The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1912-06-13


was recognized by those on shore, Surfman Pot.
ter leaped to his assistance. only to be himself
unfooted and flung on 20 a floating mass of drift
AS he lay there struggling to get to his feet the
hse suddenly tautened in the current and falling
. across his breast held him pinioned under water
For fully minute he lay there helpless In sight
Of HIS comrades and slowly drowning. At last
nearly dead, wave washed him free.
Meantime one Of the two sailors was torn from
his hold on the rope and washed ashore uncon.
scious Surfman Ferguson went for the other
and brought him IN Surfman lockwood rescued
the fourth man
And SO, one by one, In grim hand-tohand com,
bat with the storm the OF the wrecked brig
were rescued. Hours later she was boarded In
the surfboat. In the cabin, lying in his bunk,
a pistol bullet through his head, they found the
captain. He had been part owner of the vessel,
and when he had seen that she was lost, he had
gone below, scrawled note In Spanish saying
he was ruined, and shot himself.
While the men Of Station No. were battling
at these two wrecks those Of Station No were
rescuing seven men and the captains wife from
the threemasted schooner Stephen Harding.
While five miles off shore the Harding had been
in collision with the schooner Kate Newman,
which had gone down with all hands, save one
man. who the vessels came together leaped
over the bulwarks OF the Newman on to the deck
of the Harding
At the time Stations Nos IL and 12 we're
waging one OF the grimmest and gamest fights
against masterful odds in the history OF the
service
This struggle at the wreck Of the schooner
George Taulane. The night before the big storm
she was OF Navesnk, running steadily in the
growing wind. An hour found the snow shutting
thick over the rim OF the sea, and the gale in
creased to a hurricane. II was two in the morn
ing when the craft found herself in distress At
that hour the deck load OF lumber piled h h.
broke loose. The terrific roll of the schooner
In the high sea sent huge timbers tumbling about
her decks, making It almost impossible for the
crew to stay above hatches. Twenty minutes
later fire was discovered on board Flames shot
AFT from the forecastle, igniting the deck load
With her progress somewhat arrested toward
shore by the dragging anchors. the Taulano be-
gan drifting parallel to the shore. getting in close
TO Il very slowly. At this time she was dscov-
cred by the life savers OF Station No. II.
This crew. leaving beach apparatus behind
and knowing that lifeboat could live in the
breakers, followed the craft she drifted along
the coast, calculating that she would ground near
Station No, IL and depending on that station for
apparatus. Shortly afterward the wreck was seen
by Keeper Chadwick of Station IL, who ordered
out his crew with beach cart and gun.
At this time the vessel was about halfway be-
tween the two stations. On side the Of
Station IL were following her along the beach;
on the other the crew OF No. ~ coming In to
meet her.
1t was between nine and ten o'clock when the
two crews met. The horses that had started
with the beach cart OF the men from Station IL
had refused to ford the slulces between the hills
and had been left behind the men dragging the
cart themselves. The helpless Tauane was then
still holding of the bar by her dragging anchors,
and st drifting along shore The two life-sav-
ing crews now Joined forces in a strange and ter
rible battle.
The vessel was 400 yards off shore her men
in her rigging, the seas breaking and tumbling
white all over her hull. But she was still moving
steadily surely alongshore her keel free OF the
sand.
The life savers at once placed the surf gun
and a line which fired fell across the Tau.
lane out OF reach of her shipwTecked crew Be
fore another could be fired the vessel had drifted
southwark out OF range.
Loading the gun and apparatus into the beach
cart, the two llfe-saving crews started after her
alongshore, laboring manfuly in the sand and
aooded sluioes to keep pace with the drift of the
vessel to leeward. In order 10 do this they were
Obliged TO proceed at what was almost a run
After twenty minutes Of breathless work they
We're again opposite her the gun was once more
planted. and another shot fired
AT this portion OF the beach the sand dunes
were low, and the only point Of vantage from
which the gun could be shot was the top OF the
knolls, The knoll on which the effort was made
was In an indentation IN the shore making IL
farther from the vessel, and, the line being wet
and heavy, II failed TO reach the Taulane
Once more the crews Of Stations IL and I2
loaded the heavy beach cart aud staggered on
after the fast drifting schooner. As the chase
led TO the south. the conditions on the beach
became worse. The surf washed in higher. the
sluices became more numerous and the dry sand.
dune tops further separated.
The next dry hill was 400 yards farther on.