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T TTE MOnVINO J
J ESTABLISHED 18S0. INOORPOKATEDIBBB. V
j J.H. ESTIL.Ii. President. )
Kl 111
WHS
ft 0! i Sul
tel
Ashore Off Hunt
ing Island.
EVERYONE ON BOARD SAVED
The Women and Children
Taken Off in Boats.
The Others Lashed
to the Rigging.
Rescued bv the City
of Birmingham.
Tibi Mm inn Haul food
Of WOlßf. .
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
The, Vessel a Total
Loss.
The steamship City of Savannah is a
total wreck on Hunting Island breakers
off the South Carolina coast. Not a sin
gle life was lost. Part 'of the pas
sengers and crew reached here on the City
of Birmingham last night.
Twelve more, including the women
and children, are at Coffin Point
or St. Helena by the Sea, where
they were landed by the lifeboats
" hen there was no hope of rescue and the
destruction of the ship appeared certain.
The male passengers and crew were in
an exhausted condition when rescued by
the City of Birmingham, having been
forty-eight hours almost without food
and water clinging to the wreck and
about half that time lashed to the rigging.
WENT ASHORE MONDAY.
The steamer went ashore at 5 o’clock
Monday morning. The passengers who
reached shore by the life boats next day
were:
Dr. G. W. Lamar.
Mrs. Lamar and two children.
Miss Mary L. Hooker.
Mrs. Barrow.
Mrs. John Norman.
Ellen A. Norman.
Annie Love.
Mrs. C. Hooper.
Mrs. Ellen Wade.
Stewardess Old Jane.
They will be brought to Savannah to
day. The rescued by the City of Bir
mingham are:
D. A. Hooker.
May S. Hooker.
E. P. Hooker.
W. M. Connell.
Nathan Darrows,
J- MacDonald.
John Norman.
Edw. Prion.
Geo. Darlow.
John w. Armstrong.
John Wade and
E. A. Todd.
Gapt. George Savage.
First Officer Crowell.
Second Officer Stovoct.
Fcrser Sampson.
Engineer Graves.
" atching por the Birmingham.
Jhe news that the Birmingham was
oorr.ng up the river reached the city at 5
•clock, and soon everybody was rushing
He Jfeniu®
: towards the docks to see her go by. It
was a long time after that, however, be
fore she hove in sight, and during all that
time there were many eager, anxious peo
ple waiting to see her appear around the
bend in the river.
It was at first reported that she had
been seen at Tybee, by the means of a
strong glass, from the top of the city ex
change, but it was impossible to tell
whether that was the Birmingham or
some other vessel.
About 6 o’clock, however, she was seen
three or four miles down the river. This
was the report that brought everybody
that could get there down to the wharves.
The two masts of a vessel could be seen
coming slowly up the river, and those
who knew the ship said it was without
doubt the Birmingham.
cheers as she came dp the river.
The crowds began to gather thicker and
thicker on the wharves as she came
nearer into sight, and when she retched
the eastern end of the city which was
shortly before. 7 o’clock, she gave three
long and loud whistles, in response to a
cheer from those on the wharf, that could
be heard in the center of the city.
Along Savannah’s five miles of wharves
people were lined as thickly as they could
stand. They could hardly realize that
the Birmingham had succeeded in
weathering that fierce storm and was
coming up to her wharf. At every little
landing where the crowds were gathered
they cheered lustily, and Capt. Burg res
ponded with signals from his gong.
FIRST NEW3 FROM THE SAVANNAH.
A flag marked “CITY OP SAVAN
NAH” hung from the port side of the
Birmingham. What did it mean) was
the question everybody asked.
It seemed susceptible of only one con
struction. The passengers from the ill
fated Savannah were onboard. This fact
was not known until the vessel had al
most reached the exchange dock, but
when it was realized the cheers grew
louder and longer, and the sounds from
Captain Burg’s gong seemed to increase in
proportion.
As the Birmingham approached her
wharf everybody ran in that direction.
