New-York tribune., 1910-01-24
RESCUE Is AT SEA
SAVED BY FISHERMEN
Captain, Wife and Crezo
Lashed to Masts All Day.

Edgartown. Mass, Jan. 23.-The schooner
Mertie B. Crowley, cne of the few six
masters flying the American flag, lies to-
night a total wreck on the reefs three
miles off the southeast end of Martha
Vineyard Island. Already the Crowley has
broken in. two, and great seas are last
smashing her stout timbers TO pieces. She
was bound from Baltimore for Boston with
coal.
To the bravery of the skipper. Levi Jack
son, and his crew of four men. OF the
Edgartown fishing smack Priscilla is due
the rescue of the fifteen persons aboard
Captain Haskell. Mrs. Haskell and thirteen
members of the Crowley's crew. Mrs
Haskell. like the others, had been dashed
for ten hours to the rigging of the bat
tered schooner
Great seas combed necessarily over the
hull and through the rigging. threatening
continually to fell the masts upon which
the shipwrecked ones depended for life
The fore and main masts did give way and
swung wildly, to the serious discomfort or
those lashed to the trees. But they re-
mained in their place, although insecurely,
until Captain jackson had brought his lit
tie smack near enough to send out dories
to take off those on the Crowley.
Disaster overwhelmed the schooner at $50
a. m to-day The wreck was due directly
to the mistake of the man at the wheel in
making out Edgartown Light as one on
Block Island. The schooner had been hove
to for thirty hours on Friday and on Sat
urday during the severe southerly storm.
Round about was a heavy haze, which pre-
cluded observation, so that the position of
the schooner was largely q matter Of
gueSswork. When the vessel struck it
quickly was seen that there could be no
hope of saving her. The small boats were
soon swept overheard by the heavy seas.
Mrs. Haskell, awakened by her husband,
had barely time to snatch few articles
of clothing, and with the assistance of
Captain Haskell, climb the forerigging,
where she was lashed to the crosstrees. a
pair of seaman's rubber boots, with the
captains winter hat and overcoat protect
ing her, Mrs. Haskell said tonight, she
did not suffer greatly.
All day long everybody clung to the rig
ging, while the seas battered their great
vessel to fragments. At 10 a. m. the Crow
ley broke in two beneath them and her
stern settled deeper in the water. Fortu-
nately no one was lashed at that end So
great was the rush of the seas that the
decks We're swept clear with every wave.
carried away.
1t was known here by 9 o'clock this
morning that vessel had been wrecked
on the northeast end reef. Efforts were
made to get out to her in the forenoon,
but were unsuccessful because of the great
seas. The sturdy fishing srnacks of Edgar
town could make no headway against the
elements.
Captain Jackson tried repeatedly to push
his little power smack Priscilla through
the great breakers. but combined sails and
steam could not do it until late this after
noon. Then luffed by the schooner Viking,
another of the local fishermen, he put her
safely through the breakers and reached
the wreck. There he anchored, and four
dories manned by many stout-armed
fishermen were soon taking off the crew
of the Crowley.
Mrs. Haskell was the first to be trans
ferred. She was lowered from her cramped
position in the crosstrees and down the
forerigging far as possible. With the
same courage which had held her up dur
ing her hours of exposure, she made leap
for the dory beneath, landed safely and
was saved
When the colorsd steward jumped for
the tossing dory beneath him he missed
it and went overheard. but was rescued
from the water by Patrick Kelley, one of
the fishermen, who grasped the vessels
forerigging and clung TO the stewards
clothing until another dory took them
both aboard. AS Captain Jackson and his
sloop arrived at the wharf he was given
three rousing cheers by a great crowd of
people lined along the shore.