wrecks. 345 



the most appalling sight I ever witnessed. Of what was 

 but a few hours before a noble iron ship of eight hun- 

 dred tons, the stern only was left. Her cargo, masts, 

 and spars were being tossed about in terrible confu- 

 sion; the d6bris was scattered along the beach for three 

 miles; the sea was terribly savage, and I never saw it 

 in greater majesty than on that morning. A few feet 

 from the bluff I picked up the body of a young man in 

 a nude state, who was then warm; but life was extinct. 

 It was afterward ascertained that this was the young 

 second officer of the ship on his first voyage. He had 

 but recently graduated with high honors at the Ham- 

 burg Naval School, of whom his poor old mother wrote 

 me afterward, 'He was a pious, good son, who always 

 bore love for his mother in his eye and heart, and his 

 dreadful death is the first sorrow he ever caused her.' " 



This wreck of the " Newton," Capt. Herting, was 

 perhaps the most destructive of any that ever happened 

 on our shores. She was only thirty-six hours from 

 New York, and was bound to Hamburg, Germany, with 

 an assorted cargo, the principal item being five thou- 

 sand barrels of kerosene oil. 



Mr. Sanford continues: u We took out of the sea 

 fourteen in all of the crews of the two ill-fated vessels, 

 and all were properly cared for. Union services were 

 held at the Methodist Church, and all the clergymen 

 upon the island participated in the touching services 

 over these drowned sailors, and our hearts beat in love 

 and sympathy for those unknown bereaved ones in a 

 foreign land; the solemn occasion bringing them very 

 near to us, and still more near when we heard their 

 responsive wails." 