Fathers, brothers and friends were there
long before the vessel had been docked,
all waiting eagerly to welcome home
the precious freight which some of them
had almost given up as lost.
AT HEB DOCK.
Over a thousand people gathered on the
Central railroad wharf to see the vessel
land. Getting into dock is a slow work
for a big vessel like the Birmingham, and
it was especially so under the circum
stances, as she was not in the best con
dition after her fierce battle with the
waves, although a casual glance would
have given no indication whatever that
she had been anywhere near a storm.
She reached her dock about 7:30 o’clock,
but it was at least three-quarters of an
hour later before she had swung her star
hoard side around and the gangplank
was swung up.
A RUSH FOR THE GANGWAT.
There was a rush for the gangway, and
people were endeavoring to crowd into it
and onto the vessel and get the news from
the City of Savannah and the story of its
loss. The crowd had to be pulled back
by main force. It was finally got back
and the passengers began to land.
There was many a greeting that it
did the heart good to witness. The
passengers from the City of Savannah
who had been picked up by the Birming
ham were taken to the Do Soto, where
they were registered by Agent Anderson
of the Ocean Steamship Company.
The rescued at Coffin Point are at Sena
tor Don Cameron's place.
SCENE OF THE WRECK.
Hunting Island, where the City of Sa
vannah went ashore, is the easternmost
island of the sea islands of South Caroli
na, lying south of the entrance to St.
Helena Sound and east of Harbor Island
and St. Helena Island. It is ten miles in
length and from one to two miles in
width. Like all the outlying islands on
the South Atlantic coast, it is a succes
sion of sand dunes, with a stunted vege
tation. Its shoals extend seaward for 4 to 5
miles. The daugers of such shoals are
well known, and mariners always keep
well out to sea unless they are making au
intervening channel to get into port, and
only in such a cyclone as that which
raged on Sunday night, when human
hands were powerless, could such a dis
aster have overtaken the City of Sa
vannah.
BROADSIDE TO THE SEA.
The wrecked steamer is lying on the
south side of the breakers about three
miles from the beach, headed north
northeast, and listed to the starboard.
She is lying on her starboard side at an
angle of about 45 degrees and her decks
are faced towards the sea where they get
the full benefit of all the breakers that
come in towards the coast.
FIRST NEWS OF TIIE WRECK.
Capt. Peter Finney, of steamer Bessie,
which left last week for Beaufort and
St. Helena, rode out the storm at St.
Helena. He arrived here yesterday af
ternoon and was the first to bring the
news of the wreck of the Savannah. The
first tidings of the disaster reached St. He
lena Tuesday afternoon, by a boat
sent by Capt. Savage reporting the
wreck and asking assistance. The in
formation was at once sent to Beaufort
SAVANNAH, UA„ SDAY, AUGUST 3 I, IS!>3.
and the steam tug Bristol, Capt. Hop
kins, of the Phosphate Mining Company,
was ordered by Mr. Brotherhood to go
immediately to the assistance of the
I wrecked steamer.
When the Bristol arrived off Hunting
! Islaud it was found that the women and
children passengers had landed at Coffin
Point.
CAPT. SAVAGE A HERO.
Capt. Geo. Savage is the hero of the
hour, and everybody is singing hie
praises. The passengers of the wrecked
vessel declare that they were only saved
from certain death by bis judgment and
good management, and that they owe
their lives to him. It is hardly necessary
to say that he was the last to leave the
wrecked steamer.
Captain Savage was seen on board the
Birmingham, on her arrival here, by a
Morning News reporter, but was so used
up that he did not feel able to talk and
was hurried off to the De Soto by Agent
Anderson of the Ocean Steamship Cos.
Like all brave men, Capt. Savage is so
modest that his statement of the storm
and the wreck would appear very tame,
had not the passengers and others added
their accounts.
STORY OF THE VOYAGE.
