Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-13

Night III the Search.
Cape May, N. j. Feb. 1.-THE hui
of an unknown schooner, which w
burned at sea off this place last nigh
was floating about in the ice fe
miles off shore this morning
The crews of five lifesaving station
went to the assistance of the burnin
vessel last night, but, after being OF
until 3 o'clock this morning, they ga,
up the attempt to reach her, and rowe
back to the shore. Most of the crew
we're compelled to land at Angelse;
where the harbor is protected, the hiaV
wind preventing them from landing d
their stations. The night was VEIL
dark, and the ice was so thick that
was almost impossible to forec tn [
boats through it, The fire was brightes
between and IL o'clock last night.
Seafaring men here advance x
theory that it became necessary I'll
abandon the schooner, and that th /
crew were taken off by passing vessel
Before leaving under such condition
the captain may have dropped anchor
and set fire to the ship, 10 order to rel,
move her from the path OF passins
craft. N
THE CREW MIssfRG. N
Delaware Breakwater, Feb. II. -.lFho'
tugs Sommers N. Smith ind Juno
which left here last night to go to thi
assistance of schooner on fire at sea-
returned at o'clock this morning, and
reported that the vessel was a twol
mast schooner. Both anchors were
down, and the schooner was solid
mass Of fire. She was burned to the
waters edge, and it was not possible
to learn her name. The burning vessel
was about two miles off Cape May.
She was apparently loaded with grain
or soft coal, and was old.
After leaving the blazing ship, the
tugs cruised nearby for two hours,
searching. for the crew, who were be-
lieved to Iie afloat in u small boat. Al
though they sent up Il rockets, their
search was not successful, and both re-
turned.
The steam pilotboat Philadelphia ex-
| tended the hunt until daylight, but
saw no sign Of the missing crew.
sEAncRRNs "HAI.LY EXHAUSTED.
Atlantic CITY, y. j., Feb. II. Tho
crow cs the Cold Spring Lifesaving
Station returned nearly exhausted at
daylight today from their search for
| the crew of the schooner on fire off
Cape May.
The men were on the ocean in q
small boat nearly six hours, and they
suffered much from TIE cola.
Cape May, N. j., Fnli. II. Tho lif
savers from the stations Il, Cane MAY
Cape May Point and Tro Nila Beach
| who returned &c their homes Today, tell
graphic stories of tl!ci. long and IN
awaiting struggle agaiast tbs elements
in their effort to lend assistance to thcI
crew of the ship burned of Cape May
| last night. The night was about the
| coolest Of the winter, and the darkness
was almost inpenctrable. IN addition
| there was wind enough 10 make tho seal
| chopfy and, therefore, dangerous for
small craft. For several days grea
| quantities of 10. has been floating out
Of the nelawa-. Bay, ana this is,
| packed along III" shore and extends
several miles out to sea.
The burned schooner was first oh.
| served on fire about . o'clnck yesterday
afternoon. Al tiat time she appeared
i to be imhedde,; in the drifting ice
The three l,fasavlng crews from thisO
locality wora Joined BY the crews from
! two stations north of here, and these
! men ha;tlcd for hours in fruitless
endeavo7 10 penetrate the ice and gcJI
to the assistance of the limperilledI
crew Of the blazing ship. Their efforts
were in vain, however, as they were
unable to force their frail boats
through the packed ice. Long after
midnight the brave men gave up theil
| battle against the elements. and re
turned to shore. Their suffering wasa
intense. One of the surfmen from this
city, Enoch f.. Roseman, was found to|
be badly frozen, and he was carried in
an almost unconscious condition from
the beach to the station, where medical
assistance was rendered.
All during the night residents of this
place lined the beach, and watched the
burning ship through marine glasses.
When the fire was at its height, the
flames leaped high into the air. Today
smoke is issuing from the hulk, which
appears to be drifting in the ice. The
schooner was first seen about six miles
off Cape May Saturday night 1t j.
believed she was then caught in the
ice, which finally started leak and lee
the captain to set fire to the ship ant
abandon her
Don't think less OF your system than YOU do,