The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-02-04
FIVE PERISH IN A WRECK
Rescuers Unable to Reach the Bark.
entine Abiel Abbott.
SHIP SOON POUNDS TO PIECES

u 0o1I6nt nSscoo W AAAo-ooS~tS 1890
on the New Jersey Coast 90 sailors
Aaoat On . Ran In Q Raging Sea All
N~ight-Futiis Eaorts to Reach Them
Saved just In Time.
Toms River. N. 1.-The American
barkentine Abiel Abbott. salt laden.
from Turks Island to New York City.
beached Oh Harvey Cedars and went
to pieces. OF her crew Of nine only
four are living. One body is ashore.
the man having been brought in alive.
but he died soon afterward. The bod
les Of the other four have not been re-
covered. The Captain and the three
other men still alive are suffering from
exposure and the injuries they received
BY being knocked about by wreckase.
The Abbott lies well inshore and only
q short distance from the wreck Of the
Spanish schooner Remedies PaSqual,
which came ashore on January 2
James B. Hawkins was Captain OF
the Abbott, j. H. Pierce was first mate
and James Butler second mate.
There were q heavy sea and storm at
night. when. between 10 and IL o'clock.
the beach patrol made out that some
sort Of vessel was ashore on the outer
bar. Efforts were made to so to her
rescue, but although three ~llfe-savinS
crews tried to work out boats. they
failed to accomplish their purpose. Ar
ter the boat had been dashed back on
the beach several times. to the great
risk Of the lives Of the men, the at
tempt was abandoned.
While part Of the men at the station
had been trying to get the boat out the
remainder had made the gun ready to
try 10 get q line across the vessel II
abe worked close enough In. Toward
morning II became apparent that the
craft had worked over or through the
outer bar and had come closer inshore.
She could be made ont tossing high on
the waves at times. Then the gun was
tried. Several shots were fred and 1t
was almost certain that they had
reached. but there was no response
from thu vessel and there was nothing
to do but wait.
wreckage was coming ashore stead.
liz, and from its character the hfe-sav-
ers knew that the vessel was going to
pieces. The heavy rain which was fall
Ing. aided by q change In the tide, be-
gan to flatten the e toward daybreak.
and as the morning advanced the life
boats were made ready once more.
When It became light enough to see. II
appeared that there would be no need
for their use. The barkentine had been
dismasted and was even more COM
pletely wrecked by her few hours
pounding than Is the bark close by AZ
ter three weeks buffeting. For a time
II appeared there was no living thing
on the Abbott. but a little later amid
the wreckage the ~life-savers made out
what appeared to be a larger piece. and
Il was evident that 1t contained men.
When the ~life-savers. after a hard
pull, reached the raft they found Eve
unconscious men. They were dashed
fast. The i've were taken into the surf
boat and landed at Ships Bottom Life
Saving Station. Their Identities, as
well as the names Of those missing.
were agcertained from papers In the
possession Of Captain Hawkins.
Besides the Captain those brought
ashore were Second Mate Butler. Otto
Beag. James Burns and Frank Leaven.
Leaven. besides suffering from cold
and exposure like the rest. wa badly
bruised and his ribs were broken. ap-
parently by falling wreckase when the
masts gave way. He lived only n short
time. The men lost were First Mate
Pierce. Steward Charles Palmer. James
Brandt and Frank Carter.