The City of Savannah left Boston at 3
o’clock last Thursday afternoon with 20
passengers and a medium cargo consist
ing chiefly of shoes and furniture. The
vessel started out in a gale
and had heavy weather throughout. A
couple of empty life boats were passed
before reaching Hatteras, one appearing
to be from a whaling vessel and the other
a ship’s yawl, which had apparently just
been relieved of her crew. Hatteras was
passed at 3 o’clock Saturday in a heavy
sea from the southeast. The wind then
began to blow from the northeast and by
3 o’clock Sunday afternoon had increased
to a hurricane. Tae exact velocity of the
wind Capt. Savage could not tell. The
steamer was about off Charleston when
she was caught in the hurricane.
THE SHIP HOVE TO.
Capt. Savage ordered the ship hove to,
and the order was executed. Soon after
the first heavy wave struck her, taking
off the pilot house and sweeping clean
over the vessel. Capt. Savage, who was
in the pilot house at the time, was driven
back through the partition wall into his
own room in the rear. He was partially
stunned by the shock and his room was
filled with water, and for several minutes
he did not know whether he was over
board or on deck. He came out of this
flow apparently uninjured, but in an hour
afterward he was sore from head to
foot.
The gale continued all the afternoon
with increased force. At 8 o'clock Sun
day night the vessel shipped a sea that
carried the smokestack overboard. This
made the engines useless and rendered
the vessel entirely helpless and at the
mercy of the wind and waves. The water
poured down the smokestack into the en
gine room and flooded everything. The
cabins and the saloon had already been
washed out by the waves and the passen
gers were making out as best they might,
assisted all that was possible by the crew.
OAVE DP HOPE.
Capt. Savage kept the condition of the
vessel to himself and said nothing to the
passengers. He knew that there was
nothing to do but let the vessel drift until
she ran aground and that there was little
hope of a rescue. He ordered all sail set,
but the wind blew the sails away as fast
as they could be hoisted.
The Savannah was about 15 miles from
shore when she lost her smokestack, yet
she drifted all night before going
aground. Strange as it may seem,
Capt. Savage says the drift
ing was the easiest part of their ex
perience of the storm. The passengers
and crew were in comparative comfort,
and except for the apprehension there
was little to complain of. In fact, Capt.
Savage says most of the passengers were
asleep and had no idea of the danger they
were in. He did not wake them. There
was no sleep for the officers, however.
Capt. Savage’s anxiety was so great, ex
pecting every minute to hear the vessel
strike, that it was really a relief to him
when he felt the ground.
ALMOST AT HER VOYAGE’S END.
The ship was within seven miles of
Savannah when she was hove to.
Capt. Savage said he realized
six hours before the vessel
struck that she was certain to be swept
afliore unless the wind changed in her
favor, this being her only chance. She
drifted until 5 o’clock Monday morning
when she struck. The anchors were
thrown out at 3:3oo’clock. The soundings
showed six fathoms of water then and it
was realized that she would soon strike
bottom. The anchors had no effect, the
wind being too strong. The vessel began
pounding about 5 o’clock and lodged
about an hour afterward. While drifting
oil bags were put out to the windward
and proved of great effect. About
barrels of oil were used, resulting in
greatly decreasing the violence of the
waves.
FILLED AS SOON AS SHE STRUCK.
As soon as the vessel grounded Capt.
Savage ordered her filled with water to
hold her steady. The order was unnec
essary however, as she filled without aid.
She day sidewise to the shore with her
larboard side under water and the star
board side in the air. The passengers
were gathered on the starboard
side for safety. The vessel
lay about three miles from shore.
The storm continued with severity
Monday morning, and the sea soon began
to sweep over the decks. The passengers
realized their danger and behaved splen
didly. Capt. Savage says a braver set of
passenger he never saw. They could
not have behaved better, he says, if they
had been going to sea for 20 years. They
remained quiet, made no complaints and
obeyed the directions given them by the
crew for their safety.
The waves soon began to demolish the
vessel. The saloon quickly went. The
cabins were gutted entirely, and every-
thing on the starboard side was carried
away. That none of the passengers were
swept away seems a miracle. To the
good management of Capt. Savage and
liis crew their remnrkatile good fortune
may be attributed.
