Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 4.djvu/935

Rh to "mate fast" to her, Murphy and White succeeded in attaching a line to her mast-head, and then anchored the Little Kate to hold her. They placed a light on the rigging of the Little Kate and commenced to halloo for assistance. Somewhere about midnight the four other libellants, Gillis, Jameson, Byrns, and Russell, came to the wreck in two dories, directed by persons on board a vessel in the vicinity who had heard the outcries of Murphy and White on board the Little Kate.

Gillis was the commander of the schooner Nichols, then in Portsmouth, and it was agreed between Murphy and White and these four men that they should go in and "come out" with the Nichols and help save the Hontvet, and share alike in the salvage. After they had gone sometime, Gilson and Campbell came to the wreck, and Murphy, anxious for the appearance of the Nichols, procured them to go into the harbor, and, to use his expression, "hurry her up." They did so, and came back and reported that the Nichols was aground, but would come out as soon as she floated with the tide. The Nichols afterwards came out as agreed, and they commenced to save the Hontvet. Upon consultation it was thought best to strip her, and that was done. About daylight James Davidson went to the wreck, and he assisted in stripping the wreck and in towing in the rigging and masts into the harbor. Early in the morning of the twenty-second of August the steam-tugs Ann and Bateman came to the wreck, but no assistance was asked of them, and none was offered or declined,—the Nichols not having then arrived out. She came out later. On the afternoon of Sunday, the twenty-second of August, one of the owners of the Hontvet having previously passed by her, on his way to the shoals, without offering any assistance or giving any directions or advice, the steam-tug Sampson came to the wreck, and Murphy hired her commander to take the masts of the Hontvet out of her, that she might "right" herself and be towed more easily and safely. Not being able to pull them out the Sampson broke them off, and afterwards, at the request of Murphy, assisted in towing the Hontvet to Newcastle and putting her in safety