The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-10-19
HORRORSOFS HIPVRECK
Seamen Crazed by Sufferings Throw
Themselves Into the Sea.
ONLY TWO OF THE CREW SAVED

Schooner Wrecked In Gale ana Crew
Drifted Several Days On Raft Win
out Food Or Water--surVivors Ar
rive In Boston.
Boston. Oct. IA story Of a North
Atlantic shipwreck. In which eight
seamen suffered so fearfully from ex-
posure. hunger and thirst that some
either died outright, were washed
away or, crazed by their fearful ex'
perience. therew themselves into tle
sea, was told by the two sla'YiYors
of the coasting schooner Van Name
and King, OF New Haven, which was
beaten to pieces by gale on the
South Carolina coast on October 6.
The two men who lived through I'VE
DAYS and were rescued by the schooner
Stllman i. Kelly, which arrived here,
are William Thomas and William G..
Warner. both about 20 years old and
hail from Antigua, British West In
dies. The six who. one by one. sue
cumbed were Captain William A.
Maxwell of New Jersey; Mate f. A.
Chase. home unknown; engineer a
German. name unknown; eolOred stew
ard. name unknown; colored seamen.
William Grizell and Alfred Arthur,
both OF Jamaica.
The Van Name and King left
Charleston. s c.. for New York, 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 were started. but within short
time the engine room was flooded and
the pumps choked.
At 8 o'clock on the morning OF Octo-
Der 6. with her hold nearly full OF wa
ter. the little schooner was'hoye down
on her beam ends. The crew clambered
on the weather side and lashed them
selves to the bulwarks. There they re-
NAMED. washed by the seas that
broke mercilessly over them, all day
Friday. That night the storm In
creased in fury, and one great wave
crashed aboard, breaking both legs OF
Seaman Arthur and sweeping Grtzen
from his fastenings Arthur's com
pahions could do nothing TO ease his
sufferings. but, when on Saturday the
schooner turned completely over, they
managed TO cut his lashings and drag
him on 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 Maxwell, and his body was
dropped overheard.
Sunday night the waves subsidized
and a little rain fell. which was
eagerly caught in a tarpaulin and
brought some slight relief. It was
only temporary. and not long after
Mate Chase's mind gave way entirely
and the craft was again lightened
when he jumped into the sea
The next victim was Captain Max
well. who on Monday forenoon be
came violently insane and followed his
mates example Of self-destruction as
a relief to his sufferings.
The spectacle Of two men throwing
themselves into the sea proved toe
much for the German engineer, and
few hours after Captain Maxwells he
too. leaped to his death.
The last victim was the coiored
steward, who died Monday night, and
whose body was consigned to the wa
tiers by the two remaining seamen.
Relief came II hours later, when
the schooner Stillman F. Kelly sighted
the little craft and hove to alongside
Both Thomas and Warner had to be
taken of in sings. and for two days
we're unable TO move.