The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-01-26
NEARL. Y Lost
EnsigagHu Walker Graphicais,
Iy Describes His
AWFUL FXPERIENC NCE

The Captain Finally Told lib m
That Ii Was Too Late to
Save the Ship.
The following graphic description
Of the wreck of the Steamship Chero.
kee was given the Augusta Herald by.
EniiRn Hugh Walker of Augusta. En-.
sign Walker is one OF the passengers
who were on the Inflated steamship
Cherokee who were rescued on last
Sunday. The Cherokee was one OF
the 'aok boats OF the Clyde line ana
ioundered off Atlantic City on Friday.
The passengers and crew OF the
steamer were rescued by volunteer
Grew under command Of Capt. Mark
Casto. Among the passengers Waa
Ensign Walker. He had been alta.
TONED on the government supply boat
! Yankee in the West IEdi.s and was
on his way TO ne on the Cherokee.
When asked dire city as to the three
days prlvation E sign Walker told q
graphic and clear. cut story. He said
that on Friday and Friday night.
although the Cherokee was hard
'grouad on the Brigantine s aoals or
Atlantic City there was little alarm
among the passengers. They had
been assured that the situation was
40 cause for worry. Friday night
there Was given in the cabin vaude-
vile entertainment in which every
one took part a ad although there was
little uneasiness there was no real
| fear manifested.
! AS the night wore on the seas com.
| menced to run heavier and the gale
increased. The water was washed
over the deck in such manner thai
I'll Of the hatches had to be closed:
IL was o sleepless night. AS the gale
increased the woman commenced to
cry and there was fear aroused In
the mep. Saturday some of the pas.
'eDgers appealed to the captain TO do
something for u.s., and he was forced
TO admit 1T was too late, and that
unless the storm abated there was lit..
ole chance OF our ever reaching shore
.gain," said E lsiRn w A l5er
This TO many W.T., a death knell and
/
gers was evident from this time on.
9ard. The ship was taking water
fast and the pounding Of the heavy
saas had torn loose the engines. Every
fl )rt was made by the engineers to
put the engines into condition but the
lold was filed with water and all at
iempts In this direction had to be
abandoned and during the last "a
nours the engines were absolutely
Ia less.
Easign Walker then went ON TO
tell Of the narrowing and exciting
times that followed. Being q man
OF the sea and thers fore one who can
veil tell tales Of the sea his account
OF the disaster sounded like one OF the
famous tales Of Cooper. Ensign
Walker then went on with his nara.
tive whioh Is given in his own Ian.
guage:
The last night was one of terror.
We tried to keep up courage by play
ing a phoncgraph and singing, but
about 10 O'clock we gEvs up all hope.
Tne ship rose high in the air and
oamo down first on her bow and then
her stern. We expected that every
purge would be the last and that she
would brake in two on the next wavs.
There was terrific noise which
could be heard above the wind and
sea. felt that the end had come
at last, and for the first time loat
my nerve. Evely man dropped to
mis- knees and muttered a prayer, and
he women lay moaning on the floor.
| yJoc @ a t..,, tnr,
the water poured In through the
matches which had been burst open
by the crash.
I'VE bade good. d.bye to c-cl other
and all prepared to die. We waited
In silence and almost hoped that the
suspense soon would be over. After
a long while the first mate came into
the cabin and told US that several
plates hac been ripped off the stesne
sr's hull, and that she was sinking.
We could feel her settle and felt that
1t would not be long until the sea
would close over US forever.
'IJ was the cook who came to our
rescue He took us up into the gal.
Icy, where we would be away from
the hungry waves 8 little longer.
There was fire there and he sprea
blankets on the fioor for the women,
and there we renamed until morning.
The galley boy tried to sing to oheoi
us up, but nc flnally gave up the
ef rt and burst into tears
The w,.ter ran In slower then WI
expected, and when we were takey
off by Captain O,sto the water hat
just begun TO cover the cabin floor
{: We had no food or water all day, an,
0 don't think we could have live
: through the night"
e The steamer Cherokee is o tots
@ loss and the Clyde line is minus on
4 Of its best ships. From Mr.. Walker
/. account 1t will be seen that the day
Of adventure aud excitement are no
n ev.r but that they are as God adven
t tures on the sea as there were In tn
!. olden times.
u Junped Into Well.
,. A dispatch from Swanse. TO q.
= State says Mrs. Noel S larpe VINO II,
:. ed near CASTOR, committed sulcl6
~ about - O'Clock "Wednesday night b
u |