The Republican journal., 1903-01-22

Capt Jerre o. Hayes has His Leg Broken
at Sea and Sets 1t Himself. Later His
Vessel is Wrecked and Is Pillaged by


Capt. Jerre o. Hayes has His Leg Broken
at Sea aud Sets 1t Himself. Later His
Vessel is Wrecked and Is Pillaged by
Wreckers.
Capt Jerre o. Hayes arrived home last
week from Beaufort, N. c., after an ex-
perience of unusual hardship at sea, in
Guiding the loss of his vessel, for which he
was in no way at fault, and some transac-
tions illustrating both the good and bad in
human nature. He was in command of the
bark Olive Thurlow, bound from Charleston
for New York with a cargo of lumber Dur
ing severe gale Dec. LIST the tiller ropes
slipped on the drum and the tiller swung
across the deck, hitting his right leg and
breaking it in two places. At one break,
just above the ankle, the flesh was badly
bruised and the bone protruded Capt
Hayes was taken below, and not only super
intended the work but by his own manipu-
lation replaced the bones and put on the
bandages and splints. He made his splints
with jack-knife from some strips of soft
wood on which curtains had been hung in
the cabin. This was done while the vessel
was driving before furious gale. AS soon
as the leg was dressed Capt. Hayes got the
N. c., where he anchored and set signals of
distress. Capt. Howard Gaskill of the Point
Lookout Life Saving Station came off to the
vessel and offered either to take the captain
ashore or to get tug to do so. One tug
came alongside, but her captain demanded
so extortionate price that he was not EN-
ployed and Capt. Hayes went ashore with
the life savers. The bark was then all
right. From Point Lookout he was taken
in sailboat to Beaufort and went to a
boarding house, where he was treated by
the resident surgeon connected with the
Marine Hospital Service The surgeon and
others who saw the leg complimented
Captain Hayes on the skill and nerve he
displayed in performing a difficult and
painful operation on himself. The ac-
cident happened Sunday morning and the
surgeon first saw the leg Tuesday after
noon. Shortly after Capt. Hayes left the
bark the gale came on anew and she drag
ged anchor, becoming nearly total loss.
Before the regular wreckers employed by the
OWutIS COulu ScG W NOlh vi tuc ScooCl d
crew of irregular wreckers boarded her and
carried off large quantities of new rope
from the running rigging and some un-
broken coils and other portable property.
One man claiming to be a wreck-master
called on Capt. Hayes and demanded per-
centage for saving the wreckage, but he
was informed tibet the vessel was not aban-
doned, and until she was he had no official
business with her. The captain of the tug
whose offer had been refused wrote to the
authorities and tried to make trouble for
Capt. Hayes, but of the witnesses whom
he cited some knew nothing of the affair
and others contladicted his statements. In
contrast with these Capt Hayes speaks in
the highest terms of the treatment accorded
him by Capt. Gaskell and by Capt Albert |.
Lewis, underwriters agent at Beaufort,
both of whom did all in their power for his
comfort and to protect his interests from
the sharpers. He is now at his home on
Bay View street, where he was seen by
Journal representative, and found to be in
his usual good spirits, although somewhat
uneasy under his enforced illness, condi-
ton foreign to his active disposition.