The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-11
THREE VESSELS ARE LOST
Now There Comes Report Of Five
Basted Schooner Thrown Upon the
Beach and of a Great Glittering Pas
senger Steamer Fighting for Life
Dangerously Near the Shore.
(By the Associated Press.l


Norfolk, Va, Oct. 10.-the Virginia
coast from Cape Henry to Dam Neck
Mills, twelve miles south, is strewn with
the wreckage of ill-fated craft tonight.
is cut off, but it is known that three
vessels have been wrecked and several
lives lost within that distance today. and
the last report is that a five.masted
schooner has been thrown upon the
beach while brilliantly lighted passen-
ger steamer is laboring very dangerously
near to shore with a terrific gale from
the northeast fighting her efforts to make
the open.
Of the large ocean-going coal barges,
Ocean Belle and Georgia, nothing Is now
left except miles of wreckage on the
shore, and of the crews that named
them the fates of only five are known.
Captain George H. Adams and Seaman
Charles Peters are drowned while Joseph
Peters. Peter Lopez and NJ Payne owe
their lives to the herosm of Surfman
Charles Capps, life-saving station No. 2.
All these men were on the Ocean Belle
and when this barge was dashed ashore
the waves swept her decks clear of rigging
and crew. Capps plunged successfully into
the raging surf and after desperate strug-
giles brought all three men to land. The
fate of the Georgias crew is unknown
but little hope is held for their safety.
Both barges were in tow OF the tug
Richmond and the tug is missing.
The three-masted schooner, Nellie w.
Hewlett, Captain Gheem, lumber laden
from Pensacola. is a total wreck on the
co; st thre" miles from Dam Neck Mills.
Captain Gheem and his crew of six men
are safe at the station but their rescue
was accomplished only by acts OF bra
very on the part of the life savers. Four
attempts were made to launch the srrf
boat and thus reach the ship, rapidly
pounding to pieces on the bar. and each
endeavor was repulsed by the sea.
The surf guard then with double charges
of powder in the Lille gun succeeded in
dropping a line over the vessel and orc
by one the crew was hauled ashore
through the surf.
The last train from the coast arrived III
Norfolk tonight at o'clock and brought
1000 people back from the scene. At that
time large fve-masted schooner was
reported in the surf between Virginia
Beach and Cape Henry and near her
| big passenger steamer with lights shining
in every port hole. seemed to be fight
ing losing battle with the northeast
gale that was blowing her towards the
breakers.
The wind at the cape is over seventy
miles an hour and the surf is pilling over
the sand hills and back into the main
land.
At the Norfolk navy yard the cruiser
Olympia is in dry dack with her bottom
plates removed and steadily rising tide
is creeping insh by inch up the outer side
of the caisson. At high tide this morn
ing it reached within six inches of the
top The winds change to north VII
n axe the food tide this midnight much
higher and grave fears are felt for the
cruisers safety should an overflow occur.
The terminal piers of the Norfolk and
Western. Southern and Atlantic Coast
me in the outer harbor have been badly
damaged by the wind and the tide in the
big pleasure piers at Ocean View are de-
stroyed
Hundreds of small craft have come
ashore in the harbor.
Norfolk city has experienced a gale of
from forty to fifty miles all day, and be-
sides flooded streets much damage has
been done. For the greater part of the
day the city was cut off from the outside
world.
Newport News, Va, Oct. 10.-The tug
Richmond arrived here tonight with the
crew of the barge Georgia, which is ashore
at Virginia Beach.