The sun., 1905-09-01
SCHOONERS CRASH AT SEA.
FOURMASTER SINKS THREEMAS-
TER, BUT SAVES CREW.

The Bossert and the Witler Bump in the
Fog and the Latter's Crew Take to
the Boats-Both Were New Ships-Ab-
sencc Of the Mascot Cat Is Blamed.
The four masted schooner John Boe.ert !;
a stanch, new ship Of oak, arrived yesterday
from Georgetown. s. c.. aleak, with her
fore rigging torn, her starboard side SCARED
from stem to stern, and the skipper, Capt.
Charles A. Bronwell, and crew OF the now
three masted coaster Charles A. Witler
aboard The Boesert and the Witler came
together in mist and darkness and heavy
swell Saturday night about twenty miles
east Of Diamond Shoal, of the North Caro-
lima coast, and the Witler got the worst Of
it. The Bossert was bround for this por-
with a cargo OF lumber for her owners.
Louis Bossert 4 Sons Of Greenpoint, and the
Witler was going from Georgetown to
Baltimore, also lumber laden.
The Witler overhauled the BoAsert in tho
murk, and before either skipper was aware
Of the others nearness they crashed to-
gether. The stern OF the Witler swung
against the starboard bow Of the four
master and there was a ripping Of sails.
a rending Of shrouds, and q rafting Of
broken spars on the deck Of both chips as
the Witler's mizzenmast fell.
The three-master scraped along the star
board side Of the Bossert and wrenohed the
starboard anchor from the cathead. 1t
dropped into the eea carrying all its clank
ing chain with it. The witler fell away
and vanished in the darkness. Neither
skipper then knew the name of the vessel
, with which he had been in collision.
The next morning, while the Bossert was
making repairs and keeping a lookout for
the stranger that had fouled her, six persons
we're sighted 70 wing toward her in sohoon-
er's yawl. They were Capt. Brownwell,
his eight-year-old son James. the mate
and four negro seamen Of the Witler. Capt.
Brownwell reported that he had been in COL
lision with lumber laden schooner the night
before, and that he inferred from the ap-
pearanoe Of the Bossert that she was the
ship. The two skippers exchanged regrets.
neither blaming the other. but both heartily
damning the weather and the bothersome
SWELL
Capt. Brownwell reported that the Witler
had lost her mizzen mast and all rigging at:
tached, that her hull I hsd s been ,!sS stoys and
and that big swells were tumbling athwart
her. He abandoned her without saving
any OF his own or the crews effects. as the
water poured into the gap In her hull so
swiftly that It was impossible to enter
forecastle or capin to get anything.
The negro crew were inclined to attribute
the accident to the absence Of the schooner's
mascot, a jet black cat that had been left
at Georgetown making the acquaintance Of
South Carolina felines. The cat is q Bal
timorean, with a fine spirit Of Southern
hospitality. The only lives lost in ths
wreck belonged to dozen chickens, whose
coop was swept away by an invading swell.
Unless the Witler Is found and towed
will drift a long time on her buoyant cargo.
and like ali new. stout derelicts, may be
heard from many times before she goes to
pieces. She was built In Baltimore last
October and measured 2Io tons. She was
owned by W. E. Woodhall 4 Co. Of Balti-
more.