The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-20
TERRIBLE TALE
OF A SH|PWRECk
North Atlantic Schooner Van.
name and King Was Dashed
to Pieces
ONLY TWO WE'RE SAVED
Six of the Coasters Crew Succumbed
to the Awful Sufferinss the Men
Were Subjected to Before
tho Waves.
ONLY TWO WE'RE SAVED

Boston, Mass, Oct. 1S.-A story OF
a North Atlantic shipwreck, in which
eight seamen suffered so fearfuily from
exposure, hunger and thirst that six OF
them either died outright or We're
washed away, or craZed by their fear
full experience threw themselves into
the sea, was told today by the two sur
ViNorS of the coasting schooner VAN
name and King, of New Haven, which
was beaten to pieces by u gale Off the
South Carolina coast or October 6.
The two men who lived through the
five days and We're rescued by the
schooner Stillman +. BENTLEY, which
arrived here late today, are William
Thomas and William G.. Warnock, both
about 30 years of age, and hailing from
who one by IL succumbed We're:
CAPT. VIM. A. MAXWELL, Of New
jersey.
NATE Z. A. CHASE. home unknown.
ENGINEER, u German, name UNI
coLoRED STEWARD. name UNI
known.
w. NJ GRIzELL, colored
ALFRED ARTHUR, both of ia
maica.
The vanname and King, which has
been plying up and down the coast
since 1855, left Charleston. S. c., for
New York on October 8 with n 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 were
started, but within a short time the en-
CINE room was flooded and the pumps
were choked.
At s O'Clock on the morning of Oc-
tober 6, with her hold full of water,
the little steamer was hove down on
her beam ends. The crew clambered
up on the weather side n dashed
themselves to the bulwarks. They re-
manned there, washed by the seas that
broke mercilessly over them all day.
That night the storm increased in fury,
and one great wave crashed aboard,
breaking both legs of Seaman Arthur
and sweeping Grizell from his fasten-
ings. Arthur's companions could do
nothing to ease his sufferings, but
when on Sunday the steamer turned
completely over they managed to cut
his lashings II drag him on a piece
of the a%fterhouse. 1t was several
hours before they We're all huddled to-
gether on their little raft. That night
Arthur died in the arms of Captain
Maxwell, IL his body was dropped
overheard.
Sunday brought a ray of hope, when
q craft was sighted, but the gloom shut
in again as h passed by without
needing the little group of eamen
VINO IIdnllcally SlSnale her. Inat
night the waves subsidized and a little
rain fell, which was eagerly caught in
a t%arpaulin and brought some relief.
1t was only temporary, and not long
after Mate Chase's mind gave way en-
tirely and the craft was again light
.ned When he jumped overheard.
The next victim was Captain Max
we'll, who, on Monday forenoon became
insane and followed his mates example
of self destruction as a relief to his
sufferings.
The spectacle of the two men throw
ing themselves into the sea proved too
much for the German engineer and a
few hours after Captain MaXwell's
death he, too, lcaped to his death.
The last victim was the colored stew
.ard, who died Monday n whose body
! was consigned to the waters by the two
remaining
Relief came twelve hours later. when
| the schooner Stillman f. BENTLEY, up
the coast from Ceylon, Ga, to this
uoint. sighted the little craft and hove
20 alongside.
Both Thomas and Warnocls had to
be taken OFF in sings, and for two days
| were unaS?le TO move
The rescue too place off Cape Look
+! uiit. The kentley arrived here yester-
day afternoon. but the .seamen We're
ntiI! too exhausted to land.