The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-12-26

kor COLLISION Whlcn Resulted IN Jne
Loss of Eleven Lives and Indescrib-
able Suffering of Those Who Were
Able to Withstand the Weather
Boston, Dec. 23.-Almost crazed from
their sutferings, frostbitten and help
less, 10 men in a small boat were picked
I'D by the schooner ManhasSett on Sun
day 45 miles off Highland Light. Then,
for the first time, it was learned that
schooners Frank A. Palmer and Louise
B. Crary had been in collision and that
both had sunk off Thatcher's island on
Wednesday evening.
The survivors of the tragedy were
landed here yesterday. OF the Il 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
while still another became insane anu
Jumped overheard.
With no food or water, their clothes
frozen in solid masses, their little BOAT
steadily driven before bitter gale out
into the Atlantic. and their comrades
dropping away one by one, it seems
wonderful that so many managed TO
survive.
The two schooners were both fine
boats and both being heavily loaded
with coal were making every effort In
the teeth of an adverse gale to gain
Boston harbor. Each had been held
back for some days in Nantucket sound
by head winds, and so when late We'd
nesday afternoon they managed to
double Cape Cod, a strong north
wester had no terrors for either skip
per. Sheets were f1attened for the beat
of 40 miles across the bay, each vessel
making for lee under the Cape Ann
shore. When within 20 miles of
Thatcher's island late Wednesday night
the two vessels, which had been split
ting tacks, came round and headed
toward each other, the Crary holding
north on the port tack and the Palmer
south on the starboard tack and there
fore having the right of way.
The survivors are inclined to lay the
blame of the accident on ]. E. Smith OF
Portland, Me, mate of the Crary, VINO
had charge of the deck at the time ana
who wert down with the ship.
Either he or his steersman thought
that he could weather the Palmer. COM
ing plunging along from the north, but
as in other similar accidents the calcu-
lation was erroneous. The Crary, with
all the weight of nearly 1000 tons of
coal back of her, crashed into the bow
of the Palmer. The cut was deep, and
it was seen instantly that there was
no hope for either vessel. Most of the
small boats were smashed and some
of the men killed by the collision, but
others of both crews iaurei1ea the long
boat of the Palmer, into which clam
bered the captains of both vessels and
10 others There was not moment
for storing food or water in the small
boat and the rowers had propelled it
only a short distance from the schoon-
rs,when the Palmer went down, seven
minutes after the accident. Three
minutes later the Crary disappeared.
Without food and water, drenched to
the skin, spray freezing to their gar
ments because of the bitter cold, the Is
survivors underwent sufferings indie
scribable. Four men of the Crary sue
cumbed for despite the efforts of their
captain to rouse them to action and
prolonged life they lay down in the
bow of the boat, and Friday night they
died.
Eleven remained up till Saturday
night, when Franz Banta went insane,
and, under the delusion that his mother
beckoned to him, he walked into the
sea- The others were powerless to re-
strain him,
Shortly after this the two captains
decided that the bodies of the four dead
men should be consigned to the deep.
They were all In the bow Of the boat.
and bending over them Captain Potter
of the Crary repeated as much of the
burial service as he could remember.
Then the strongest of the survivors
gently slid them overheard.
In the three days and half that the
men were afloat, their little boat drifted
steadily off shore until at 8 o'clock Sun
day morning it was So miles off High
land Light. There their sufferings
were mercifully ended, for bright sea-
man in the fishing schooner Manhas-
sett caught glimpse of the tossing row.
boat and within half an hour the 10
men were in the little cabin of the
schooner.
Each vessel was practically new, the
Palmer being only five years old and the
Crary only three years off the stocks.
The Palmer was the largest four
masted schooner afloat, while the Crazy
was one of the modern five-ma sters.
Postoffice Thieves Sentenced