The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-15
Assistant Engineer YOhe'S Statement
Denied by the Owners.
POOR SURF BOATS.
Second Officer Cozzens Blames the
Crew Of Station Five.

sniy the character OF Lunt Brothers. owners but
or Captain Ankers as well, that the subject was
one OF serious discussion yesterday among tho ship
psrs and insurance men generally. That any steam
ship owners should be insane enough 70 make the
remark attributed TO them-"Ii you make wreck
make good ons'-and that Captain AnKers should
develop upon beach the night OF the disaster the
vtilaAy which no was chief actor seems incred-
ibis and the story of Engineer Yohs for those rea-
sons would probably passed UNDECIDED had It not
been loraea by oalh and the corroboratvs testi-
mony Of Thomas Cogan, q foreman for Peter and
Thomas Collins, Of Philadelphia, the parties who
chartered the Metropolis from Lunt Brothers, Cogan
aid:-"I heard Captain Ankers say in the dining
room OF Captain Hurd's house, after he had pulled on
his wet clothes, that Mr. Lunt's last words were-
Captain, If you meet with any accident during The
voyage. don't make any hallway Job, but make COM
piete wreck OF IT,
WHAT THE LINT BRorK1Rs SAY.
In view OF the gravity Of the charges reporter for
the HxRALD visited the arm above named, whose
ONCE is a. No. Is south street, and received the oi-
LOVING statement
eve have read the charges made in regard to
Arm having told Captain Ankers TO make good
wreck, and regard 1t almost 100 absurd to
deny or dwell upon At large. There are
always 10 be found malioious persons who,
for ono reason or another, will give credence
and circulation to such ridiculous reports, aud
1t Is only silence such thai condescend TO deny
The insane statement al ALL Our character mer-
shAnts IL enough 70 stamp such charges as untrue
besides, luckily we can TALL back on the nspec ors Oh
the vessel, upon the testimony OF experts already
published the government Inspector and The gentle
man from the Atlantic Insurance Company, who all
teslty 10 the seaworthiness OF The Metropolis -
.Wnst be the object, the reporter asked, ''of
such charges on the part OF Yohe and Coganf.
Lunt 81 can not answer this question 1t may
Slam tho men think they have on account OF lost
baggage and toois IN iaot some o. them nave Deen
nome Brooklyn sicx, or he would answer Tor him
seL and give his refutaton He has been in the service
Tor twenysx years and is considered to be one Of the
best officers sailing out of this port Now TO snow
you how stronR The Metropolis was II LOOK the storm
storm the schooner Eta M Tucker, which went
ashore on the Jersey coast had not fragment
Of her left IN three hours. The schooner
and steamer was heavily freghted with iron AM
material tor building u railroad. There Is another
blame somewhere. while the true responsibility
should upon them. The lnsufhciency OF the Lie
attending the wreck Of the Metropolis Why, Cap.
tam Merry mans own account after returning from
Currtuck beach, 1as to the effect that tho increase
stations to distances four tive miles apart ~
necessary MAKE the service on this coast as ch-
Gent AS upon the New Jersey and Long Island
cousts."
.'But did not Captain Msrryman also report that In
examining pieces Of the wreck which uttered The
Of the fragments was apparenty"
rIMBERs SHIPS.
ayes, but there Is scarcely vessel IN this port or
Of her timberc TO DO rotten Besides there could
have been possible object 10 make wreck OILS
snip, u leave out the terrible nature OF the crimc
Itself: she was lightly insured: her fittings alone
being worth from "a, 900 10 So 000"
In following out The examination in connection with
the Metropolis the asked old captain
who now in charge OF one Of the sectional dry docks
nit that nearly all vessels contained rotten
timbers The reply was-"With but low exceptions
nearly all ships have decayed planking or joints
Inning somewhere. Even. in vessels comparatively
new this IL observed. Why we have ships our dock
that look as II they mad been riddled with shot
fro,n to stern. There Is worm that Is very
insidous anu does great deal OF damage to ships:
aud have had vessels on this dock that you could
almost kick 10 pieces where these little insects
committed their ravages and made sponge OF good,
stout timber"
TIE SECOND xATE's OPINION.
