The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-31
AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE
FOR 4 CITIZEN OF OCALA
Colonel II. 4. BurfOrd Aboard the
Apache In the Storm OFF Charles
ton Sunday Night

Col. r. A. Burford. one of the three
passengers from Ocala on the Clyde
steamer Apache, which came so near
being wrecked near Charleston Sum
day night, returned home last night,
and has been busy all day telling Of
his narrowing experience for when
ever the colonel would meet any one
he would have to give an account of
the adventure.
Col Burford says he never wants
another as close shave as that was
and Ii is little short of a miracle that
the ship and passengers were saved.
The vessel was anchored off the bar
At Charleston, the weather being too
rough to venture inside through the
narrow channel The wind had been
blowing very severely for some time.
The ship was dragging her anchors
and the velocity Of the wind was in
|creasing, so the captain ordered the
anchors in and steamed to sea in the
teeth of the hurricane to give his yes
'sel more room They battled against
the hurricane as long as possible, but
were steadily driven back all during
Saturday night and Sunday morning.
No observations could be taken and
only the lead gave the officers any
idea of where they were. The lead
showed that they were being steadily
driven ashore and the captain sent
word to the passengers to assemble
on the lower deck, where live pre-
servers We're given out and the stew
ards and others saw that they were
properly adjusted.
Col Burford says that a big heavy
10 n s- Mt lxyoo
age in a storm at sea He was al
most helpless in his stateroom and it
required two assistants to get his cork
Jacket fastened on, and he partially
dressed with great difficulty. He said
he was banged about the stateroom
till his body is almost covered with
bruises. His son, Wiley, being young
and more active, Jared a little better.
When they emerged from the state
room the wind and waves were ter
rifle and one could only get about by
dragging himself along the rail and
holding on like grim death. BY this
time, with the passengers all as
sembled on the lower deck in the
slight shelter afforded by the super
structure, as the vessel was not ex
actly head on to the storm, Mr. Bur-
| ford said it was like a funeral. every
one was so quiet. orderly and talked
| in such low tones. There was no faint
| ing Or Mysteries and the women and
| little children were collected and
| remarkably calm. The officers and
members of the crew were at their
posts, doing their full duty. The end
was awaited calmly with only the
slender chance of life afforded by the
| life preservers to carry the passeng-
| ers through the mountainous seas and
their added f1erceness as they were
breaking in the shallow water.
| The captain ordered an anchor out,
but the huge chain cable parted as
soon as it frightened and second
anchor met the same fate, without
even checking the drift of the vessel.
This, one will understand, was with
| the engines running al full speed and
doing all in their power to drive the
ship against the gale. The captain
then decided to turn the vessels bow
straight before the wind and beach
her at full speed, to make the distance
to the shore as short as possible and
enhance the passengers chances of
PREACHING it. This order had actually
been given when a sudden shift of
the wind gave the vessel slant down
lcountermanded and the ships bow was
slowly brought around and with a
long. hard-fought battle the steamer
made her way to sea and obtained a
safe offng in case the storm should
tshift again.
| Col Burford says that the chances
for anyone reaching the shore alive
were most remote. The wind and
| waves were so high that the lifeboats
| would have ben utterly useless and
this was obvious that no attempt
was made to get them ready. Mr..
tBurford says there was happy and
relieved crowd on that vessel and the
storm had hardly passed before reso-
buttons of appreciation to officers and
crew were drawn by committee and
money was taken up to purchase a
flowing cup for the officers and crew
to show the appreciation of the pas
sengers. 1t fell to Mr.. Burford's lot
to draft the resolutions.
The vessel then put into Charleston
harbor and the passengers left by rail
for their respective homes, Mr. Bur
ford coming home and his son, Wiley
going to Troy, Ala.
The vessel will have to be thorough
lily inspected by the underwriters and
some repairs made before she can pro-
lceed to sea. Every portion of the
Vessel was deluged with water from
the heavy seas and the staterooms
J were all wet
Mr. Burford says, in regard to the
tstory that the stokers of the Apache
left their posts in the fire hold, and
had to be driven back to work by the
officers with pistols, that he saw OF
{heard nothing of it. and so far as he