The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-30
STEAMER GIVEN UP
The Northeastern is Still Crashing on
the Shoals Under the Shocks of Fu-
rious Seas. Her Crew Were Brought
Ashore Over Nine Miles Of Foaming.
Roaring BiIIOws Upon Which the
Surf Boats Were Tossed Like Leaves
in a Gale.
(Ry the Associated Press. )

(Ry the Associated Press.)
Norfolk a., Dec. 292.-After being
imprisoned on the wrecked oil stam-
er Northwestern nine miles off Cape
Hatteras for thirty-six hours. Cap
tain Wilder and his crew of twenty
one men were taken ashore OF noon
today by the crews ofKinnakett,
Creeds Hill and Hatteras Life Savings
Stations.
The big steamer is pounding Dia-
mond Shoals under a terrific sea and
is given up by the crew as total
loss.
In bewildering fog Tuesday night
the Northwestern on her way UP the
coast from Port Arthur Texts, to
Philadelphia or New York, with a
cargo of crude petroleum showed her
prov into the deadly sands off Hat
teras and was fast in the clutches OF
the Graveyard of Shipping before her
crew realized what had happened.
:. This was at II o'clock and beofre
day had come the gale that swept
over the country from the middle
west had struck the sea and waves
were chaShing over the helpless ves-
sci necessarily.
The force of the wind and tide
threw her ON her oprt beam and the
food of water extiuguished her fires
before her inhammable cargo could
become ignited. Had this not been
the case the twenty-one men aboard
the Northwestern would have met q
horrible of the fate with no pos
sible chance of escape
Watching the StramiDg ship.
When the morning dawncd the
wreck was sighted by the life savers
and the weather observatory at Hat
teras. She was nine miles off shore
and the water between was a seeth
ing mass of mountainous waves. No
surf boat ever built could have lasted
guards on the> coast had to stand by
and watch the big ship being pdund-
ed by the waves, as helpless to aid
those on board as the crew was TO
aid itself. BY sundown Wednesday
there was little nope existing among
the watchers on the beach that life
could be sustained aboard the strand
ed vessel, but when darkness came
the gloom was suddenly pierced by "A
faint gleam of light which carried
the message that some OF the vesels
company We're still alive.
Preparations were at once began TO
make desperate efforts in the morning
to reach the ship. The crews OF
Creeds Hill and hinnakeet Life Saving
stations were summoned to the scene
to aid the HatteraS men. During
night the wind diminished.
but the temperature dropped about
twenty degrees and the spray from tht.
waves froze as it was swept across tne
beach by the dying gale.
The sufferngs of those on board the
were terrible during
these hours but the signals burned by
the life savers sent words of cheer
and hope across the nine miles or
angry waves and this morning at sun
UP the hardy life savers began then
= attem"+S To get a surf boat through
the seas that were plunging yiciously Y
against the shore.
Through Appalling Pcrils.
Again and again the staunch lie
boats were sent head-on into the sea
only to be caught up by a monster
wave ana hurled bac on the beach
Human determination conquered the
elements after three hours strue-
gle, and at nine O'Clock three lille
boats, With their brave crews. were
safely across the breakers and battling
with the outside seas on their way 10
the steamer.
When the surfmen reached The
wreck they were confronted with 4
problem of great danger and difficulty
The sea. while it had subsded to some
extent, was still iii an angry mood, and
the little life boats were being tossed
ike shells about the helpless mass Of
steel. Lines were finally strung be-
tween the boats ana the Northeastern
and after much trouble every man
was taken from the vessel in safety.
Six Hours to Return.
Over six hours were consumed be.
Tore the first OF the boats reached
;hore again. The almost exhausted
rev were cared for by the Hatteras
Life Savers and their sufferings from
exposure and the tossing of the ship
attended TO.
No statement could be secured from
faptain Wilder tonight owing to the
act that the coast wires were broken
shortly after the barest facts concern
ng<the rescue were obtained.
The vessel, it is said, VIII be q totaf
oSs.
The Northeastern is p. steel ocean
reight Stea mSflip built in Chicago In
sol and is owned by c. Couuseimah,