The Red Cloud chief., 1912-06-06

and the beach that lay before It was we'll nigh
impassable. After twenty minutes OF grim effort
II was finally gained only to find that the vessel
had passed 1t and was drifting on.
Perhaps the best account Of the remainder OF
the terrible march to Its ultimate end is given
in the report Of the service Of 1880. which says
OF II:
From hrst to last the difficulties Of the life
savers and the perls which beset them never
slackened q moment. The wheels Of the cart.
In coast phrase. 'sanded down rapidly-that
Is. sank 80 quickly In the infltrated sol-that the
conveyance had to be kept the move lest It
should be lost. Often the cart had to be partial
ly unloaded and portions Of the apparatus car
ried by the to tighten II sufficiently to mako
progress possible and at other times the men
would have to fng themselves upon tho wheels
and hold them with all their strength to prevent
the cart from being capsized by the inequalit0s
Of the submerged ground or the overwhelming
inburst Of the sea rushing high over the axles
"The escapes were numerous. II was with
great difficulty that the men could keep their feet
in this constant onslaught and pelting Of drift
wood. But not man fell away or finched from
the work before him
mot the least difficult Of their tasks was that
Of keeping the lines. and especially the guns and
powder. dry in the universal drench around them.
and Il 10 diiicut to understand how they con-
trived It; for. aside from the number Of actual
hrings wherever momentary pause Of the YES
g oel as 0n0 BTaZeO OOtOu, OF u Blowing OF neI
motion. offered an opportunity for action at least
dozen times. and probably more the cart was
hurriedly unloaded on the nearest eminence. the
gun planted and the shot.line arranged for the
effort, when the wreck would suddenly roll away
upon her course and the men would have to 10
load the cart and toll on again after her. In this
way and with these Interruptions. they worked
down along tho beach to station No. ~ and .
quarter Of a mile beyond 1t. when q chance Of
fered for another shot; but the line parted. The
crew again moved stubborny on. It was now
noon, and suddenly the man so long seen hang.
ing in the rigging fell into the and was gone.
The crew still followed the vessel with unslack.
ened activity. Half an hour later they saw an.
other man drop lifeless from the ratnes
"Laboring forward now for the rescue Of the re-
naming five. they suffered misfortune In stag.
gering and hounderng through one OF the worst
sluiceways with the cart. the gun toppled OF into
the flood and was lost. desperate search was
made at once. and finally 1t was found In four or
hve feet Of water. fshed up and wiped dry. and
carried thenceforth by the stout keeper on his
shoulder. man was dispatched back to No. IL
for a dry shot.line. while the crew. moved on to
q point threequarters of mile below the sta
ton, where they got another chance to fire Q
shot. which, however. fell short. the tide having
forced the firing party farther and farther back
on the hills 40 they advanced. and the line. too.
being weighted with moisture.
'"The cart was again reloaded. and the march
resumed. mile below the station the man over
took them with the dry shot.lins and. chance of.
fering. the last shot was fred This time II was
. success! The line flew between the foremast
and the jib'stay. and. the cut sweeping the blight
Of the line in to the side OF the vessel the sailors
got hold OF It and fastened It to the fore and
main rigging
As the schooner still continued to drift and
roll. nothing could yet be done. but while the
greater part Of the force loaded up the cart and
trudged on with It, three or four kept fast hold
nj hQ NJ tho ahot.l md liant
with the wreck In leash. At the end OF another
quarter Of mile the vessel suddenly struck the
tide setting north. stopped. swung head offshore
and worked back to her anchors under the comb
Of the breakers. The time had come at last; and
the whip'line. with Its appurtenances. was bent
on to the shot-line hauled aboard, and made fast
by the tail Of the block to the mainmast head.
THE wreck now slued around broadside to the
sea and rolled frightfully. Tho hawser followed
the whpline on board. and the breeches-buoy
was rigged on. but the vessel rolled so that II
was impossible to set the hawser up on shore In
the usual manner 90 II was rove through the
bullseye in the sand.anchor. while several men
held on to the end to give and take with each roll
OF the vessel The work OF hauling the sailors
from the wreck was now begun with electric
ergy After two men were landed, the vessel
took the ground. but the circumstances increased
rather than diminished her rolling. and some con.
ception Of this powerful motion may be derived
from the fact that In one instance the breeches.
buoy with man In It swung in the otRshore roll
fully nifty feet In the air.
'"The strain and friction upon the hawser were
90 great that the lignumvitae bullseye through
which It ran at the sand-anchor. despite the hard.
ness OF the wood. was worn fully half an inch
deep during 80 minutes OF use. Within those 30
minutes. however. the hve men we're safely land
ed the last man getting out Of the buoy at half
past two"
And 80 closes the story Of that which In the
department at Washington. 10 spoken Of casually
10 "A nights work on the Jersey coast"