Mr.. D. N. Cozzens was The second odicer OF the
ment TO a HERALD reporter yesterday In reference TO
the report Oh tue condition OF the life saving stations
recently made by Captain Merryman aud pub
hshed in yesterdays HERALD :-"Captain Merryman,
oil the revenue service" said Mr. Cozzens,
''rspors that be has carefully Inspected
station 4, and found tho apparatus and boats in
excellent condition, and states that the appeared
to be iamar with the dr and exercise OF the boats
ANA apparalus.' Captain Mcrryman examined u sta
ton against which complaint made. Station
was the one which was nearest TO The scene OF the
wreck, and Was therefore responsible for the loss Of
station that the charges Of being unprovidel and
capable were made. The fact Is that station
D
Of the Metropolis and the men did not arrive
from that station until alter the snip mad gone
to pieces aud all hands had either got ashore or
were drowned. Tue crew Ut station 8, which was
only three and hai miles distant from the wreck,
came " our assistance only alter delay OF i've aud
hall hours They then brought NO apparutu US except
mortar Two charges OF powder and one line. The first
hne they fired missed the SHIP the second struck
her by tue lee foreyard arm, 70 ieeward OF the jp-
stay. l secured the blight oil the line from the fUre
yard and hauled the up to clear It OF the Jbstay
wne was doing this they paid out ut least quarter
lttta p.ohnr INIT I'm xoiu fha
bgnt parted It against the JOstay rney then
had 10 send mile and halt TO procure
powder from duck hunter He had ooy
= pound and a hall, which supplied two charges.
These we're both lost; Tor, they mad to
neer tho line with the bullet tue powder burned tue
70 give more assistance but instead OF signal
ing that TACT to those me wreck by writing IL on
board, or IN some other way they suffered them to
remain there, hoping against hope that communi.
cation with the shore would be established until they
were washed away anu lost
UNSUITABLE boats.
Mr. Cozzens further SAID that ne was long engaged
In the wrecking business ano is an experienced
Buriman, and expert 10 the matter gave his
opiuion that the boats now used III the hie-saving
utterly unsuitcd to the purpose. He said,
1--WE struck the beach ~ seven A. NJ, when the tide
was its highest There was very little wind, and
there was NO time troy that until three NJ that
surfboat with proper crew could not nave Drought
Oh line 10 from the shore The boats az
present used by the e-savng service are entirely too
cumbersome. IL IL very difficult 10 transport them
along the beach, especially when horses cannot be
procured They are also unadaptcd TO use IN heavy
surf inct that be shown by many examples, as,
for instance In the case oil the ooner s. NJ Iorng
which was wrecked on January 8, near Fire island.
The captaln nearest Hiesavng station, who Is
experienced surinian. did not dare to launch the
boat tuched to the station but with borrowed surf
boat he saved the crew, Numbering seven persons
INCOMPETENCE MIsAPpRoPRiAIIoS.
ssNumDers VI the hands" suid Mr.. CoZzens, "be-
longing TO the liesavng stations along the southern
coust, utterly unskillcd in tho management OF
boat through SURF and owe their appointments wholly
10 political influence captain Chapel, OF Station o.
showed himself entirely gnorant oi the approved
mctnods OF resuscituting partially drowned persons
This was proven the case vi Mrs. HARRISON, VINO
was got on sbv ore showing signs OF life, and whom
roicu over barrel, face downward. she dod while
under this treatment"
at seems 10 me-" continued Mr. Cozzcns, 'almost
Incredible that the governments does not place at each
station u suficien supply OF ammunition. II II does
DO the Question What is done with III? becomes I'm
poranL How Is IL that the stations are uuprovidcd
anon a wreck occursr know that most y. tho men
employed IN the hfc-sayiDg STATIONS are engaged ~
the ducking business, and 10 large extent, supply
the markets oil New York, Philadeipbiu and BaiIuoro
with fowl think IL uot Unlikely that uch vi o