Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-16

Atlantic City, N. j., Jan 6--Roalizing
the utter hopelessnoss of further combat
ting the titanic waves sweeping hs vessel
81 destruction. Capt Archibald two OF
bis mates and the liiosayem who sturdily
refused TO leave the stranded steamer
Cherokee TO fate on the troachomus Brig
antine shoals, last night abandoned the
ship.
Huge waves are rolling over the deck,
smashing lis hull and rigging aud even
pounding the pilot house the last refuge
aboard left to the captain and his brave
little band i'm spite Of ts lofty perch on
the upper deck The $500 ton vessel
worth s500O00, viii probably be q total
loss thus scoring one more victory over
man for Old Neptune.
Indeed but for the valor of Capt Mark
Casio, who on Sunday made the sonsa-
tional rescue OF go persons from the
steamer, what will now probably prove
but the destruction of property would
have been turned into narrowing tragedy.
At the request of Capt Archibald, the
brave fisherman Casto and his equally
brave but tiny crew. made a second trip
through the ioaming surf 90 the steamer
today and brought ashore the baggage OF
the passengers and crew and the mail
sacks
Casto's horoism IS already winning him
substantial plaudits A fund is being
raised here for him and his crew and lac
tonight received a ielegmphic invitation
from the Philadelphia Clover Club TO be "a
special guost-at rs anniversary dinner,
Thursday night He viii be given a gold
and diamond medal at that time.
Capt. Casto's trip through the surf 10
the steamer, while in no sense MS perilous
as that OF Sunday, yet required nerve.
Upon receiving Capt Archibald's request,
sent by way of signal flags strung TO the
rigging Of the steamer, Casio unhesitat-
ingly called his crow of nine and, securing
the auxiliary sloop Sinhad, sailed out
through the inlet. Castos schooner, the
Alberta, IN which he made his trip of Sum
day, was too badly battered up from lis
battle with wind and wave 70 make an
other journey.
Although the storm died out with dark
ness, the waves were still running high,
and Il required nearly as much skill to lay
the sinbad alongside the steamer as IL did
the Alberta yesterday. The steamer had
moved inshore several hundred feet during
the night, and was fully 1--WE feet further
down into the sands
Caste lay by the Cherokee until a
favorable lull in tho heavy sea came,
and he was able TO pass a line TO the
steamship. To the end Of a light rope
a hawsor was made fast, and men sta
toned az either end OF tho line took up
the slack MS the sloop rose on top of the
the waves and kept her from crashing on
the submerged steamer
Soon after the Sinbad's arrival the
Bngantino lliesaving crews went out under
the command of Capt Holdscomb and
smith and hghtered tho mail bags and
small luggage from the Cherokee to the
sloop Casio and three of his men were
the first TO get aboard the Cherokee. risk.
ing their lives IN the attempt, the small
dory being In danger Of being swept into
the upper works Of the steamship with
every wave. Capt Archibald and hi,
three men threw small lines TO the tin,
craft and thus established n rope ferry
songcrs Off.
The crew poled the dory of as sh,
swoopcd down toward the side of tn,
steamship on the needing waves. Ia,
shock of the impact throwing the mer
off their feet An had life preserver
bcltcd beneath their arms. and the bulk,
corks nampered the ipcdom of their move
ments but they hung TO their task unit
two for the men got aboard.
When the lilesaving crews arrive,
their boats were used as lighters TO conve,
the mail and baggage TO the Sinbad. TN
work was exceedingly dangerous, hu
toward noon the sea subsidized somewha
and the small boats were able TO re
nearer the steamship.
Once again refusing Casto's offer q
bring him ashore Capt. Archibald stucl
by his ship until night, when he wa
brought of by "A wrcclong crew. Althoug
the captain urged his mates and the lie
savers who haved the porils with him
they refused TO desert him.
Tho mail and the luggage was brough
70 the inlet pier where crowd of sight
scers had congNgatod. Capt Caste n
ceived a hearty cheer as he brought hi
boat TO, and n scoro of ready hands reache
for the lines as they were thrown to max
fast 10 the pier.