New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-17
SAILORS SEEK DEATH.
CR4ZED BY SUFFERING.
Tsco of Seren Suroi0e FiUe Days
on Raft off Cape Lookout.

Boston Oct 16-A typical North Atlantic
binv-reck tale. in which eight seamen suffered
- faarfuIly from exposure. hunger and thirst
,st six of them either died outright. were
,rasbed awav or. crazed by their fearful expe-
r5a,ce hurled themselves into the sea. was
brought out to-day by the two survivors of the
well known coasting schooner Van Name &
King. Of New-Haven, which was beaten TO
rjeces by a gale off the South Carolina coast
October q.
The two men who lived through the FIVE days
and were rescued by the schooner Stillman F.
Kelly. which arrived here late to-day. Will
,an? Thomas and William G. Warner both
about tyenty-nine years old. feet inches
tall hsning from Antigua. British West Indies
The SIX who one by one, succumbed were: Cap
tain William A Maxwell of New-Jersey; z. A.
Chase. mate, home unknown; German engi-
neer. name unknown; negro steward, name un-
known: William GrizeI and Alfred Arthur, negro
seaneu both Of Jamaica.
The Van Name & King which has been ply
,ng III and down the coast since 1856, left
Charleston. :. c. for New York October )
with a cargo Of hard pine. Two days later she
ran into a heavy gale. and. after wallowing
about in the great seas for several hours, sprang
a leak The pumps We're started but within a
short time the engine room was flooded and the
pumps choked.
A :
her hold nearly full of water, the little schooner
was thrown on her beam-ends. The crew clam
bered up on the weather side and lashed them
selves to the hulwarls. There they remained
soaked 10 the skin by every sea that broke mer-
cilessly over them all day. constantly on the
watch for some passing vessel.
That night the Storm increased in fury, and one
great wave crashed aboard. breaking Arthur's
legs and sweeping Grizen into the sea Arthur's
companions could do nothing TO ease his suffer
ines. hut when. on October 6. the schooner
turned completely over they managed to cut his
lashings and drag him on to a piece of the after
house Il was several hours before they were
all huddled together on their little raft That
night arthur died in the arms OF Captain Max
well and TO relieve the overloaded raft his body
was dropped into the sea
Sunday October s, craft was sighted. but
she passed by without needing the little group
Of seamen. That night the waves subsided and
2 little rain fell which was caught in a tarpauin
and brought slight relief. It was only temporary,
and not long after E''"Se's mind gave way en-
tirely and the craft again lightened when
he threw himself into toe sea.
The next victim Of the terrific strain was
Captain Maxwell. who on the forenoon of Oc-
;ober 9 became violently insane and followed
his mates example. The spectacle of two men
voluntarily throwing themselves into the sea
proved too much for the German engineer. and
few hours after Captain Maxwel's death the
raft was Tghtened for the fourth time. when the
crazed seaman jumped into the waves.
The last victim was the colored steward, who
died on the raft late Monday right His body
was dropped overheard by the two remaining
seamen. Relief came twelve hours later. when
The schooner StiIlman F. Kelley. bound UP the
coast from Ceylon. Ga, to this port sighted the
"a or
had 10 be taken off in sings, and for two days
were unable 70 move.
The rescue took place off Cape Lookout IN
latitude 1910 and longitude 76:30- The Kelley
arrived here this afternoon, but the sean1en were
sin TOO exhausted to land. They Will come
ashore in a day or two and will probably be
eart home Each OF them lost thirty or forty
T,ounds IN weight in their five days exposure