The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-22
Perfectly Willing that Their Crews
Shall Face Danger.
RUSSELL WHITES STATEMENT
Why Shipwrecked Sailors Are So
Frequently Drowned.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.

NO o, az Oeal Beach, WAS resumed THIS morning,
Lieutenant Shoemaker in the chair. The following
letter in regard to the wreck of the brig Eta NJ
Tucker presented and placed upon the record
To HAvrs r q Life SAVING hss stations
DEAR s.Ws the undersigned wish you to forward this
@ w Il seeing u % II s
On w hs PR of this beach SssRr =. s a M
bolt and i'm
struck the bar we were seen from Life Saving
cae .na er s.a into ss
ANA Ss4s al as and
i svs WI sn 70
officers and taken good of for several days
l sss s' %s
A r. FORBES.
M %ffI sris K y. e n oasA'r'
First Aa aE q ZEE < MOORE y FIsk''
Second Mate Of brig Eta NJ. Tucker.
CONTINUATION OF THE INQUIRY.
heavy storm prevailing. Keeper Vannote
duty at his station the coast. and the TAX
ing Of testimony proceeded without his presence. he
being represented by his counsel Robert Allen, Jr,
Of Red Bank. The first witness called was
Abner Allen. Of Deal Beach. Has lived twenty-nine
years within 400 yards of the coast; had been
keeper of the station No. 1S49; has witnessed
eighteen or twenty wrecks within that time assisted
at the wrecks of the Rjukan and husband; at the
wreck Of Forshay gave Russell White the cork jackets
from the station he preferred using fishing boat
to the station boat; at the wreck of the Rusland,
which went on the beach about eleven p. NJ
the station apparatus arrived at three A. NJ
next day. got there just rs Valentines crew
from No. 4 got there with mortar and
life car; witness and the crew of No. 8 bad a life
boat with Them the boat and life used; the
al hiUhan md dry. he hrpa
her; vannote in the boat every trip. and did
his part that day; knew Of other wreck where
vannote was not in the when there any
occasion for him to go; at the wreck of the Rukan
asked Vannote and Slocum what they thought Of going
of in the fishing boat manned by Russell White. and
they replied that they did not think it safe, and
that the government boat would be there;
when the government boat arrived Russell White
asked Captain Edwards to lot him take the steering
Witness did not then think prudent for the
men to go in the fishing boat when the government
boat, as good any on the coast was 80 near at
hand; John Slocum is good surfnian as there is
the coast; the only objection to the fishing
boat its small size; the delay in the
arrival of the government boat because
the crew could not bring it along the
beach, by reason Of quickssnds in Duck Creek Inlet
FLETCHER Lake,. and had to be taken by the road
mile further; there not enough thole pins nor
in the fishing boat ut FIRST and White got some
from another boat; during the several years Russell
White was in the crew Of No. he qunrreled with
nearly every one In the company, and turned two
Of them out to please him and restore har
mony; vannote was three years in sta
ton No. z, but there wreck on that
coast: vannote Ia more deliberate and cooler than
Russell White; had colored man working for me
named John Smith he used to drive the horses;
witness never took the of the boat; knew
anything about it, it not required by regulations
then; his boat pulled four oars, and with one man
the STERN Steering left witness and the colored man
shore; John Slocum took the stern for number
OF years. but finally voted out by the other men,
beers Of the crew and Russell White put in his place
the votes of his brothers. the husband had five
cared boat witness practical surfman.
VERY IMPORTANT ORDER.
Lieutenant Shoemaker-Up to a certain time. about
. year ago. there no regulation requiring the
keeper to take the stern of the boat and it
tomary to select q competent surfman to perform
that duty; January 80. 1878. regulation issued
by the department requiring the keeper to take the
stern Of his own boat.
Witness resigned az keeper in October, 1877; Van
note WAS . member of his crew one or two terms;
Russell White was always member of his crew;
present at Deal Beach when the Forshay was dis
masted Russell White took the stern OF the boat did
not Vannote when the boat went of; saw the
wreck Of the Rjukan; was keeper OF No. then; was
made up; witness asked Vannote and Slocum if
they were willing to go. and they said they were
not, it not safe; witness was OF the same
opinion and said he did not wish to force them go
II they thought there was too much DANGER Van
note did not go In the government boat It was not
necessary; there room for him; Russell White
asked to be allowed to take the stern and 1t was
given to him; about two years ago heard that White
saved five men from pleasure yacht capsized on
the outer bar of Hathaway House; two of the men
Knapp and Znzsham-boarded at witness house and
Zinzsham gave White the gold medal he wears for
surfman than Vannote Slocum; one night, when
the Charles u. Jackson came ashore White was under
the influence Of liquor but our boat did not go
on to her. az the crew came ashore in
their own boat; never saw him unit for
OF the Rjukan witness heard Russell White call on
vannote 20 with him in the fishing boat; did not
hear him (vannote) refuse; did not ask vannote to
60; consider IL was pretty brave act for Russell
White to go OF in that boat. but did not consider
it necessary for the boat to go then. as the gov
eminent boat was coming soon the ship had swung
around broadside to the sea.
CREDIT BRAVERY GRuDGINeLY GIVEN.
Think that Nannoe would 20 OF Vt the stern Of his
boat matter what the surf II any boat could
live In IT, Russell White took the railway cars 10 the
end of his beat the night Of the wreck Of the Rus
land instead Of walking up the beach; know that he
took coal from the station ut night to his house with
ont perInission Witness was shown an almanac of
1879, and he identified IL the record ho kept 1t
showed high water at = 36 A. Nj. ON the morning of
the wreck Of the Rjukan, and at the time Russell
mean 70 say that the husband was high and dry she
1850 yards from shores never reported the fact OF
any neglect Of duty on part OF Russell White until
after the crew had been discharged for the season
remember White calling for volunteers at the wreck
of the Rjukan heard him call vannote; the govern
ment boat was not then in sight IL would have to
come mile and q half; half an hour after Russell
White got his boat ready the government boat ar
rived.
Recess taken.
The examination Of Allen resumed after recess.
The last was landed from the Rjukan between
eleven and twelve A. NJ. witness then left the scene;
the vessel was breaking up slowly and was all comedy
four r. M.
A WITNESS vASSoTE
Solomon Dsbrow, OF Ocean Township, was three
years in the Life Saving Service; at the wreck of
the Kiukan and the Forshay; when the government
boat was launched at Shark River 10 the crew
OF the Forshay witness and vannote in the
boat the very bad; no boat could have lived
10 the barr but the boat did not reach tho For
shay, that vessel parted its hawser and drifted
ashore high and dry; vannote had the steering oar
OF the lifeboat, and displayed considerable skill In
its management; at the wreck OF the Rjukan the
was not so perilous ut the wreck of the Forshay
at the wreck of the Rjukan there was strong cur