crews six were
carried down when The two vessels
sank, four died during the terrible
three days drift in Massachusetts
bay, and another became insane and
jumped overheard.
With no food or water, their clothes
frozen in solid masses and their boat
being steadily driven before bitter
gale out into the Atlantic. it seems re-
markabe that so many managed to
survive.
The two schooners, both heavily lad
pany and ran into Il strong Northwestern
on Wednesday night. Both captains
put their vessels over toward the Cape
Ann shore for a lee. When off Thatch-
er's island, they split tacks, and finally
both came about at the same time and
unbeknown 10 the captains headed to-
ward each other. the Crary holding
north on the port tack and the Palmer
south OH the starhoard tack and there
fore having the right Of way.
The survivors are inclined to lay the
blame of the accident on ]. L. Smith
of Portland. Me-, mate Of the Crary.
who had charge of the deck at the time
and who went down with the ship.
They are of the opinion that he thought
he could weather the Palmer: but ae
In other similar accidents, the calcula
tiOn was erroneous. The Crazy crashed
into the bow Of the Palmer. The cur
was deep, and it was seen instantly
that there was 10 hope for either yes
sci. Most of the small boats were
smashed and some of the men killed
by the collision. but others of both
crews by quick work launched the long
boat of the Palmer. into which clam
bered the captains of both vessels and
thirteen others.
There was not moment for storing |
food or water in the boat, and the |
rowerS had propelled it only a short
distance from the schoonerS when the |
Palmer went down. Three minutes |
later the Crary disappeared.
Without food and water, drcnchcd to |
the skin, spray freezing TO their gar
mentS becausc of the bitter cold. the
fifteen survivors underwent sufferings
-Four men of the Crary
on Friday lay down in the bow of the
boat, and that night they died. Eleven
remained up till Saturday night. when
Franz Banta went insane and walked
into the sea. The others We're power
less 10 restrain him.
In the three days and half that the
men We're ail0at their boat driftcd
steadily offshorc until at 8 o'clock Sun.
lay morning it WAS forty-iive miles off
Highland light. There the lookout on
he fishing schooner ManhaSsclt caught
l glimpse of the boat, and within half
IN hour the ten men were rescued.
The sailors at the relief hospital have
steadily. They describe their
experience rs II most terrible one. The
!eath Of Ban,n, tho Finlandcr. is re-
'alirI as most pathetic. In his de-
irlum he saw home and Il Christmas
rec and his mother beckoning him to
omc to her over the water. He stepped
'yrr The side Of the boat in response to
he fancied summons 10 walk on the
water and was swallowed uD