The coastland times., 1959-06-26


| altogether it snapped in twain, the
sudden jerk throwing the mate
from the jib-boom into the surf.
The man was at once swept by
the current to the southwark, along
the shore. Seeing his peril, three
surfmen quickly donned their cork
life-belts and followed down the
beach to a point three hundred
yards distant, where by venturing
out until the surf actually broke
over their heads they succeeded in
catching him and bringing him
ashore. He was pretty well ex-
hausted when rescued but stoutly
refused to go to the station until
he could see his shipmates also
safe on land.
Second Attempt Required
The schooner once started from
where she first struck now began
working along the bar to the
southwark and ere long the tail
of the whip-block also parted,
thus for the time completely sew
ering connections with the beach.
The life-saving crews quickly haul
ed the lines out of the surf, and
after clearing them of turns and
kinks, reloaded the cart and moved
along abreast of the schooner,
watching an opportunity to again
use the gun. 1t soon came and the
line was once more dropped within
reach of the people on board.
At this time the schooner was
lying parallel with the beach, head
to the northward, having turned
completely around, since leaving
her first position. The whip was
again hauled off and the tail-block
made fast as before, to the flying
jib-stay. When this was done the
beachmen, as precautionary
measure, sent off four life pre-
servers. Three of them were Sc
cured and put on by the steward
and two seamen, who were thus
made comparatively safe. The
other life-preserver fouled in the
wreckage alongside and was lost,
leaving one man, the captain, with
out any. 1t was extremely fortu-
nate that even three of the belts
reach them, for they were scarcely
in their possession when the
schooner again swung around with
the same result as before, viz the
parting of the line.
At the time it broke one of the
sailors had just started in an at
tempt to reach the beach hand over
hand on the line He was of course,
thrown into the surf, but by great
good luck managed to retain his
grasp until quickly drawn ashore
by the lifesaving crews. He was
slightly injured by contact in the
surf with floating lumber from the
deck load, but little brandy from
the medicine chest soon revived
him.
AS soon as the lines were re-
arranged, another shot was fired.
The schooner changed her position
so rapidly, however, that the line
fell beyond reach of those on
board. 1t was quickly hauled back
and the fourth fire dropped it
once more on the head stays. In
the meantime the vessel was fast
becoming a wreck. The stern had
been burst in and the water along
side and to leeward was thickly
strewn with lumber and wreck
stuff. Scarcely had the remaining
men in the rigging secured the
shot line for the third time when
it was cut by contact with the
floating wreckage.
| Two Men Overheard
With praiseworthy perserver.
ance the surfmen again hauled
back the broken line, and after
changing end for end, again shot
it over the vessels jib-boom.
The blight of it, as the current
swept it alongside, was secured
by the sailors in the rigging, but
they We're so benumbed and stiff
and in such an awkward position
their efforts to haul out the whiE
line failed. AS the situation became
more and more critical, two mel
who had life-preservers on hae
resolved to attempt swimming to
the beach, leaving the captain
alone in the rigging.
| They had scarcely left her when
the schooner fell on her side. II
should be remembered that during
all this time she had kept steadily
in motion, preserving the same rel.
ative distance from the shore
with a mad whirl of waters be-
tween, which would have swampet
any boat attempting to leave the
beach. The two men, buoyed upon
the crests of the waves by the cork.
belts, gradually worked themselves
shoreward and were at last thrown
within reach of the surfmen, who
| joining hands, waded out as fal
as possible, grasped them and car
Il .I u. Il n. n 4 n. =.