Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-15

lxee that all had been taken of except the
four officers.
The Alberta, crowded beyond its ca
pacity, started shoreward. Proceeding
slowly southwark, II entered the lower
inlet and kept along shore until it reach
ed the mouth of the inlet Hundreds on
the Boardwalk rushed TO the inlet pier to
greet the vessel.
Collector of the Port Fifeld and depu-
ties were on hand 10 take charge OF the
passengers. Chilled by the soaked cloth
ing they wore, the rescued were hurried
to the Maritime Exchange and then sent
to hotel. Captain Casio and his crew
were lifted from the Alberta and carried
up and down the pier by their cheering
admirers.
The tales told by the passengers are
thrilling.
eAlrs. Palmer, the stewardess, was the
heroine of The ship She never once lost
her nerve during an of the frightful sus-
ponse of lastnight,' said Joseph Schwartz,
"a civilian employe of the government,
who has been doing custom duty on the
DOMINICAN Haitian frontier during the
last IL months.
She devoted the whole of her time to
the one other woman and two little chill
dren ON board and set every man In the
hatch battered cabin an example. IL was
bad enough every way, but there was not
a man ON board who did not have a warm
spot ia his heart for that woman"
"Every person on board was surprised
when the Cherokee went ashore" said
Consul Handley. captain Archibald had
been sounding all Friday morning, and a
few moments before the crash came he
said he was not less than 20 miles from
shore When darkness came on Friday
We began 30 realize the danger Of our po-
sition.
"When the storm arose the vessel tossed
from one side 20 the other. First the col
lision bulkheads gave way, then the fore
and aft heads. On Saturday conditions
grew worse, and the passengers began Ia
criticisc the captain for not making plans
to put ms ashore. Mrs. Amoris, the
Syrian, became historical, and the men
did everything TO keep her courage up.
sat noon Saturday the water had dis.
abled the engines and the boilers were
thrown from their positions during IN,
night. The passengers and members OF
the two life guard crews assembled in The
forward cabin and sang songs, told
stories and gave amateur performances
to keep up courage. During the night
none Of MS slept.
"Driven below we assembled in the gal
Icy, and next morning we ate frmt cake
the last of the food ON the vessel, for oui
breakfasts. When the life guards told ui
that morning that their boats could moi
brave the high sea we became resigned Z,
the worst.
''You san imagine fhe Joy we felt wher
we saw the Alberta making for us short
vi before noon. When succor was in sigh
members of the crew left their positions
10 was then that the officers showed thei
courage. Grasping theft revolvers they
ordered every man TO do his duty. Sulki
ly the few revolutionists went back b
their work. Captain Caste and his crew
, proved themselves the hravost men alonl
4 the coast by their work"
Ensign Walker Of the Yankee said thl
!, scenes aboard the Cherokee were heart
, rending. All the passengers and some o
: the crew, he said were filled with fear
! The women prayed and the men pace,
20 and fro, believing that the grea
4 waves that were washing over the help
less vessel would tear her TO pieces. AZ
. of Saturday night and Sunday morning
Z the passengers and crew were huddle
q about a fire in the galley.
n The terrible pounding the vessel ha
. received from the waves caused IL Z
strain and leak badly. Early Saturda.
night 10 feet of water was In the hol
"a and all fires went out with the exceptio
:, of the one in the galley. Only the braves
4 of the crew, the ensign said, vcntured o.
N the deck, for the sen was pounding IN
vessel hard, and often the waves passe
Il clear over the deck Il was a irwin
\ night, he said, and many of those o
4 board gave up hope and awaited III