At 10 o'clock Monday morning Capt.
Savage sent a boat off for assistance.
The boat reached the shore and gave in
formation, as the tug Bristol
came out in the afternoon.
LASHED IN THE IUOGINO.
The passengers spent Monday night
lashed in the rigging. It was a terrible
night, especially for the women and child
ren. but all bore it bravely.
The waves dashed over them and death
was expected at every moment.
All they had to eat Monday, was some
herring, sardines, crackers and raw
turnips that were founu floating around
in the vessel. They would have been
without water entirely had not a barrel
of mineral water floated up out of the
stores. This was welcomed as a God
send.
Tuesday morning, nothing having been
heard from the boat that was sent out
the day before and the vessel
appearing likely to break up
at any moment, Captain Savage
determined to send the women and chil
dren ashoro. There were only two boats
left, three of the boats having been
washed away on Sunday night. These
were sufficient to accommodate only the
women and children, and it was deter
mined to send them and leave the male
passengers on the vessel.
MANNED THR ROATS.
Eight of the strongest sailors were pick,
ed'out, four for each boat, and the boats
were placed in command of First Officer
Crowell and Second Officer Stovout. The
women and children, nine in all, and the
stewardess were also put in the boats.
There being room for two more passen
gers, Dr. G. W. Lamar of Florida, but
formerly of Savannah, and another gen
tleman, were selected to go
with the party,' being strong
and able to render assistance to the sail
ors in managing the boats. The parting
between husbands and wives and fathers
and children under such circumstances,
when the probability was that they
would never see each other again, cannot
be described. The boats were watched
until they were out of sight.
As the sea had moderated somewhat,
there was little doubt in the minds of
those that remained on board that the
boats readied shore safely. Instructions
were given to the officers of the boats to
secure assistance if possible for those on
the steamer.
SIGHTED THF WRECK.
The City of Birmiui&aw hove in sight
about 6 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Capt.
Savage was on the watch for her, and at
tracted her attention by firing colored
signal lights. Capt. Berg quickly hove
the Birmingham to and sent
out two boats. The Birmingham
could not get nearer than
about four miles. The boats approached
the wreck about 8 o’clock, but eohld not
come up to it on account of the storm and
the darkness. They came up near
enough to be spoken from the wreck,
however. They were told that assistance
was needed at the earliest possible moment
and put back to the Birmingham with
the information. The wrecked passen
gers siient another night ing the rigging.
They had nothing to oat all day, the wa
ter had given out and they were utterly
exhausted. They could not have stood
the strain much longer, but they knew
that relief was at hand and that cheered
their hearts.
TIIE WORK OF RESCUE.
The Birmingham lay to all night and at
the first break of day yesterday morning
Capt. Burg sent out two boats well
manned to take off the wrecked passen
gers and crew. This was accomplished
in two trips, and by 12 o’clock
those who had stared death in the
face for thirty-six hours were
safe aboard the Birmingham. The only
regret then was that the women of the
party had been sent off before the Bir
mingham appeared. The number of
those taken aboard the Birmingham was
41, crew and passengers.
Capt. Burg, as kind hearted as he is
brave, and all the crew and passengers did
everything in their power for the un
fortunates. The first thing asked for by
the rescued was water. They felt the
want of this much more than that of food.
After their thirst had been satisfied they
were given food and ate the first hearty
meal they had had since Sunday at noon.
DESTITUTE OF EVERYTHING.
They were destitute of everything.
Their clothing, baggage and money had
been left on the ship, and they had no
thing but the bedraggled clothing they
had on. The kind hearted passengers
supplied them with everything, coats,
hats, shoes, shirts and everything needed,
draw ing freely upon their own stores to
do this.
The Birmingham weighed anchor and
steamed for Savannah at 1 o’clock, arriv
ing in Tybee roads, where she was sighted
from the Morning News building at 2:30
o’clock. She lay to for awhile there,
and then came up the river.
Captain Savage mado arrangements
last night by orders of Receiver Comer,
to leave this morning at 5 o’clock on the
tug H. M. C. Smith for St. Helena to
bring the party sent ashore in the boats.
