The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-10-17
FIVE DAYS ON A RAFT
Survivors Of New Haven Vessel
Tell a Fearful Tale Of
Suffering.
SCHOONER TURNED TURTLE.

Six Of the Crew, crazed by Exposure
Hunger and Thirst, Either Died Out
right or Hurled Themselves Into the
Sea - Graft Was Sighted, but She
Passed Them BY.
Boston, Oct. ia typical north At
lantic shipwreck tale, in which eight
seamen suffered so fearfully from ex-
posure, hunger and thirst that six Of
them either died outright, were wash
ed away or, crazed by their fearful ex-
perience, hurled themselves into the
sea, was brought out by the two sur
yfyors of the coasting schooner Van
Name and King of New Haven, which
was beaten to pieces by gale OF the
South Carolina coast on Oct. 8.
The two men who lived through the
ave days and were rescued by the
schooner Stillman F. Kelly, which ar
rived here last evening, are William
Thomas and william G. Warner, both
about twenty-nlne years old, six feet
three inches tall and hail from An
tigua, British West Indies. The six
who, one by one, succumbed We're;
Captain William A. Maxwell of New
Jersey, Mate e. A. Chase, home un-
known; German engineer, home I'M
known; colored servant, name un-
known; William GrIzell and Alfred Ar
thur. colored seamen, both Of Jamaica.
The Van Name and King, which has
been plying up and down the coast
since 1886, left Charleston, s. O., for
New York on Oct. with cargo OF
hard pine. Two days later, on Thurs
day, Oct. 5, she ran into a heavy gale
and after wallowing about in the great
seas for several hours sprang leak.
The pumps were started, but within a
short time the engine room was flooded
and the pumps choked.
Schooner Turned Over.
At 8 o'clock on the morning of FRI
day, Oct. 6, with her hold nearly full
Of water, the little schooner was hove
down on her beam ends.l The crew
clambered up on the weather side and
dashed themselves to the bulwarks.
There they remained, soaked to the
skin by every sea that broke merci-
lessly over them all day Friday, con-
stantly on che watch for some passing
vessel That night the storm increased
In fury and one great wave crashed
aboard, breaking both legs of Seaman
Arthur and sweeping Grizell into the
sea-
Arthur's companions could do moth
ing to ease his sufferings, but when on
Saturday the schooner turned com
pletely over they managed to cut his
lashings and drag him on to a piece of
the safterhouse. Ii was several hours
before they were all huddled together
on their little raft. That night Arthur
died in the arms of Captain Maxwell,
and to relieve the overloaded raft the
body was quietly dropped into the sea.
Sunday brought ray of hope when
craft was sighted, but the gloom shut
in again as she passed by without heed
ing the little group of arm waving sea-
men. That night, however, the waves
subsidized and a little rain fell, which
was eagerly caught In a tarpaulin and
brought slight relief 1t was only
temporary, and not long after Mate
Chase's mind gave way entirely. and
the craft was again llghtened when he
threw himself into the sea.
Became Violently Insane.
The next victim of the terrific strain
was Captain Maxwell, who on Monday
forenoon became violently insane and
followed his mates example Of self de
struction
The spectacle of two men voluntarily
throwing themselves into the sea prov.
ed too much for the German engineer
and a few hours after Captain Max
wells death be, too, jumped into the
waves and sank
The colored steward died ON the raft
late Monday night. His body was drop
ped overheard by the two remaining
seamen. Relief came twelve hours lat
er, when the schooner Stillman f. KEEL
ly bound up the coast from Ceilon
Ga, to this port, sighted the little raft
and hove to alongside
Thomas and Warner had to be taken
off in sings and for two days were un.
able to move. The rescue took place
OF Cape Lookout in latitude 33. 10 and
longitude 1880 When the Kelly ar
rived here the seamen were still too
exhausted to land They will come
ashore in day or two and will proha.
bly, be sent home Each of them lost
thirty or forty pounds in weight during
the five days exposure.