The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-01
LEFT CHARLESTON

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Vas Wrecked Two Days Later Off
Cape Lookout. Two Sailors,
Who We're Saved, Tell
KoraibIe Tale.
C!!nging to a piece CT Wreckage
With the fast failing strength OF their
weakened bodies which had known
Nd nouriEhment for five days, their
throats shame with a thirst OF FIRE,
Hheir burning eyes blinded by the salt
y the sea, and their minds tortured
uy lie memories OF the self dessruc.
tioL of their hunger maddeIed sh:a
mates, William Thomas, aged 2s
and William E. Warner, also 20. botn
colored and members Of the c..ew Of
5be three mssted schooner Ntnnans
and K:rg, were picked up CT C@p-
Lookout, after being FIVE days airlft
on a raft, by the Stillman T. K7lly, a
schooner which arrived as Boston
Sune days after being wrecked.
The boston Globe says such tale
as these msn told is unparalleled IN
fiction. No sturdier craft had clssr
ed the pnrt Charleston that day
and no :,.p2i=c crew had set sail with
prospects Of a brighter voyage than
when the VanGame and King; Capt.
William A. Maxwell, lumber loaded
aud bound for New York, hoiSted her
canvan to the fresh blowing breeze on
Tuesday, October 8, and headed
oceanward.
The schooner was speeding along
under full sail when on Thursday
norning, October 5, the first signs Of
an approaching storm were noticed,
Next Gay at daylight it looked pretty
biack. blacker than sailor likes to
see it, and there was an u0comfor:a
Die feeling among the cficers and
men which ncne tried to conceal.
Brig her down to short sail, " the
captain belioTed, and this was done.
A noise Ike the bursting Of huge
soda tank fell upon their ears with
the splash Of tremendous wave.
To the pumps, all hands, and
quickly tot.' Tbs voice Of the cap
tain was drowned in tie tumult OF
wind ard water, but each man under
stood and jumped to his post.
The struggle was uEcaasing Until
the craft was caught in the trough OF
the sea, and hove on her beam ends
Tee lie boats were swsp5 away
though they had never been.
No word Of command was needed
for these men for each made for a
hold on the Weather side" that part
which was out Of the water. The
grips CT the eight pairs OF stout hacds
were nothing in the face OF the gale,
for the next wave loosened evsry
mans hold and swept one poor fellow,
William Gsizz'll, into the hocd.
Here's ny knife" said the Cap
tain, ':cut yourself rope from the
nal!iards and make yourself fast to
rigging. 1t was with difficulty that
the shiny. bit Of steel was handed
from nan to man, but no cue faltered
and each cut himself line and lashsd
himself to- the Stsoch spars.
Night came and went, and not a
man dared loose his held. Prayers
ana curses, grim jokes and tender
words Of encouragement, bot no O, Q
stirred. That afternoon when hol e
mad vanished from every heart, the' e
came another wave bigger and greater
than all others, and the schooner was
dashed to pieces.
The lumber that had filed the craft
doated, and made support for the
men, but only one portion OF the deck
about 10 feet square, was really
enough for a raft. Oae OF the sailors,
Alfred Arthur, hose leg had been
broken in three places, had thrown
himself upon this, and for four hours
the others houndered about in the
water It'll they finally reached his
side.
Then came the voyage Of ssckenirg
terror, the maniacal demands for
water and food from those whose
minds had left them under it's terri
bic strain; the grouDdless hopes OF
men who could not believe that theit
life was to be taken from them.
ct was awful, awful" said Warner
as he looked across the mess table to
Thomas, whose eyes answered with a
CLEAN thst was hall Of sadness and
hall Of we'll rem mbered agony.
Both these men are the specimens
OF the best type Ct the British West
Indies colored men. They are natives
OF Antigua, British West Indies have
received a fair education, know hoa
20 express themselves clearly and show
tnat when in the full possession OF
their faculties they are as husky as
the huskiest Of Sailors.
The storm began" Warner con,
tinued, Thursday morning, but It
vas Friday night that the schooner
began to leak SO bacly that all hands
became alarmed.
'Toe captain called the engineer tc
him about 10 that night, and said
You'll have to work the electric
pumps when the engineer said, It's
no use csp'n; the engine room is ful
Of water.
at midnight the captain decided
to run her fore the sea to ease up the
strain. We hadn't taken that course