The New York herald., 1878-12-19
LIFE SAVING SERVICE.
TESTIMONY RELATIVE TO THE CHARGE OF cow
AEDIcE AND BAD BEHAVIOR OF KEEPER VAN
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
AsBURY PARK, n. j., Dec. Is. IS

AsBURY PARK n. j.. Dec IL. 1878.
The investigation by the committee on charges of
cowardice and incompctency of Cornelius vannote,
the present keeper of the Life Saving Station No. q
at Deal Beach, was resumed to-day. The attendance
of witnesses was so large that the committee
obliged to open session in Park Hail. After reading the
letter authorizing the committee to act, William c.
White the first witness. He testified that
he lives at Deal Beach; knows of the wreck of the
sloop Forshay, i'll September three years ago;
about three p NJ. Russell White and
went to her and took OFF a passenger;
yannote the beach; heard Russell White ask
him to 70 out with him: he did not go. but remained
shore; he gave no reason for not going; the sea
violent; witness has been surfman several
years: when the boat came back from the wreck the
sea was big: the launching and return of the boat
attended with great danger; the one man rescued
was a passenger; the stayed on board; next
morning the vessel drove ashore at Ocean Beach is
brother of Russell White Peter and William Van Brunt
James White, William Goodman and Vannote were
on the beach the time launched the boat for the
Forshay Vannote made no reply when Russell
White asked him go in the boat but stayed tho
beach: witness declined to say what he believed
the reason that vannote did not 90 in the boat !;
vannote was then member of Station No. :; the
boat we used was fishing boat and did not belong
either station; conducting the from
No q.
Jonathan Goodman sworn-Lives at Deal Beach;
was in the that went to the Forshay Vannote
the beach: heard Russell White say he wanted his
crew to 90; Vannote in the crew: some of the
crew wanted to come back before they reached the
sloop: but White urged them on Van Brunt and
Russell White belonged to the service, the
volunteers has been a fisherman thirteen years:
the occasion of the wreck OF the Forshay think Van
note helped to shove the boat OFT; the lfe-savng
not on duty then: it was too early i'll the
year, and the service rendered voluntary; Abner
Allen. keeper Of Station No. 8. came on the beach
after went of.
BENJAMIN Van Brunt Of Whitcsville testified that
he has been nine years in the service: while
fishing that day Mr.. Vannote in the boat with us
fishing; the squall coming and pulled
ashore: before that the sloop pass the
squa took the mast out Of the sloop: after we went
sloop remained on board all night and the next
morning went ashore at Ocean Beach
Lieutenant Shoemaker read petition. signed by
witness and others, indorsng Vannote as the
most competent man on the beach as a surfman and
keeper Witness Acknowledged that he signed it;
saw the wrecks of the Rjukan, Rusand. Eta NJ.
Tucker. Lizzie Maui. Charles Jackson and T. II. At
wood this shore: yannote pull off in the boat
to the wreck Of the Rusland and helped to land the
crew and baggage. 1t in the winter two years
ago; Russell White had charge 81 the boat
RJUKAN.
Albert McCabe citizen OF Ocean Grove, knows OF
the wreck OF the Norwegian bark Rjnkan in Decem-
ber 1876. The vessel ashore in the morning at
Ocean Park; her crew was taken off by crew of the
Life Saving station men and volunteers: Russell and
Drullmond White were i'll the boat which went to
the rescue; all OF the wrecked crew landed;
went out twice the sea was pretty rough; Russell
White trying TO get crew to go out;
there was some difficulty in getting them; several
fused to CO. witness volunteered to go: was not ac
copied: Vannotc there on the beach; heard
Abncr Allen ask Vannote to 90 out to the ship and
Nannotc replied il not safe to 90 ont: witness
the boat back from the bark and go out for
the second load think they made three trips there
were about two hundred people on the beach; the
bark was about half mile out there twenty
men rescued the boat that brought the first load
was not used to get the second load the government
h,ufx Sa1 affA fhn mi h.Nt hal
brought up then: the bark broke up four or five
hours after the were saved; could not say how
many from each station; No. aid No.