The announcement made from the Morn
ing News office last night that the whoie
party was safe at St. Helena light-house,
was a great relief to the minds of all con
cerned.
CRAZED BY TnE EXCITEMENT.
About half the passengers on the City
of Savannah were Florida people.
Among the number were Mr. and Mrs.
Nathan Barrows, of Winter Park ; Rev.
E. P. Hooker, pastor of the Winter Park
Congregational church, and his son and
daughter: Mr. and Mrs. John Norman
and daughter, of DeLand, and Dr. E. A.
Todd, of Lawtey. Rev. Mr. Hooker is a
gentleman of past middle age. He was
so much nfleeted by the excitement and
exertions he had undergone that ho was
almost deranged and had not recovered his
mental equilibrium last night.
Mr. Barrows tolls a most graphic story
of his experiences in the wreck, as does
also Dr. Todd. They said that all hope
was given up by the passengers, and that
they had no idea of ever seeing land
again.
PRAISE FOR CAPT. SAVAGE.
All the gentlemen named testified unan
imously to the bravery and good judg
ment of Capt. Savage.
“It is to Capt. Savago-that we owe our
lives,” said Mr. Barrows. “Had it not
been for him we would not have been here
now. The confidence with which he in
spired us was remarkable, and prevented
anything like a panic. The conduct of
the crew was very ereditable throughout. ’ ’
They also spoke very highly of Capt.
Burg's conduct and the kindness of the
passengers and crew of the Birmingham.
Dr. Todd was as hearty ana jovial
when seen at the De Soto last night
as if he had never heard of a shipwreck.
“How did you like your trip,” ho was
asked.
“Well, if you think it is any fun being
tied up in a ship's rigging forty-eight
hours in a storm with nothing to eat but
raw turnips and no water to drink, you
had better try it at once.”
THE INSURANCE UNKNOWN.
It was impossible to get the estimated
valuation of the steamer or the amount
of insurance on the vessel and cargo.
Agent Anderson telegraphed Gen. Sorrel
last night to get the information, but up
to a late hour Itad not received a reply.
According to Capt. Savage's descrip
tion the steamship is a total loss. It is
possible that some of her cargo may be
recovered, but it will be in a badly dam
aged condition. All her deck work was
gone when the vessel was deserted and
her hold was filled with water. Whether
there wore any holes iin her bottom
could not be told.
An examination by experts will bo
made as soon as possible to ascertain her
exact condition.
The value of the City of Savannah
could not have been less than $250,000 and
her cargo probably half that amount.
TWO TERHIBLE DAYS.
An Experience that Never Will be
Forgotten. f
Mr. William Council, a nephew of Ed
ward H. Gay nor, treasurer of the At
lantic Contracting Company, was one of
the passengers on the ill-fated steamer.
His story of the departure
from Boston, the duration and fury of
the storm, the beaching of the steamer,
the perfunctory attempt at rescue, and
dually the triumphant rescue by the
City of Birmingham, is thrilling
in the extreme. He took but
a passive part in the rescue, being a pas
senger, but his eulogy of Captains Savage
and Berg and the officers and crews of the
two steamers was of the highest and
well-merited.
TWO TERRIBLE DAYS AND NIGHTS.
For two days and two nights the pas
sengers and crew slept on the decks and
in the rigging, and during all that period
not a complaint was made by any of the
passengers, nor did the members of the
crew remit for an instant their almost
superhuman efforts to save the passengers
and the ship.
Mr. Connell states that when the
steamer left Boston last Thursday there
were indications of a storm, and the
papers predicted a slight southeas
terly wind. After leaving Boston not h
ing of any importance transpired until
Sunday at dinner time. While
seated at the table the ship gave a lurch
and Capt. Savage was thrown from his
chair to the floor. He quietly excused
himself with the remark that he was
needed on deck; on deck he went, and as
it proved he never came back to the
dining room again. The rest of the pas
sengers finished dinner but were in no
ways disturbed by the captain's with
drawal. The seas were then running
high and looked nasty.
