The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-22

fered assistance. On tho larboard
side 1t was impossible to launch the
three life-boats because of the high
seas running there. However. orders
were issued and the three boats of the
starboard were lowered. One of these
boats was capsized when it was low
cred. Another of the boats ran
against the side Of the tug and was
smashed. However. the bottom held
until the men were taken on board
the Wellington when it gave way and
dropped out, the boat Immediately be-
ing washed away.
Quartermaster Epperson was placed
IN command OF the third boat. the
largest and strongest Of the three.
This boat had four-horse motor en-
gine which was the means of saving
about one hundred men Of the Hec-
tor. Epperson was placed at the
tiller, another man at the painter. or
rope, and the third man was in charge
OF the engine. These men ran their
boat up under the stern of the Hector
and about twenty men were let down
into the boat. The trip was then
made to the Wellington. which stood
by all the time and hove to as they
approached. In order to take on board
the men from the life boat. They
could not go too near the Wellington
and the men were taken on board ono
at time, until all were on board
Each man tied the rope from the Hec-
tor about his waist and as the Hec-
tors boat passed on the crest of q
wave, the man was picked up and
pulled on board. This took time and
the men in charge of the boat had to
exercise the greatest vigilance all Of
the time to keep their boat away from
Ithe Wellington. but at the same time
bring it up close. so that the men
could be taken or It.
Four trips were made by the life
boat. Each time it came up under
the stern OF the Hector and the men
dropped over its sides into the life i.
boat. All this took much time and tho
four trips consumed nearly three
hours and the men in the boat were
nearly exhausted. when the fourth trip
was completed. All the while the
wellington had been lowering about
the Hector, unable to approach close,
as she was afraid that she too might
be smashed upon the reef which had
been the Hector's undoing. She was
about two miles off at times, while
at other times she approached up to
within a quarter Of q mile to the Hec-
tor. At the conclusion Of the fourth
trip the men in charge of the life boat
ere almost exhausted and it was
feared that they could not make an
other trip and take off the captain and
other twenty-one men still left on the
bow of the Hector. All of the men,
however, had been removed from the
stern of the big collier. At this time
the life boat was deserted and through
the megaphone Captain Newell of the
Hector and his men were notified that
other vessels were coming to their
rescue, and that the tug would pull
out for Charleston. One hundred and
eleven men had been saved by Epper-
son and his comrades and twenty.one
and the captain were left on the bow
Of the boat
During the rescue of the men the
storm had somewhat abated, but
heavy swells were still running and
the men were never out Of danger for
a single minute. Later Friday night
the light house tender Cypress, in an
swer to the calls of the Wellington.
which In the meantime had given the
accurate location of the Hector, stood
off and her search light revealed the
Hector. She sent q life line aboard
the Hector and the men who were
left on board were all taken on the
cypress, the captain, in his neatest
dress and with suit case in hand. be-
ing the last man to leave his shin.
The rescue by the Cypress was not ac-
companied by the danger which had
attended the rescue by the life boat,
as the Cypress was fitted out for this
work and her searchlights showed
just what was to be done, while there
were no searchlights when the life
boat was making it's trips. The storm
had further abated and the waves
were not so high, nor beating with
the same great force as previously.
The men when they were rescued
were mostly In undershirts and ding
aree trousers, Overalls, and this was
nj tnsI