Off the South Carolina coast, the only survivor of the wreck of a lightship has a fortunate escape from death

John Cruse was a crewman on the R.B. Howlett, a vessel from Philadelphia being used as a lightship of the South Carolina coast near Charleston.  A storm had destroyed the lightship the night before leaving Cruse the sole survivor of the seven men in the crew, clinging to a piece of wreckage.  After hours in the water, Cruse cheated drowning when the Union dispatch boat Eliza Hancox spotted him the next evening around dusk. (By John Osborne)