TUB PILOT HOUSE TORN AWAY.
At 4 o’clock the deck was struck by
a heavy sea which came over the bow,
tearing away the pilot house and washing
Capt. Savage from his po3t, through his
own state room, into the smoking room
where Mr. Connell was at the time. Both
were washed out of the smoking room, the
whole upper deck at this point being de
molished. The seas began to rise higher
and higher after this, and were being
shipped at regular and frequent intervals.
Between 6 and 8 o'clock a tremendously
heavy sea carried away the smokestack,
and immediately after that the steam
whistle was knocked off, allowing the
water to come through the dismantled
stack and the steam to escape.
PREPARED FOR THE WORST.
This was the most unfortunate occur
rence up to this time, and Capt. Savage
immediately foresaw the inevitable
and tried to prepare things for tho
worst. Fortunately the fires were not
quenched and tho engineer of the
steamer, being equal to tho emergency, by
skillful and intelligent work under the
most adverse conditions, succeeded in
plugging the pipe, preventing the escape
of the steam. Although the water that
found its way to the engine room through
the disabled smokestack aid not succeed
in wholly quenching the fires, Capt. Sav
age hoisted sail. It was impossible to get
up enough steam to work the steamer
with on account of tho short smokestack
affording no draught.
At 8 o’clock the skylights, windows and
doors were smashed in, and the water
rushing in through the openings soon
filled the floor of the main saloon to a
depth of from one to two feet.
TRIED TO CALM THE WAVES.
The steamer rode the seas all that
night, and Capt. Savage resorted to the
use of oil to calm the waves, which were
dashing over the vessel and threatening
to engulf her every moment. Finding he
was drifting to leeward all the time, he
threw out his anchors, which did not take
j hold, but dragged. Tho steamer was
tossed up and down at the mercy of tho
waves until daylight, when she struck
about three miles from shore.
It was then Monday and all that
day was spent by the pas
sengers on deck. Tho day was a
beautiful one, brightand sunny. Expect
ing succor from Savannah or Port Royal
any hour of the day, the passengers mude
the best of their deplorable situation.
The women and children slept on deck.
LAY ON HER SIDE.
The stranded steamer lay on her star
board side, the port side, of course, being
uppermost, on which the passengers made
themselves as comfortable* as possible in
the passage-way between ttie line state
rooms and the bulwarks. There were sixty
five of them all huddled together,including
the officers and crew. As night came on sig
nals of distress 'were sent up and colored
lights were burned. No assistance coming
to them that day or night, nearly all hands
took to the rigging, where they lashed
themselves, and tho rest of them shel
tered themselves on the port side of tho
vessel, in the most convenient places to
be found.
Early on Monday morning two quarter
masters and a boatswain launched one of
the life-boats and tried to reach shore
to procure assistance. They were unable
to return to the wreck and it was feared
they were lost, but it was afterwards as
certained that thoy saved themselves.
FUT ON THF LIFE BOATS.
On Tuesday morning, after spending a
horrible night in the rigging and on deck,
all of the women and children on board
wore transferred to two of the life-boats,
with a crew sufficient to man them, and
under command of tho first and second
officers respectively, set out for the
shore. The distance was so great, the mist
so thick, and the seas so high that those
remaining on the wreck were unable to
learn whether the boats did or did not
reach laud. It was not until they arrived
in the city last night that they learned
that the wanderers were safe and sound
on St. Helena Island.
From the moment the steamer stranded
she began rapidly to disintegrate. The
plates were starting, tho woodwork
breaking, and the cargo in tho hold, be
coming dislodged, began to drift away.
The hold wus filled with water; the star
board side was completely vvreuchod out,
and she began to break amidships.
TOOK TO THE RIGGING.
