The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-10-20

Terrible Experiences Of Eight Victims
OF q ShIpwreck.

Terrible Experiences OF Eight Victims
OF a shIpwreck.
Boston, Oct. ia story of a North
Atlantic shipwreck in which eight sea
men suffered so fearfully from ex-
posture, hunger and thirst that six of
them either died outright, we're washed
away, or, crazed by their fearful ex-
perience, threw themselves into the
sea, was told yesterday by the two
survivors of the coasting schooner
Van Name and King which vas beaten
to pieces by a gale off the South Caro-
lima coast on Oct. 6. The two men
who lived throughout the five days and
were rescued by the schooner Stillman
F. Kelley, which arrived here late yes
terday, are William Thomas and G..
Warner. The six who succumhed were
Capt. William A. Maxwell of New
Jersey, Mate E. A. Chase, the engineer,
a German, name unknown; colored
steward, name unknown, and Seamen
William Grizell and Alfred Arthur. col
Ored.
Ran Into Heavy Gale.
The Van Name and King, which has
been plying up and down the coast
since 1856, left Charleston. S. c., for
New York on Oct. 3 with a cargo of
hard pine. Two days later she ran
into a heavy gale and sprang a leak.
The pumps were started, but within a
short time the engine room was food
ed and the pumps choked. AT s o'clock
Oh the morning of Oct. 6. with her hold
nearly full of water the schooner was
hove down on her beam ends. The
crew clambered up on the weather
side and dashed themselves to the
bulwarks. There they remained,
washed by the seas that broke mercl.
lessly over them all day Friday.
Wave Crashed Aboard.
That night the storm increased and
IN great wave crashed aboard, break.
ing both legs of Seaman Arthur, and
sweeping Grizell from his fastenings.
Arthur's companions could do nothing
to ease his sufferings, but when OF
Saturday the schooner turned com
pletely over they managed to cut his
lashings and drag him IN a piece of
the after house. 1t was several hours
before they were all huddled together
IN their little raft. That night Arthur
died in the arms of Capt. Maxwell and
his body was dropped overheard. Sun
day brought a ray of hope when a
craft was sighted, but she
Passed by Without Needing
the little group of seamen who fran
tically signalled her. That night the
waves subsidized and a little rain fell,
which was eagerly caught in a tara
paulin, and brought some slight re-
lief. 1t 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 Capt. Maxwell,
who, on Monday forenoon, became vio-
lently insane and followed his mates
example of self-destruction as a relief
to his s~ufferings. The spectacle Of
two men throwing themselves into the
sea proved too much for the German
engineer, and a few hours after Capt.
Maxwell's death, he, too,
Leaped to His Death.
The last victim was the colored stew
ard, who died Monday night, and
whose body vas consigned to the
waters by the two remaining seamen.
Relief came twelve hours later when
the schooner Stillman F. Kelley, bound
up the coast from Ceylon, Ga, to this
port, sighted the little craft and hove
to alongside. Both Thomas and War
ner we're taken off in sings and for
two days we're unable to move. The
rescue took place off Cape Lookout.
The Kelley arrived yesterday after
noon, but the seamen were still too
exhausted to land.