The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-30

steamer Northeastern nine miles off
ICaptain Wilder and his crew of twenty
one men were taken ashore at noon to-
day by the crews of Kinnakeet, Creeds
Hill and Hatteras life saving stations.
| The big steamer is pounding D;a-
mond Shoals under a terrific sea and Is
given up as a total loss.
In a bewilderiny fog Tuesday night,
the Northeastern on her way up the
Icoast from Port Arthur, Texas, to Phil
Iadelphia, Or New York, with cargo Of
crude petroleum, showed her PROV into
the deadly sands off Hatteras and was
fast in the clutches of the graveyard
of shipping before her crew realizad
what had happened
This was at Il o'clock and before
day came the gale that swept over the
lcountry from the middle-west hao
struck the sea AMI waves were crash
ling over the helpless vessel incessant-
lly.
The force of the wind and tide threw
her on her port beam and the flood of
water eXtinguiShed her fires before
her inf1ammable cargo could become
iignited. Had this not been the case
the twenty-five Elen aboard would have
tchance of escape.
| When morning dawuec the wreck
was sighted by the Life savers and the
weather observatory at Hatteras. She
was nine miles off shore and the water
between was a Sacthing mass of moun-
!tainous waves. No surf boat ever
Ibuilt could have lasted one minute in
90 y,o
coast had to stand by and watch the
i big ship being pounded by the waves
as helpless to aid those on board as the
lcreW was to aid itself.
| By sundown Wednesday there was
little hope existing among the watch
ers on the beach tnat life could be sus-
ltained aboard the STRANDED vessel, but
when darkness came the gloom was
suddenly pierced by a faint gleam of
Hight, which carried the message that
some of the vessels company were still
lalive. =
Preparations were at once begun to
make desperate efforts toward morn
ing to reach the ship The crews Of
Creeds Hill and kinnakeet life saving
stations were summoned to the scene
| to aid the HatteraS men. During We'd
nesday night the wind diminished, but
| the temperature dI opped about twenty
degrees and the spray from the waves
froZe as it was swept across the beach
by the dying gale.
| The sufferings of those on board the
INorthea were terrible during these
hours, but the signals burned by the
| life savers sent words of cheer and
hope across the nine miles OF angry
lwaves and this morning at sun-up the
lhardy life savers began their attempts
to get a surf boat through the sea-
that were plunging viciously against
tha snore.
Again and again the staunch ,ife
IbCats We're sent keadon into the sea
only to be caught up by a monster
wave and hurled hack on the beach.
Human determination conquered the
lelements after a three hours struggle.
land at 9 o'clock three life boats, with
their brave crews, We're safely across
1.-THE breakers and battling with the
ioutside seas Oh their way to the
lstaamer.
When the surf men reached the
wreck they were confronted with a
iproblem of great danger and difficult
Ity. The sea, while it had sUbsided II
is0me extent, was still in an angry
mood and little life boats We're being
tossed like cockle-shells about the
}helpless mass of steel. Lines Were
! finally string between the boats and
1.-The Northeastern and after much troI-
bic every man was taken from the YES
sci in safety.
i Over six hours were consumed be-
fore the first of the sboats reached
Jshore again. The almost exhausted
/ crew were cared for by the Hatte-as
life savers and their sufferings fron,
Exposure and the tossing of the sn.I
lattended to. -: ::
No statement couad be secured fr.n?-
Captain wilder tonight, owing: to IN:
fact that the coast wires were. broken
shortly after the barest facts concern
ing the rescue were obtainef
The vessel, it is said. VIII be tota
less
The northeastern IS a steel ocea1
freight steamship. built N Chic ago. iI
1901, and is owned by =. Counse,man 81
Cincinnati. She 255 feet long. II
feet beam and 2s5 ,,er.h. Her lsree
power is 1S4 indic.s.e1 and Lie Eor:na.
The Northeastern salied .or Tert Ar
thur December Z. from New York. ar-