Tuesday night, all the women and
children being away in the two lifeboats,
the men remaining took to tho rigging
and lashed themselves there. They were
in u despondent mood when they climbed
ttie starboard rigging that night, and in
spite of their dejection and suffering,
some of the passengers went to sleep
lashed fast to the rigging, many of them
so low-spirited that they did not cure
whether they ever woke again. This
state of affairs was caused by the strange,
unaccountable, and apparently inhuman
conduct of the master of a tug boat hov
ering in that vicinity.
About 3 o'clock on Tuesday aft
ernoon a tug boat, whose smoke
stack was encircled witli a white
band, apparently from Port Royal, came
toward tho wreck with flags
flying, with all the outward
evidence of coming to the assistance
of the castaways. So confident were
they that this tug boat would rescue
them that everybody on deck collected
his little baggage together and made
preparations to leave. All was joy and
the experience of the preceding night and
day were talked over and made light of.
WANTED THE CAPTAIN’S AUTOGRAPH.
A little incident that happened at this
time will show how the captain felt, and
the captain reflected the feelings of every
man. Mr. Connell during tho day found
drifting with the flotsam one of Honore
Balzac's works, “The Comedy of Human
Life,” a little piece of irony. Mr. Con
nell, while in the rigging passed away
some of the dreary hours in reading this
work, and dcsirim? to retain it as a
souvenir of a thrilling episode in his
career, passed it to Capt. Savage with the
request that he write his autograph on
the fly leaf. Capt. Savage wrote in pen
cil in the place indicated his name and
underneath, “Wrecked off St. Helena
Island, August 28, 1823.” To intelli
gently understand the actions of the
tugboat master, the surroundings of
tho wreck must be known. What was
left of the City of Savannah was resting
in a bight with the breakers on both her
starboard and port sides and at the stem.
Leading to her bow there was a clear and
safe channel cut to the sea with a least
depth of 24 feet. The tugboat circled
around the breakers, raising the hopes of
the shipwrecked men to the highest pitch,
and finally sailed away to the northward,
leaving those behind to their fate. The
tugboat never got nearer to the wreck
than two miles.
THEIR IIOPFS DASHED.
The hopes already raised were
dashed away by the retreat of
the tugboat, and every one gave up in
despair. Captain Savage, who kept up his
courage to the highest pitch
up to this moment, abandoned all
expectations of being rescued, as the ves
sel was then rapidly going to pieces and it
was doubtful w hether she could survive
the night.
Tuesday about sundown the City of
Birmingham was sighted coming from
ttie northward and Capt. Savage signaled
her. Capt. Berg responded by casting
anchor at a safe distance and sending a
boat containing four men, in charge of
First Officer Johnson, 'frith the informa
tion that he could do nothing for them
that night, but would stand by all night
and begin the work of rescue in the morn
ing. This was all that any mortal could
do, as it would bo folly and suicidal to
make the attempt in the dark.
It was so rough that the boat from the
City of Birmingham could come only
within hailing distance, but Officer Johu
son assured Capt. Savuge that he would
I DAILY. 110 A YEAR
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I WEEKLY, |1 2d A YEAR
do all that could bo done in the morning.
However, the wreck was in such a shaky
condition that those on board of it be
lieved it could not hold together until the
morning. With nothing to eat for the
forty-eight hours preceding, exhausted
and starving, they lashed themselves
again in the rigging, and to their great
surprise founa the wreck still holding to
gother at daylight on Wednesday morn
ing, and the City of Birmingham at an
chor only a few miles away.
SENT lIIS LIFE BOATS.
Capt. Borg sent two lifeboats to the
Savannah at daybreak and on the first
trip brought away all the passengers.
Returning again both boats carried
away all of tho officers and crew.
One of thy boats was in command
of the first officer and the other of tho
second. It took skillful seamanship to
transfer the men, but the task was ac
complished without tho slightest acci
dent of any kind.
Mr. Connell reached tho City of Bir
mingham about 1 o’clock, half starved,
but grateful. Ho was the only passenger
of the Savannah that saved his traveling
bag It being on deck, floating around in
the water, Capt. Savage threw it in tho
boat after him. Mr. Connell also saved
Balzac’s “Comedy of Life.”
TnE LAST TO LEAVE THE SHIP.
