The Washington herald., 1907-12-15

been recently chartered for $4,000
a year.
London. Dec. H-Wrecks litter the coast
of South England and its ueighboring
islands. from the Scilly group to the
mouth of the Thames Nearly a score OF
vessels. great and small, came 20 grief in
Friday nights and to-days storm. The
dead are nearly twoscore; the property
loss totals at least 81. 000. COO
The heaviest single loss was that Of the
American seven-masted schooner Thomas
w. Lawson. which turned turtle in Broad
Sound Sicily Islands Sixteen of her
crew persisted. or the three survivors. one
viii die. The money loss on the Lawson
and cargo is $3.50. goo. She was uninsured.
The other most serious wreck was that
Of the cutter gunboat Speedwell. which
ran into mountainous sea near Sheer
ness and went down with eight Of her
crew OF thirteen men. The other lost
vessels were all small, but nearly each
wreck cost a life or two
Much Damage Ashore.
Ashore the storm did almost as much
property damage as at sea, though thus
far there have been no reports OF loss Of
life. London felt the full force OF the
gale. Roofs were torn of by the dozen.
windows were blown in by the hundred,
chimneys and wires are down everywhere.
| The Thames and other streams are out
Of their banks. The entire valley Of the
/ former stream is vast lake, and i'm
/
| side residences.
! The Lawson's wreck was one OF the
most serious on the south coast in years.
| The big schoOner-the largest sailing yes
/ sci. and the only seven-master in the
London with 100000 gallons Of oil in
bulk.
Fought Storm from Start
From the survivors it was learned that
the vessel fought bad weather from the
west TO the east side of the Atlantic
Every boat had been swept away before
the Scilly Islands were sighted II was
then blowing hard. and. fearing to navi-
gate the dangerous reefs In the darkness.
Capt. G. w Dow, Of Melrose, Mass.
dropped anchor on Gunner's Rock
Two lifeboats put off from shore. but
Capt Dow and the crew refused TO leave
the Lawson. W. c. Hicks. a Scilly pilot
scrambled aboard to guide the schooner
to safety in the morning. and the boats
ran for shore At dawn the ship was
seen still held fast by her anchors. float
ing bottom upward in deep water.
Sweeping the neighboring islands with
their glasses, the ife-savers sighted from
the shore G. W Allen. an English sea.
man. on Annet Island. an uninhabiteC
rock, and brought him TO St Agnes
where he is dying of injuries suffered
when the waves dashed him ashore.
Rescue of Survivors.
Capt Dow, a second survivor. wa.
washed up on another pinnacle of rock
where he was sighted late in the day. 3,
this time the sea was so high no boa
could live in it; so Frederick Hicks.
son of the pilot who went aboard tn
Lawson last night. plunged into the waves
with line, reached the rock, and brough
the skipper TO safety with him
Engineer Z. l. Row. Of Boston, wa
saved soon afterward from another rock
T 1t is certain that First Mate r. p. Lib
by. of Marlboro, Mass; Second Mat,
Crocker. Of New York; Pilot Hicks, tn
two firemen. steward, cabin boy, and MIN
sailors persisted.
The Lawson was launched at the For
River Yards in 1902, has always beer
known as a ''hoodoo' ship. and inishe,
her career on Friday. the 18th of tn
; month. She was designed for the coal
carrying trade, but was recently charter
ed by the Sun Oil Company. of Philadel
, phia, as a tank carrier of oil. She wa
owned by the Coastwise Transportation
! Company. of Boston
Much interest was taken in the voyage
| as the Lawson was the first schooner L
cross the ocean from this port in years
and would have been the first seven
masted schooner seen on the other side o
the Atlantic.
Only SeVen-mnSter AhOat.
The Thomas W. Lawson was the larg
est schooner and the only seven-maste
afioat When launched at Quincy, Mass
FIVE years ago the Lawson had a divide
following. BY many she was looked upo
as the beginning of almost a new era i
: American shipbuilding BY others sh
+ doomed to certain failure. Time prove
Z that neither of these prophecies was col
rect No other seven-master has bee
, built, and the Lawson has continue
through her whole life TO be in class b
s herself, but she was by no means d fai
s ure from a financial point of view. He
: tremendous carrying capacity resulted I
: making her most profitable investmer
; for her owners. At the time Of the acc
dent which ended her career she was ur
! der charter which brought her owners
p. return Of $4,000 year.
? Size of the Lawson.
i; The Thomas w. Lawson was 400 feet /
q length, and the great boom Of the after
most sail and the spike steel bowsprit
feet long, made her measure nearly s.
: feet from tip to tip. With. beam Of
2 feet and a depth of 81 feet inches, sh
had a cargo capacity of about 500 ton
I Her displacement when loaded was Il On
tons the load draft being 2siz feet.
She was lighted by electricity. steere
2 by steam, heated by steam, and her sal
T. were raised and lowered by power ful
4 nished by half a dozen stationary er
gines. She was commanded by Cap
George w. Dow, of Merose, Mass. an
carried crew of eighteen mer.
The Largest Morning Circulation.