The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-11-08

/ was seen safe landed. The last boat
that landed, left IL passengers on
4 board. The, crew had much Difficult
ty in getting her back, and would
not have succeeded, had it not been
for the kedge previously run out
about 200 fathoms, with buoy and
a hauling line to the stea mboat.
Every man now refused to make
further attempts to land. We got
on deck 10 or is tons of coal. which
was thrown overheard at high
water, and the boat forced as high
as possible, with view to making
her lie as easy as possible, hoping
that she might not bilge. During
/ the night it blew with great vio-
lence.
Tuesday 18th. All this day the
gale continued, shifting to E.S.E.
rendering it impossible for any
boat to land from on board the
I; steamboat. During the evening, she
commenced leaking very fast, and
before we could succeed in getting
all the baggage and freight on
deck, the water had risen to the
lower berths, consequently some
articles of baggage and freight got
wet, and some broken in the hurry
of moving it about, the sea then
making a breach over us. Toward
midnight wind shifted to the west
ward, when it was expected that
the boat would be driven off and
go to pieces, and she was only pre-
vented from this by her sheet an
Choir having been previously let go
in position to guard against a
shift of the wind. On Wednesday
morning the gale abated, but the
sea was very rough. To guard
against any act of intemperance,
which had then become visible, 1
had requested the bar keeper to
destroy everything in the bar that
would cause intoxication, which
request he complied with: but it /,
had not the desired effect, as it
proved afterwards the firemen had
quantity of gin in jugs hid in
their rooms. In the course of the
forenoon, we landed the remainder
of our passengers and most of the
baggage and freight, with a guam
tity of provisions. such as hams,
tongues, poultry, etc. ready cooked
for the occasion. / then went on
shore myself for conveying pas
sengers with their baggage to Chi
camacomico. Toward the evening l
returned to the boat, and had as
many articles sent on shore as cir
cumstances would admit. l found
the deck strewn with paper, hav-
ing the appearance of wrappers of
goods and many letters broken
open, and many were found in the
firemen's berths, supposed to have
been put there for the purpose of
opening. All the afternoon and eve
ming the firemen and assistant
engineer were very much excited
with liquor, and in state uncon-
trollable, without danger of lives
being lost. They were armed with
knives, etc., and made many
threats and attempted to put them
in execution. Not one of them,
however, or any one of the boats
crew, did attempt to commit any
depredations or plumber on the
freight or passengers baggage in
my presence, nor was any trunk
cut open to my knowledge, except
Mr.. Kerrison's who had lost his
key, and requested Mr.. Andrews to
open it for him, which he did in
his presence, by cutting open the
top. Many of the passengers
trunks, no doubt, We're rifled by
the crew. lost, myself, the greater
part of my clothing.
Thursday morning, at day light,
the I'd engineer, with the firemen
and Mr.. Andrews, took the boat
and went on board the wreck,
where it is thought they had prop
erty secreted. / abandoned the YES
sci, with all then saved of her. to
the deputy commissioner, and as
soon as practicable, myself, Chief
Engineer and Steward, took the
gig and started to Squire Midyett's,
with a view of obtaining legal au-
thority to have the crew arrested,
/ having been informed their in
tention was to defend themselves.
on board the steamboat. However,
/ had been gone but short time,
when the I'd engineer and his fire.
men. five in number) started for
Elizabeth City, in one of the boats,
where they arrived and offered
sundry articles for sale, as have
been informed.
"As regards the loss of the
steamboat, / do not altogether deny
the charge, that it was caused, as
g