Year: 1870

Fearful shipwrecks on the Stetson House


Wednesdays storm, though short, was ter
rife. 1t began about daybreak, ragged for several
hours with undiminished strength, and died
away as suddenly as it had arisen at about $50
A. NJ. At Long Branch the beach in front of
the famous Stetson House was the scene of
thrilling interest Several vessels intending to
make Sandy Hook, which is about seven miles
from Long Branch, were suddenly caught by the
gale, which blew with tremendous violence right
on the land. A large schooner from Portland,
which was thus cornered, was watched impa-
tenty from the shore. The wind carrying away
her gaff and foretopsai the captain seemed to
realize the impossibility of rounding the point
so he turned her bow straight for the beach,
and steered her right on shore in front of the
Stetson House, the scene of so much summer
gayety. The surf was laundering on the beach
in three serricd lines, the foam-topped


WALL OF WATER


rearing itself TO a height of at least eighteen
feet. The giant waves broke over the stranded
vessel and the men were in immnent danger of
freezing to DEATH When, however, the storm
hospitable farm house, where they were fully
restored. The vessel was from Kingston,
Jamaica, bound for New York. and was loaded
with coffee and logwood. The cargo is all
sound, and the hull is uninjured but is buried
six feet in the sand. Mr.. Green, the wrecking
master, is in temporary charge.


Another schooner went ashore near the old
Ocean House. The captain, finding that he
could not weather the Hook, resolved to anchor,
but such was the fury of the combined winds
and waves that he was dragged broadside on
the beach, and there the vessel grounded, the
waves


WASHING OVER HER IN VAST SHEETS,
and breaking her to pieces. She was laden with
cordwood which drifted ashore in immense
quantities, and lines the beach. Her crew of
six men were all lost. They were seen endea-
voring to get out boat, but it was swamped
and stove against the side of the vessel its frag-
ments drifting to the shore. The men became
frozen and their lifeless bodies were seen
washing about among the debris and wreck OF
the vessel. One man climbed the rigging to
escape the furious peltng of the waves, but he
was drenched with torrents of spray, and be-
came stiffened like wooden block. His frozen
fingers were broken from their grasp, and the
inanimate mass of icy humanity would have
fallen on deck, but his foot caught in the
rigging, suspending him head downward. AS
the shrieking demons of the storm hurled the
unconscious body to and fro broken spar,
riding on the angry tide,


SNAPPED THE HEAD FROM THE TRUNK,
and 1t fell into the swash on the ice side of the
doomed vessel, and drifting with the waves, it
was seemingly made plaything by the surf,
bounding backwards and forwards between the
triple lines of foam. The captain was New
Yorker named Daniel Anderson; there were also
two other New Yorker5 in the crew, Captain
Chambers, and a man nicknamed Dumb Bill.
The mate was German. The vessels name was
James III. Hoyt


TWO PILOT BOATS WENT ASHORE


some distance below the James II. Hoyt. A
wrecking vessel from New York Is working at
them, and will probably save them.