Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-12-15
Thomas W. Le - ). drns Turtle in
Gale se> ~ .iy Islands.
EIGHT ,cS dEN ARE DROWNED
G - and Two Sailors Are Only
" Known Survivors.
CRAFT DISABLED BY STORM
Lights Disappear Soon After Signals
of Distress Are Seen.
LARGEST VESSEL OF IT'S CLASS
1t Had a Cargo Capacity of s,1OO
Tons and Carried six Engines
to Handle Sails and
LARGEST VESSEL OF IT'S CLASS

AGh4CWN' SCllly ISLANDS, Dec. IA
The American ssven-mssted schooner
Thomas w. Lawson, the largest vessel of
It's class ever launched. was wrecked IN
Broad sound during a fierce gale last
night The captain was rescued from a
rock and two sailors were picked UP by
boatmen So far as known these three
men are the only survivors.
The schooner turned turtle and is now
floating bottom up. Three dead bodies
have been found off Annet island, an un-
inhabited islet Of the scilly group. One sur
vivor. who was landed at st. Agnes by
the St Agnes lifeboat, is only partly con-
scious at this writing.
The schooner turned turtle and is now
floating bottom up. Three dead bodies have
peen found on Annet Island, an unin-
habited islet Of the Scilly group. The sole
survivor. who had been landed at 81.
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 yes
terday afternoon. The lifeboats at once
put out and found the Thomas w. Lawson
anchored In dangerous position Just
north OF Gunners Rock. Great seas were
running and the nfeboats, although they
stood by for several hours, were unable to
render assistance.
At the request Of the captain of the
Lawson the st. Marys hfeboat the masts
OF which had been broken on in attempting
to rescue the crew of the schooner, put
back with the purpose OF telegraphInE for
tug to come to the assistance Of the Law
son. The st. Agnes llfeboat was left stand
ing by. A little later, however, this life
boat had to leave. as one of it's crew was
Inc nF nnrn
almost completely exhausted.
Boats Lights Missed.
At about ten minutes before this morn
ing the lookouts at the st. Agnes and
Bishops Rock lighthouses and the coast
guards missed the lights of the Lawson at
the same time. and when a lifeboat re.
turned to the scene oil floating on the
waves indicated the disaster. A few min.
utes later the lifehoat. .srsw found the
Lawson bottom MP ssAss -.
Searching In the vicinity ths ST. AGnes'
lightboat picked up e solitary survivor,
George Allen OF London. and found three
dead bodies on Annet island. The sur
vivor and the dead were brought back to
St. Agnes. . ..
The gale is still blowing iercetg and the
seas are running high. A doctor from st.
Mary's has gone out in lifeboat to render
assistance to other possible survivors.
Among the drowned Is w. c. Hicks, a
scilly pilot, who managed to scramble on
board the Lawson during one OF the at
tempts Of the St. Agnes Hfeboats to help
the Inflated ship.
The search up to noon failed to discover
any further survivors, and IT now seems
to be established that Allen is the only
member Of the crew who did not lose his
life. The number of drowned is said to be
eighteen. Allen was seriously injured and
the doctor in attendance is doubtful IL he
will live out the day.
story Of Survivor.
From scraps of Information that have
been obtained from the semi-coascious
man. it seems that the Thomas w. Lawson
encountered prolonged bad weather and
lost all its boats on the trip out from Phil
adelphia- 1t sighted the scilly islands yes
terday afternoon. and, finding itself in
dangerous position, dropped both anchors
the captain hoping that the weather would
moderate.
The captain thought It wise to send back
one of the 1ifeboats that came out to Sc
cure the assistance of a steam tug The
st. Agnes boat continued TO stand by the
straining schooner until the exhausted con-
dition of the crew made It absolutely neces-
sary to seek the shelter of harbor
The vessel was battered by the waves
finally turning over.
Allen says that when he last saw them,
the captain and mate OF the Lawson and
the pilot were lashed to the rigging