The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-14
Schooner Thomas w. Lawson
Wrecked Off Scilly Islands.
Found Floating Bottom Upward
i'm the Sound.
SOLITARY SURVIVOR.
Is Picked Up in an Unconscious
Condition.
Three Dead Bodies Brought in
by Life Boats.

Hughtown. Scilly Islands, Dec IA
The American seven masted schooner
Thomas w. Lawson was wrecked in
Broad sound, Scilly islands, during a
fierce gale last night and so far as
known, of her crew, only one man sur
Vived.
The schooner turned turtle and is
now floating bottom up. Three dead
bodies have been found off Annet is
land, an uninhabitcd islet of the Scilly
group. The sole survivor who has been
landed at ST. Agnes by the ST. Agnes
lifeboat, is only partly conscious at. this
writing.
Signals of distress were heard at the
Bishop Rock lighthouse at O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. Two lifeboats at
once put out and found the Thomas
w. Lawson anchored in a dangerous
position just north of Gunners Rock
Great seas were running and the nre-
boats, although they stood by for sew
eral hours, were unable to render as
siStance.
Lawson, the ST. Mary's lifeboats. the
masts of which had been broken off in
attempting to rescue the crew OF the
schooner put back with the purpose
of telegraphing for tug to come TO
the assistance of the Lawson. The st.
Agnes lifeboat was left standing by.
A little later, however, this lifeboat had
to leave as one of it's crew was dying
of exposure, while the others were al
most completely exhausted.
At about 10 minutes before TINS
morning the lookouts at the ST. Agnes
and Bishops Rock lighthouse and the
coast guards missed the lights of the
Lawson at the same time and when a
lifeboat returned to the scene oil float
ing on the waves indicated the disaster.
A few minutes later the lifeboat crew
found the Lawson bottom up.
Searching in the vicinity the st. Ag-
mes lifeboat picked up the solitary
survivor, a man named Allen and found
three dead bodies off Annet island. The
survivor and the dead were brought
back to ST. Agnes.
The gale is still blowing furiously and
the sea is running high. doctor from
ST. Mary's has gone out in a hfepoat
to render assistance to other possible
survivors.
a ScilIy pilot who managed to scram-
BILE on board the Lawson during one OF
the attempts of ST. Agnes Ifeboats to
help the illfated ship.
Eighteen Drowned.
The search up to noon failed to dis
cover any further survivors and 1T now
seems to be established that Allen IS
the only member of the crew VINO o1d
not lose his life. The number OF drown
ed is said to be 10. Allen was seriously
doubtful if he will live out the day
From scraps of information that nave
been obtained from the vsemi-consclous
man it seems that the Lawson encoun-
tered prolonged bad weather and lost
Ali her boats on the trip out from Phil
adelphia. She sighted the Scilly is
lands yesterday afternoon and finding
herself in a dangerous position dropped
both anchors, the captain hoping that
the weather would moderate.
The captain thought it wise to send
back one of the lifeboats that came out
to secure the assistance of a steam tug
The ST. Agnes lifeboat continued to
stand by the schooner until the eX-
hausted condition of its crew made II
absolutely necessary to seek the shelter
of a harbor.
The vessel was battered by the waves,
finally turning over.
Allen says that when he last saw them
and the pilot were dashed to the rig
oil