The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-11-02
VIVID STORY
Ysans Lad Tells Of His Aipweek and
Fierce Battle for Lite
AMID RAGING WATERS

AMID RAGING WATERS
Fred. the Twelve Year Old Son oi
! the Late Capt. T.. G. Miller. Of tbs
! Wrecked Schooner Converts. Tells
OF HIS (;allan, Fathers Death and
His Own Escape.
The Augusta Chronicle says ;ss
body OF Capt: E. G. Miller. 0: Eepa-
5hah. Ca, commander OF tae three
mastet schoone. William ". Con-
verse. which VA wrecked 81 the re-
cec. hurricane. 80 miles below St.
Augustine. Fla. LAS never been re-
covered. Shortly after the vessel
wen: % pieces a body d-!:-ed ashore
! tia, was though: 20 De that o; Cs2..
Miller. Bat sa;ec ,Sc BODY ~aS :oG.d
| 10 be that o. aaoche. victim o: the
g-ea: storm
The late Capt Miller vas prom
!nen: citizen os Hephz:bah. HIS
sho.e-leaves were AL spent at his
homo IN Redmond county. He was
pron.cen. Mason aad his fellow
members o, the order were active
N the efforts to end a;s body aftor
the wreck. But all hope Is now aoan-
doned that the sea Will ever sive
up the body o. this man who had
spent his uee in It's service.
On his las; trip Capt. Miller was
accompaoied oJ ais sou. Fred Miller.
liz years old. The boy had q terri
BILE experience n the storm n which
his father. the mate and a seaman
lost their lives Fred Miller VAS
brought to his home IN Hephz!oah
las. Friday night week ago. His
story OF his experience IS thrilling
tale OF the sea-
The vessel ran into the hurricane
OF Savannah early Tuesday morn
ing las: week. The Converse was
stau.eh schooner and Capt Miller
held &c his course. believing, 40
doubt. that this boat could weather
il as she had <eathered many be-
eo-e. He had cargo OF coal aboard
aud Was Bound for Cuba The hrr-
.icane Increased in fury and when
about 80 miles below St. Augustine
l,ae resse. was blown upon The rocks
ahou: a mile and a half OF he F:o:-
ida coast. The waves were rolling
r,ouo:air-n,sh and toe bod; oesaa
20 break up almost Immediately.
Capt. Mile. ordered all hands TO doa
li.e-prese.rers aad take 70 the water.
as no boa, could De launched in
such sea.
Captain Miller himse,: prepared
his con for ,he terrible journey ara
1.:e- telling the boy 20 keep a:s ey IS
on the shore and not look behind
him the captain saw that be as
safely started upoc bis trip and % ~
stood back until every one o: his men
aat left. Then the captain aoaad ,n-
ed the doomed ship
Fred Miller says he S!n remem-
Der TIA: shor: bat awfu! }ou-n.E
ua,.l his dying day. TIE boy IS ~
exc-!!en: swimmer. ou: no mas
strength could euse, those war.S
aad live. II was eve-y man !or him
SELF. The !!:e-preserve. sept tA.>
BOYS head aboy. Mater and ,Acn s.
haG all be could do 20 keep Lis
o-ea.a rom being literally pouad-d
on: o: h:m ey tie raging. roaring
seas
Though his father lad ordered
biz, no, to look behind h!n the boy
could 40, .es!s. the impulse to looi
back ;vs. once Ee saw bis father
Battling ~!:h :he waves short d.s-
:ance behind. Captain Miller esv-d
lis hand encou.asins!y 20 his so:
and that vas the las: the boy crr.
saw OF bis father. Coz Jus: thee =
monster wave came owe: aoa enGui!-
ed ,heS; az.
!.-et MILLER :c.: a:a:ses: so:c-
dovu. dowc. down. He no !ouI.!
head he s!-eao aad roaring o: the
sto: IL. on. IL his ears was dea!ea-
IN: cumming Eat 10 words can de-
S~..h. !!e :"!t as though &c were
rameshrd IL souc giant ,h:csnlas
machine ,aa: vas ripping AID :ca.-
:ag Aim 10 pieces
Ii. ::ieo 20 sold his breath 5u:
no mas under water SO long. hours
!, seemed 20 aim. ;hat b. MAS :oEc-
@. 20 swallow sal: Hate: un.: se
.-a!cd re would burst. He gave Up
al hopo 6: ever breathing again.
ou, he Aep, kicking and struggling
20 escape tie maels;:oln :aa; hal
:: n. in rs deadly grip.
=: lat tt- wave passed owe: anu
Us ,ocv sho. 20 :he surface Has
| .!e p-ss..ver. even els jacket. had
cen torn from aim. But the s!eat
" ave robbed him Of his father. aHc
which aad Amos, :orn ali ;hc c!o:a-
ing from his own bod-. had also. Is
| II shamed o. the havoc !: had
| wrought. eorne the boy much nearer
The shore.
Nov his ability sS swimmer
served him we'll. and IN spite o: bis
bruises &c was able. by swimming
and clinsine 70 bits o! ~.eckase. 10
keep himself aHoat until rescued o.
the l;te-hoa: from nearby station.
This li:c-hoat rescued al! the men
:c The water excep: the captain aud
the mate. who could 10: be found.
and one seaman whose brains were
beaten out BY heavy timber Just
as he rescu7ers were making toward
him.