Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-10-25
SECOND MATE
TELLS STORY
Thoralf BouIsan of Steamer
HaraId Recites Thrilling
Tale of Rescue.
HOPE FOR CAPT. WALLS
Says Commander OF Wreck
ed Schooner HaIIiswood
Refused to Leave Boat.

itCiuSCu tU kcdvE Oudta
There is possibility, Just bare
possibility, that Captain e. E. Walls,
of Hallowell, Me-, and the four
masted schooner he refused to de-
sert when his crew were rescued last
Monday by the steamer Harald, are
still above water, drifting about
somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.
When he ignored the entreaties of
the Harald's men to desert his own
dismasted schooner and accompany
his crew to safety, on the morning
of October IT, he had provisions en-
ough to last him ten days, yet in the
face of raging hurricane, perhaps
the worst the gulf has ever had, it
was next to impossible for the erst-
while staunch little craft to weather
the storm much longer.
Second Mate Thoralf Boulsan, of
the Harald, who commanded the res
cuing party in the steamers life
boat, pleaded with the schooner's
captain to think of his wife and
children and consider his own life,
but his pleadings were of no avail.
AS the small boat put off from the
schooner after accepting the crew OF
seven, the captain stood on the dis
masted deck, clinging to the cap
stan, while mountain high seas
swept over the craft, tossing and
tumbling it In their fury.
The second mate was seen in his
cabin on board the Harald this
morning by a NEWS reporter. The
steamer is discharging bullion at
the local plant Of the American
Smelling and Refining Works. The
seven sailors, one with a fractured
leg, incurred in the Central Ameri-
can storm, were landed here yester-
day, attended by Federal Health Of
f1cer DR.. Charles G. NauIty, Jr., and
sent to New York The injured sea-
men was taken to the s. R. Smith
Infirmary, at Stapleton, Staten ISL
and.
Second Mates Story.
II wanted to use force to get Cap
tain Walls from the stricken ship" }"
said Second Mate Boulsan this
morning. 1t was impossible for US
to reach the schooner with even the
life boat, however, and l was unable
to board her. The men were res
cued by jumping from the ill-fated
man with the broken leg, was
thrown from the schooner to the
boat, and as he struck the small
craft, he gave cry of pain. He
had fallen on his injured leg"
Determined To Stick.
Captain Walls has determined to
stick to his ship, and no amount of
persuasion will make him leave. The
only condition he will accept if ap-
preached by another rescuing party,
is that. his schooner be towed to
land. 1t is feared, however, that he
will not be met by another party,
for in the gigantic seas It was al
most impossible for so small a craft
to keep afioat, especially with car
go of lumber floating about in the
hold.
On October 1 the schooner left
New Orleans for New York with a
cargo of cypress, part In the hold
and part on deck. Without mishap,
the Halliswood reached Havana, but
on the night of October IL, strong
breeze blew up, which before morn
ing had developed into a gale
Two days later, after rolling
about in the seas until the masts
were stripped bare of canvas, part of
the cargo on deck began to break
through the moorings. That night
water filed the hold, and the lum-
Der below began to float about, ram
ming the ships sides with every
roll.
Seeing that the floating lumber
would probably capsize his craft,
Captain Walls ordered the masts cut
away. In the face of 100-milean-
hour gale. the crew ventured on
deck and cut away the four sticks
severing first the rigging that the
masts might be free when cut off.
That was early Sunday morning,
about daybreak. The lighteEed ship
seemed to be more steady now that
1t was unburdened with the masts,
but with rising sea, Captain Walls
ordered some Of the deck lumber
cast overheard.
Then a hole was stove in the hold
by the lumber crashing ana pound
ing within. 1t was not an exception
ally large hole, and several feet
above the water mark, nevertheless,
water poured inside and the fo'eas-
tie became unlnhabitable.
In trying to clear the deck of
what lumber remained Eriek Erick-
sen, who managed the donkey en-
gine, was struck by a piece of lum-
Der washed across the deck and his
leg was fractured. There was no
doctor aboard, so he was compelled
to suffer without help until the Har-
aid hove into sight.
Monday morning, soloman Vein
berger, one OF the crew, was washed
overheard. He was unable to swim.
The hasty action OF the mate, Paul
Mangold, however. was all that
saved his life. Mangold saw his
plight and throwing him line, fish
ed him from the deep.
Steamer To Rescue.
A few hours later. ABOUT 10:30
o'clock, the steamer Hsrafd. bound
from New Orleans to this city with
bullion for the American Smelling
and Refining plant. hove in sight.
Mangold secured cypress, stick
from the hold, and mailing signal
lcontlnued on page )