Evening star., 1905-11-04
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Ing fast to the mast. But the ship had
now commenced to break up, heavy seas
were sweeping her decks. and her crew
were unable to reach the line. The surf
men, ignorant of all this. stamped their
chilled feet upon the frozen beach and
waited for the pull on the line which should
signal the breeches buoy to be run out.
During this suspense four of the ships
crew of nine were swept into the churning
gulf Then the first gray CLEAN Of dawn
broke over the awful scene and revealed
the remaining five of the ships company
cHnging. half frozen. to the top of the
cabin. The vessel below was a shattered
hulk, and the surf all about was strewn
with broken and Jagged wreckage, parted
by no path which might admit the lifeboat
safely. Regardless of the great spars and
timbers which the waves tumbled about in
every direction and which would make
short shrift of their little craft, the plucky
squad, now augmented by the crew of the
adjacent station, launched the lifeboat,
stood to their oars and struggled desper-
ately on, only to be at last beaten back
upon shore, defeated and almost exhausted.
Another attempt with the Lyle gun failed,
and yet there were those five freezing,
quivering men. with maniacal faces, still
chnging to the cabin of the barkentine.
Again crew, whose comrades never hoped
to see return alive, put out in the surfboat
At every stroke of the oar the floating
wreckage threatened them on all sides.
Several spars caused their little craft to
tremble, and several times the battle SEEM
eu loSL, ana just after one OF these appar-
entity hopeless moments miracle seemed
to take them to the fated men, who were
Hfted into the boat. Two keepers-Isaac
w. Truck of the Ship Bottom life saving
station, and George Mathis of the Long
Beach statlon-have received gold medals
for this heroism. as have Surfnen Horace
Cranmer, James Cranmer. Walter Pharo
Barton Pharo. w. E. Pharo Salmons
Conklfn and Kelley.
Plight of the Seven Fishermen.
A June storm had just passed along the
Jersey coast. leaving a heavy ground swell
strong southern wind and a high surf
which by noon was breaking all the way
from the bar to the beach. Only few of
the more daring ffshboats of Squan Beach
had ventured out, but among those which
had was that of Captain Anderson re-
turning from the pound with a heavy load
of fish in charge of the skipper himself
his son and five fishermen When the little
skiff was just outside the bar a heavy sea
capsized her and threw the occupants into
the surf. Charlie Boxer, n fisherman, see
ing them capsiZe from shore, Immediately
ran to skif lying near, hauled it to the
beach and was urging another fisherman
to help him launch the craft when Cap
tain Bob" Longstreet of the Squan Beach
life-saving station arrived the scene |
1t being the inactive summer season when |
only he, the keeper remains at the station |
Captain Bob had no crew to call upon; so |
into the skiff he jumped with Boxer and
they pulled away through the heavy sea |
toward the imperiled men. 1t was an ugly |
task that faced them for they had to bat |
tie with wind, sea and current. a lifeboat !
would have weathered 1t with little peril, !
but there was none near at hand, and the |
little skfff was frail. She became so flood |
ed by the breaking of the heavy seas that |
one of the men had to bail while the other |
rowed. 4 crowd now gathered upon shore |
stood with bated breath and watched the |
plucky navigators, little hoping that they
would save themselves, much less the |
fishermen cinging to the wreck
They groaned as they saw the upturned
boat wash into a pocket of the sea where
the waves broke over furiously that all
of her men save two were washed away
but fortunately In the direction of the
shore. The rescuers, drawing as close to
the wreck as possible. cried for Captain
Anderson to dash for the skff and save
himself but the stalwart skipper would
not swim. He had remained by this help
less one swimming in the lee of the wreck
ready to sustain him in case he should lose
hold.
Some Daring Work.
The skiff was now backed close down SO
that the brave skipper could lay hold of
swept his comrade from the capsized boat.
still had his wits about him, and just as
the man was drifting away, caught him by
the arm, while Keeper Longstreet leaning
far out of the heaving skif, also seized the
man and held him until the next great
breaker had passed. Both men were then
taken into the skif and carried safely
ashore Meantime four of the five in
cluding the captains son, had succeeded
in reaching the beach, but the other, un-
able to swim, went down FOR the third time