Norwich bulletin., 1911-12-29
BOUND FOR NEW LONDON
WRECKED AT BLOCK ISLAND
Crew Had Offered What They Thought
to Be Their Last Prayers-Were All
Rescued, However, by Life Savers.

The bones of the four-masted school,
ner Mary Adelaide Randall OF Port
jefferson n. Y. which was driven up
{ n the lodges west Of Block Island by
the north lest gale early Thursday,
Will in all probability be left on this,
the most exposed point OF the south
ern New England coast. Thursday
night the violent sea had had its et-
from Norfolk, Va. for New London,
W it'll a cargo of coal, and the Randall
was being slowly hammered to pieces.
The crew of nine men, who lew
ours before being rescued by the
Flock Island life saving crew, had de-
SPARED of their lives. and had assem-
hled in the cabin and offered what
they believed We're their last praye Isr
were resting comfortably at Block Is
land Thursday night, apparently lit
tie the WORSE for their thrilling exper-
fence
The a m. patrol of the Block Is
land station had just started out on
his beat when he discerned the out :
the west beach. lie burned his signal
light and called up the station, but
before the life savers had reached the
scene the schooner mad struck the
lodges and was being ground to pieces.
The vessel was carried to within a
quarter of a mile of the beach. when
she filled and SANK. Her position was
so uncertain and the gale so strong
that the life savers had to wait until
daylight before beginning operate ms.
and Sandy Point crews were sum-
moned and many OF the townspeople
Joined the band of watchers.
Sunrise disclosed the schooner's eour
masts only above the water with the
seas sweeping up to he mastheads,
where were clinging ten sailors who
were being drenched by every wave
The schooner had apparently been
Criven off her course in trying to
round Point Judith in the gale and
far from the north jetty that protects
the new harbor on the west side of
he island.
The life savers made several at
tempts to get a Efeboat through the
surf, but each time the seas hurled it
back and scattered the crew along the
beach.
Then the gun and line were brought
up and placed near the surf, but the
heaviest charge failed 70 send the shot
more than half way to the wreck. Half
a dozen attempts were made and
shortly after o'clock the life savers
succeeded in nearing the wreck.
The crew of the schooner dropped
one by one into the lnoat and were
soon landed on the beach,
Capt. Jason L, Randall of Groton
was master of the schooner until the
last trip south. when he placed Capt
Charles CrouCher in com nand, and de-
cided to spend the winter ashore.
The Randall was uninsured, in fact
had never been insured. She was re-
garded as a finely kept vessel, which
might have obtained a fine rate of in
surance, but her owners regarded in
surance unneedful with Captain Ran
dali handling her. She was valued at
$4,000 by her owners, ard, 1t was stat
ed, had paid for herself several times.
The coal cargo, which was insured,
was worth betwesn $4,000 and $4,000.
The Randall was 20 years old, having
been built at Bath in 1891. Her d.
mansions are given as follows: Gross
1,16s: net tonnage, 1,102;
ength. 1882 feet; breadth, 40.s feet;
depth 19 feet. the schooner, at the
ime of the wrecking, had nine men
aboard