The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-01-21

| Il
Mrs. Murray Tells Story.
Only Survivor of the Ill Fated
Yacht Julia Floated in Wa
ter Two Hours---While in
the Water Mrs. Murray
Told Mr.. Dodson to Grab
Her Life-Preserver -- He
Feared to Drag Her Down
Said Good Bye and Sank.
New Bern, Jan. 18-Heartbroken
and physically ill from being two
hours adrift in the water of Shoals
Point river, Mrs. j. w. Murray, the
only survivor of the ill-fated yacht
Julia, which set sail last Wednesday
from Norfolk en- route to Beaufort
with Mr.. and Mrs. j. w. Murray, of
Burlington, Mrs. WE. Porch, of Beau
fort, and G. P. Dodson, of Norfolk,
on board, and which burned to the
waters edge early Friday morning
off Long Shoal Point, arrived in New
Bern today at noon on board of the
United States revenue cutter Pam
leo, which had been on the scene
since Saturday afternoon assisting
in the search for the bodies of the
victims
Accompanying Mrs. Murray were
Solicitor Charles L. Abernethy, of
this city, and C. Brown Cox, of Bur-
lington, who was an associate of Mr..
Murray and who hurried to the
scene as soon as he learned of the
accident The party were beseiged
by the curious as soon as they
landed from the boat, all anxious to
hear the first actual story of the &C.
cident.
Mrs. Murray, the only survivor,
old of the catastrophe in detail. She
,aid, 1T is hard matter for me to
ell just what happened. Thursday
hight we reached point which Gus
avus P. Dodson, from whom Mr..
Murray had purchased the Julia,
aid was Long Shoal Point, and we
lropped anchor about two and a
alf miles from small island. We
II retired about 1890 or II o'clock
nd the next thing that I remember
1as hearing some one strike match
nd then I found myself going
trough the window of the opposite
lde of the boat from that on which
had been lying In going out |
rasped a life preserver which was
n top of the cabin and held on to
lis.
II saw Mr.. Murray pick up Mrs.
orch whose garments were on fire
nd throw her into the water and
len jump overheard himself. That
as the last time | saw them. |
lanaged to get the life preserver
lught around my body and was
oating easily. In a few minutes
Nv Mr.. Dodson come floating down
ward me. / called to him to take
I'D of my life preserver and save
mself. But he was afraid that if
, did this we would both sink He
Id me good bye and then sank be-
W the surface.
How long I floated around l can
It say, it seemed like ages but my
scuers say it was two hours. Any
ny, after a while saw boat COM
: and soon I was picked up. This
at was owned by Capt. Midyett;
10 was a member of a party of
hermen of the island nearby. At
: they placed me in the boat they
arched around for the others but
uld find no trace of them. They
en- carried me to the island where
vas given restoratives and wrap
d in warm blankets and was then
rried over to Englehard.
The accident was horrible and
At awful night will never be for
ten by me-"
Mrs. Murray's story clears up all
,culation as to how the accident
opened. Some one struck match.
is caused the gasoline to ignite
d to set the boat on fire. The
ks did not explode at first and it
8 not until the vessel had burned
rope cable in two and floated
wn stream that they burst. The
lft had then burned to the waters
&c and this accounts for the fact
1T only one piece of window frame
the only part of the boat found.
arch for the bodies has not been
zen up and will not be until they
2 found. Mrs. Murray was not
sxasa.moA