Capt. Savage was the last man to leave
the wreck of tho Savannah, aud ho took
leave of the good old ship with sorrow.
In the last boat a white cat, with one
blue eye and one brown eyo was brought
over. Capt. Savage took with him his
chronometer and sextant, which were
close at hand. It wus about 12 o'clock
when the Birmingham hoisted her an
chors and sailed for Savannah, with
thirty-eight men from the Savannah and
a shipwrecked crew of eight picked up
before reaching St. Helena Island.
Mr. Connell spoke in terms of the high
est praise of the conduct of Captain Sav
age und his crew during the ordeal
through which they passed. They worked
as mortuls never worked before for three
days and three nights, with scarcely any
thing to eat, without a murmur of com
plaint. There was no panic of any kind
among the passengers, and even when the
Savannah struck with a crash the mem
bers of the crew wore stolid and stood at
their posts awaiting orders from
their captain. Mr. Council is
warm in his praiso of the heroic conduct
of Capt. Burg and tho rescuing party
from tho Birmingham. Even after all
the rescued were safe on board, the officers
of the Birmingham furnished them with
clothes. No baggage was saved from
tho wreck of tho Savannah, with the ex
ception of Mr. Connell's grip. Mr. Con
noil is now at tho Pulaski House and
was kept busy last night receiving tha
congratulations of his friends.
SEEMED LIKE A SIMOON.
A Succession of Storms Aligthe Way
From Boston.
Dr. John MacDonald, of the marina
hospital service in Boston, and Mr.
George Darlow, a bioyelo manufacturer
of Boston, two of th<‘ passengers on the
ill-fated ship, came up to the Pulaski
house as soon as the Birmingham had
landed at her dock. They were seen by a
Morning News reporter in their room
last night and gave a detailed account of
tho terrible hardships of the passengers
and crew.
“We had a succession of storms,” said
Mr. MacDonald, “striking a southern
galo from the start. In fact the gales
were so heavy outside Boston Just after
leaving that at supper that night only
four of the passengers could come
down. The gales continued
during the entire voyage until Sunday
morning about 11 o'clock, whon the City
of Savannah struck tho cyclone itself.”
Mr. MacDonald said it seernod to him
like a simoon. Most of the passengers
who were about as sick as they ever get
to be, remained in their staterooms. Only
three or four were in the cabin.
THE CABIN DOORS SMASHED.
The ship sailed along all right until
between 8 and 7 o’clock Sunday night,
when the waves dashed against the cabin
on the starlioard side with such terrific
force as to break away doors and shut
ters from their hinges. Then it was that
the water began to pour through and
everybody on board realized that they
were in imminent danger.
All hands, passengers and crew, at least
all of them who were able to he p, began
bailing out tlie water, which poured into
the cabin on the starboard side in immense
quantities. The hold of the vessel for
tunately did not take any water until
after the vessel had been thrown upon tha
shoals, but it was all they could do up to
that time to keep it bailed out of tha
cabin.
Thus working and hoping that they
could in some way save their lives, and
perhaps the ship, they kept this up until
after midnight.
THE SMOKESTACK CARRIED AWAY.
“Sunday morning between 12 and 1
o’clock,” said Mr. MacDonald, “a terrific
wave struck the vessel, carrying away
her smokestack and steam pipes, which
were broken off even with the boiler. Tha
passengers and the crew who were in
the cabin bailing out the water knew
nothing of this for sometime afterwards.
They heard the steam escaping and knew
that some accident had happened, but just
what it was they could not tell. They
kept on with their work bravely,
using every effort and doing all they
could to keep the ship afloat.
“The engineer made a wooden plug
for the steam pipe, but it took so long
to fix it that almost all the steam had es
caped from the boiler before he could
stop it. Every wave that crossed the
vessel poured down these openings,
struck the boiler and put out the fires.
The passengers realized that the north
east sea was heaving the ship to the
southward, and that the wind was blow
ing her in to the shore. The engines
were kept going, however, for sometime
after tlie smokestack had been taken