Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-08-02
YACHTS WRECKED
At HEREFORD Inlet

Last Sunday was boisterous day on the
Ocean for the many people who 60 to the
shore for days deep sea fishing. OF the
many yachts that left Anglesea none were
more able or more skillfully manned than
the Nora and Alva. and none had larger
passenger lists It was rough on the banks
and getting rougher, and soon after noon
the boats raised anchor and one by one
started shoreward Among the first was
the Nora.
What happened is best told by Captain
Herbert Shivers, be said
Before we started out in the morning ]
put two reefs in the mainsail. had
twenty mine passengers and the agent made
thirty. They were all male passengers,
and all more than 81 years old, think,
with the exception Of one boy.
There was pretty good breeze blowing
from southwark and good sea, although !
have been out in worse. So we went out,
and didn't have any trouble going out at
all. Got out 80 the Fishing Banks aud
anchored. Lay there full two hours.
Got a nice catch of fish. Just before was
getting ready to come home my cable
parted. It was manila cable-two and a
half inch manila line. | got the boat
under way and started in, with the wind
south and blowing a pretty good breeze,
carrying two-reef mainsail
Before got to the bar lowered the
peak of the mainsail in order to make her
come more safely over the bar.
''We got over the bar about $50 to 300
yards when raw a cross-sea coming at a
point right on the port quarter. 1t raised
she stern Of the boat right up and caused
her to lay down so much on the starboard
side that she caught the water on her deck.
Ny sheet was lifted at that time. As soon
as the water caught her on her deck she
just keep right on going down to starboard
and she continued to careen to starboard
until she filed.
s.I was washed overheard away from the
boat. swan back again, and just about
reached the boat when another sea came
and washed me away the second time. As
soon as I got back to her the second time
went down inside Of the boat and got out
some life preservers. had hard job get
ting into the boat. got out eighteen life
preseryers-ss many as ! could get from
that side Of the boat. don't believe more
than ten got them on. Some Of them
passed life preservers to just pushed them
away, end just kept paving each other
there. 1t was an awful time.
Fright after that the top of the mast
broke off. That let the rigging carry away.
The mast bad no longer any support,
and it broke off at the partners, and that
let the boat turn bottom side up. Then /
pullad as many men IS could up on to
the bottom of the boat. The water was
very rough. Then there was nothing else
to do but to hold on till assistance came.
The lsfe-saying boat and another boat came
to US in about twenty-five minutes after we
upset and rescued twenty-five aliye, and
two men died after they got them ashore.
1.-THE life pleservers were carried on
either side Of the centreboard well in two
boxes. They were the regulation life pre-
servers inspected by the government. /
had thirty-two Of them on board.
Il consider that had she passengers re-
manned quiet this accident would have
been averted. / cav the sea coming, and
told them to hold on, but some Of them,
instead Of holding on, ran right down TO
leeward. They were afraid Of getting wet,
and instead Of holding on as | told them to
do, they went right down TO the leeward
side,
4 consider that this accident was caused
through the passengers being excited and