The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-20
SCORNs RESCUE
AMID SEA STORM
SHIP NEAR DESTRUCTION, VIC
MEN BIR1TES CREW FOR
LEAVING VESSEL.

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. Sept 1os@
-tlinging to a fragment of spar ~
tangie of wreckage. the decks awan11l
all around her, the tiimsy structure 49,
meath her leaping and tum bling in th9s
screaming hurricane, woman sway4S
on the top of what is left OF thu
cabin of the Bessie Whiting. coastwt1o'
schooner.
She is soaked through to the skis
because She wears only a pettscoa4s
ana Jacket. aud her loose hair faa1s
all about her the sport of the gale
Her arms are swinging wildly and oh9S
IS shrieking something, OF which ~
word or two may be heard here and
there above the cannonading OF tbs
storm. But there is nothing OF fear
III her aspect. Her eyes glare, her
hps twitch with rage
The reason for this was that men
were abandoning the stricken vessel,
'GoWards' she shrlied, there is sttI1
food and drink" But help was a.
hand and the crew would not hoed
her only she, her husband, Captain
LaWty, commanding the Whiting, and
this cook refused to leave the schooner.
All were IN a pitiable condition from
exposure and lack of rest, but the
provisions We're not yet exhausted~
mere We're LETT a nam, two cans Of
condensed milk and two tins Of NEST.
and SO she shouted to the men, but
they were not to be held.
That was the picture presented to
captain J.. A. Gates master OF the
LASohter a tank steamship when IL
went IN the rescue Of the Whiting IN
the gulf The schooner was dts
mantied and Waterlogged and was ia
CANCER of sinking at any moment.
out the woman was unafraid The
LIgonier was on the down trip on itSs
Way to this port, where il arrived TO-.
day. with the Conneaut, a barge, in
L, Distress signals had drawn her
ave miles out Of her course. and q
very heavy sea VAS running.
The schooner had loaded lumber ~
Jacksonville for New Haven. and It
was her cargo that kept her afioat. On
deck every thlag was ruin. The uf,-
per works had been ripped away and
every article that could lie moved had
peen washed cat Of the ca bn. even
t. the ships steve The crew OF Ave
men had endured enough and no wom-
an + Ghldlngs were to restrain them
when the Ligonter came alongside.
The Lieonier carries a wireless
equipment and soon got in touch WITH
the 1aihdoFayv. u revenue cutter, when
was about one hundred and nifty miles
distant and then the crew of ffve was
landed at Jacksonville. They were
wiling TO leave the solitary ham 70
the woman, and she and her two COM
panioHs subsisted on 1t until the va
maeraw picked them up and towed
them into Charleston.
Captain Gates was not sparing in his
admiration for Mrs. Lawry. but there
was Il look In his eye when he told
the story. Il can't help thinking that
/ she's a pretty good business man." he
said, and had calculated on being
picked up by i revenue cutter and get
ting Il free tow without any of the
usual salvage trimmings other than
the fuel bin. Revenue cutters, you
know, make no salvage claim except
for the use of fuel during the tow, and
as the Whiting was only forty miles
of savannah, she wasn't taking a very
long chance"
"All the same" added the mariner.
''let us accord Mrs. Lawry her due
need Of praise. 1t takes heroism to
wave away Rescue and upbraid depart-
/ ing sailors merely on the strength OF
ham and two cans of milk"