The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-29
GIVEN BIG SCARE
Launch With Pleasure Party Breaks Down
and Day and Night
IS SPENT ON The WATER.

~ IA AAsa Wv As~
The Steamer Ethel Went to the Res
cue, and the Party Of Twenty,
Mostly Women and Children, Are
Safely Landed, Quieting the Fears
Of Relatives and Friends.
The arrival of a launch in tow of
the steamer Ethel at the custom
house pier in Charleston Monday
with a party of twenty people, most
ly ladies and children, ended the
tears OF a number Of relatives and
friends OF the occupants Of the boat
who had left Charleston Sunday
morning on a pleasure trip about the
harbor, had been lost in the bad
weather of Sunday afternoon and
night. The following account Of the
trip is taken from the Charleston
Evening Post:
The launch was In charge of Capt.
M. S. Sullivan, and Lieut.. of Police
John Steencken was the organizer of
the party on the trip. The occu-
pants of the cutter launch we're as
glad to tic up at the wharf as were
their relatives and friends who had
grown fearful and anxious for their
safety. Once the Ethel had made
past the tow line Monday morning
to the launch, stuck In the marsh
Of Morris Island, the occupants of
the boat felt better and saw that 1t
was only a matter of time when they
would be safely landed, but still
having been out all night without
food and water, tired and sick, with
out having slept and with the nerves
of the women badly strained by the
adventures Of the night, only the act
ual docking of the launch satisfied
the majority of the party and the
sigh of relief could almost be heard
for a block when the party alight-
ed on the pier.
Leaving the custom house wharf
Sunday morning about 10 o'clock II
was the intention Of the party to
spend the day In a picnic on the wa
tiers of the harbor, returning dur,
ing the afternoon hours. The trip
had passed enjoyable. although the
water was a little rough. During
the afternoon, however. the wind
freshened INT the water became
choppy, the rain set in and every
indication was given of worse con.
ditions to follow. Capt. Sullivan
saw that he must beat It to the chan.
mel and the boat was turned from the
sound between Morris Island and
James Island for Coming's Point
The weather thickened and to add to
the troubles, Capt. Sullivan found
that one Of the pistons was out oil
order, and he had to work along
with the other.
1t was not long before both were
in trouble, and Capt. Sullivan found
himself in the open sea which was
running high, with the boat show,
ing a tendency to drift upon the walls
of the channel and perhaps go to
pieces. The anchor was dropped for
a time, and Capt. Sullivan endeavor,
ed to repair the trouble. He thought
that he had it corrected. and when
he attempted to I'll the machinery,
be found that it was still disabled
The sea was running St. nigh that he
could do little in his present position,
and he endeavored with the use of
a pole, the running Of the tide and
a piece of sail to get into a more fav-
orable position for repair work.
He got into a better position, and
an Investigation disclosed the fact
that the head of n of he pistons
had cracked and the letting In of wa
ter was the cause of the trouble.
He again tried to remedy 1t, the
best that he could, and he decided
TO make another try for the channel.
The anchor was not raised quick
enough. the boat dragged It and be-
fore she could be stopped, the launch
was carried into the marsh hard
aground. and with the falling of the
tide, the boat was left high aud dry.
When the tide suited Monday, the
boat was hauled off and towed up
to Charleston.
The party with the exception Of
| Capt. Sullivan, Lieut.. St%eenckner and
a little girl were sick. The men had
all that they could attend to in
trying to save the boat from loss
and he women had to look out for
themselves. They had to hold on
to the seats, sick as they were, for
hours, to prevent themselves being
lifted out into the heavy sea. and
| Capt. Sullivan declared Monday that
it was the worst experience that he
has ever gone through, made all the
harder by the responsibility of hay
ing the care Of the women.
Lieut.. Steenckner had a similar ex-
perience some time back In being
out with a party and having the boat
90 aground, spending the night on
the water, but this was a far worse
and more trying experience on ac-