were present. heard Russell White and Mr. Allen ask
yannote to 20 out: heard Vannote say he did not
slider the boat safe to go in and think he wanted to
wait until the government boat came up;
there appeared to be general hanging
back on the part of almost everybody
the beach TO go out in the fishing boat heard
others refuse TO go the line shot over the bark
before the FIRST boat went OUT witness helped to push
the boats on and catch them when they came back:
yannote did not 60 of III the two trips Of the fishing
boats: Russell and Drummond White seemed to be the
leading men ON the beach at the times the bark
was light: the government boat did not
get the until after two loads had been
taken of: heard talking about yannote
the beach at that time because he did not so off;
heard several; did not know then that Vannotc
Russell White were then members of the life say
ing service had no personal with either
at that time; Abner Allen was keeper Of sta
ton No. ..
vANSoTEs REFUSAL THE SURF.
John E. Rogers Ocean Park lis surfinan: heard
from Curtis the wrecking agent, that vessel
ashore; found his boat there with lot Of peo-
pie quarrclling over her to who should aud who
shouldnt O. wanted TO 90 and some wouldn't 90;
his boat out the first trip; several asked to go.
refused, Vannote for one; heard Abner Allen
aud Ru~sel White ask Nannoie to go, and
heard him refuse because. he said. the boat
was not safe: there were six trips made;
Gussel White took charge OF my boat and
afterward took charge Of station boat from No. z;
the conversation between Allen and White and Van
note about nve minutes before the iirst boat
went OH: there five in the Of the first boat,
brought of three. making eight the boat.
heard people kissing vannotc on the beach: could
not say who they were; the tide was Just
brought ashore. about noon: all OF the
crew of station No did not go in the government
boat; Edwards. captain Of No: !, did not go out in
his own boat, the boat owned by witness is seven
fest six inches long, have landed twelve persons
"a her; think that Nannotc afraid TO 60 out; do
not consider him first class or second class surf
man: know nothing about his habits regarding
drinking; never Russell White intoxicated: think
him an honest. trustworthy man; have known Van
note about three and Russell White about twelve
years; vsnnotc not in any OF he boats that went
TO the Riukan.
Elwooi q. Dey, farmer, ~ Deal. saw the Rjukan
about eight A. NJ. on The day Of the wreck: the
;r.p made to her IN the shing boat heard Rus
sci White and abner Allen ask Nannote to 90 ia the
first boat; Nannotc REFUSED TO 90. saying the boat
not safe ssw Nar,rctc on the beach good many
times that morning; witness was alongside oi tho
fishing boat when II hrs. went out; Captain Alien
aud vannote few feet away knew them both
heard no remarks made ~ people about Vannote for
not going out just then; heard them couple of
hours aiterward; never heard that Nannote or RUS
sci White were drinking mon.
ssIrcAnTISTiIi's nrcoILEoT1oSs.
William II. Cyphcr, shpcTpcnscr. Of Asbury
Park. the bark Kiukan on shor. and gave the
alarm; went 70 the beach and he boat got ready;
ono OF the owners OF the boat Bennett, objected TO
the boat going, tearing IL would bc broken; White
said the government was good enough for the boat.
snd X not. White said he good himself heard
Abner Allen say 10 Nannote that Russell White thought
IL safe to 80, and II u safe
for White IL would b. safe tor VannOtc:
NannOte did not got heard Nannote refuse three
times; crew of No. irc first, shot line toward
the bark aud miss IL: Drummond White fired tho
second shot and the line fell the bark heard
the man ia charge Of the government boat ask
"Certainly | will II you don't wish to CO..
and he went; there was one man left
tho bark after the rest Of the
hnd been taken of first him crawling along
the rail. aud the government bOat made another trip
aud saved him: said the "a fool. but
thought the man had stayed on board to knock away
the stanchions that the bark would sooner go to
pisces witness said that he wrote the letter the
secretary 81 the Treasury and now shown, saving