The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-01-24
NEARLY LOST.
Ensign Hugh Walker Graphical.
ly Describes His
AWFUL EXPERIENCE

Toe Captain Finaily Ioid In N
+: Tha: |: Was Too Late to
Save the Ship.
The following graphic description
OF the wreck Of the Steamship Chero-
kae was given the Augusta Herald by
Easiqn Hugh Walker Of Augusta. En-.
sign Walker is one Of the passengers
who were on the ill-fsted steamship
Cherokee who Were rescued on last
Sunday. The Cherokee was one OF
5he lack boats Of the Clyde line and
ioundered Ct Atlantic City on Friday.
The passengers and crew OF the
steamer were rescued by volunteer
crew under command Of Capt. Mark
Casio. Among the passengers was
E lsign Walker. he had been Sta
toned on the government supply boat
Yankee in tie West Indies and was
OF his way hone on the Cherokee.
When asked directly as to the three
days priVa5ion E sign Walker told =
graphic and clear cut s. ory. He said
that on Friday and Friday night,
although the Cherokee was hard
sg:cuad on the Brigantine Snoals Of
Atlantic City there was little alarm
among the passengers. They had
oeen assured that the situation vas
no cause for worry. Friday night
there vas given in the cabin a vaude-
vile entertainment in which every
one took part and although there was
| little uueasiness there was 10 real
fear manifested.
AS the night wore on the seas ccm-
ne1ced to run heavier ard toe gale
increased. The water wss washed
over the deck in such manner that
I'll Of the ha'cAes had to be closed.
Il was q sleepless night. AS the gale
increased the woman commenced to
cry and there was a fear aroused in
the men. Saturday some OF the pas
seDgers appealed to the captain to do
something for US, and he was forced
TO admit 1t was too late, and that
urless the storm aDated there WAS ns-y
lie chance OF our ever reaching shore
again," said E lsign Walker.
This to mary vas death knel and
she fear and grief among the passen-
geTs vas evident from this time On.
card. The ship was taking water
tess and the pounding Of the heavy
ssas had torn loose the engines. Every
!. II ,r5 was made by the engineers to
put the engines into condition but the
! sold was flied with water and all at
semp:s in this direction had to be
abandoned and during the last "a
oours the engines we're absolutely
Us ,less.
Ensign Walker then went On to
tell OF TIE hsrro wing and exciting
times that followed. Being a man
Of the sea and there fore one who Gan
Sell tell tales OF the sea his account
OF the disaster sounded like one Of tho
famous tales Of Cooper. Ensign
Walker then went on with his nara.
tive which is given in his own lam
guage:
The last night was one Of terror.
We tried to keep up courage by play
ing a phonograph and singing, but
about 10 o'clock We I've up all hope.
Tne ship rose high in the air and
came down first on her bow and then
her stern. We expected that every
pu ge would be the last and that she
! would brake in two on the next wave.
There was terrific noise which
could be heard above the wind and
sea. I felt that the end had coma
at last, and tor the first time I lost
my nerve. Every man dropped 90
his knees and mu5tered a prayer, and
The women lay moaning on the dcoH.
There was not q light burning, and
the water poured in through tho
matches which had been burst open
by the crash.
We bade good bye to e2cl othe,
and all prepared to die. We waited
in silence and almost hoped that the
suspense soon would be over. After
q long while the first mate came into
the cabin and told US that several
plates hac been ripped of the steam.
er's hull, and that she was sinking.
We could feel her settle and felt that
it, woulo not be long until the sea
you'd close over US forever.
II: was the cook who came to our
rescue. BE took US up into Gae gal.
iey, where we would be away from
5hs hungry waves a little longer.
There was a fire there ana he spread
blankets on tie foor for the women,
and there we renamed until morning.
Tie galley boy tried to sing to cheer
rs up, but he finally gave up the
sff r5 and burst into tears.
"Tae water ran in slower then we
expected, and when We were taken
off by Captain Caste the water had
lust begun to cover the cabin floor.
We had no food OF water all day, AMI
1 don think We could have lived
chrc u IN the nighG.''
Toe steamer Cherokee Is total
loss and the Clyde line is minus one
II its best ships. From Mr.. Walkers
accountit will be seen that the days
Vt adventure and excitement. are not
sv-r but that they are as God adYen
lures on the sea as there were In the s
olden times. - -: s.s;::..:,Es: 80; 80:
Jumped Into Werl.ss
a dispatch from Swansea TO the
State says Mrs. Noel Saarpe: Who liv-$
I'd near CASTOR, committed suicide !
about u O'Clock WednesdaY night by