The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-24
LONG ISLAND LIFE CREWS.
Holman LIVES IMPERTLLED IN THE IN
1EREST or POLITICS.
Dismissal OF n Weathe rbeateu Crew-tonnict-
Ing Stories ne TO the Cause - Interesting
Phases of Life ON the Surf beaten shore.

Phases of Life the Surf Beaten shore.
STAFFORD, l.. l., Jan. 23.-The crew OF Life
saving Station No. 81. or lacks inlet Station. as
1t is called here. are to- be dismissed to-day.
There names are: Townsend Verify. Keeper;
j.. Khoadcs Smith Verify. H. Powell. j. Bald
win. :. Baldwin. and q. Verify. All are from
this place. and with one exception all have
served at this station for nearly ten years.
Much indignation exists over their removal on
what their townspeople called trumped-up
charge. Tho cause assigned is that of refusal
of duty. The charge Is made ostcnsibly 10y the
keeper OF Lifc-savng Station No 20. Capt Au-
gustus Weeks He reported to Capt. Hutting.
Superintendent Of the Third Lfc-saving Dis
trict. that when the schooner Gen. Common went
ashore near Gilgo Inlet. Dec. 3. he needed as
sistancc to man tho surf boat. and called upon
the men OF No. 81 to mid him. This. according
to his averment. they refused to do. He says:
lowing to tho extremc high tide and the
heavy southwest wind prevailing our house
had been washed away the day before and the
mortar and life line had been removed to tho
eastward to Station No. 25. on Oak Island The
weather was thick. and Wa did not see the
stranded vessel until O'Clock on the morning
of the 9Th Tho sea was running very high.
the breakers extending to u distance Of over
one-quartcr of n mile. / sent the crew. except
one man. FOR the mortar. Before they arrived.
however. the fog cleared somewhat. and saw
two women and several men dashed in the rig
Ring. apparently benumbed with cold. The sea
was washing over them. and knew that they
might DO washed off at any minute, and that
therefore every minute was valuable / de-
termined TO make an attempt TO reach
them with the cedar boat. Five of tho
crew Of No 81 had BY this time arrived. and
asked them to take places on the thwarts. This
they positively refused to do saying that II was
of their beat, One Of them. Ben. Rhoades said
that he wouldn't 60 on in an open boat in such
men from No 25 came forward. which. with the
one man of my own crew. citizen named Conk-
ment needed. Before we hove the boat of
Rhoades attempted to dissuado Wanzer from go.
SeoSs yoa get Fl 6s the
sped w by b I've gS Ss %a o on wn
With this crew Keeper Weeks passed safely
through the breakers. and brought back Capt.
Shutc. his wife and daughter. and five men,.
Another charge against the crew OF No. q is
that they were unable to account for some
Ii3, , , neohgng to the wrecked persons and
10 the former one; the crew of NJ, 81 pnt in a
general denial. The keeper Of No. q. Capt.
Townsend Verify. was called on by reporter
Tor The sun Yesterday; He Is stalwart. and
and iramk homes, g as uarN ipid IN
story unhesitatingly. and apparently without
Il knew this thing was coming months ago"
said he quietly. "I-fecliug has existed be-
tween the crews Of Nos. Is and 26 and my crew
Amityville. and they have made several at
,empts TO gust US ia favor Of their townsmen;
though fact. that. although the shore was COW
cred with spectators at the time Of the occur
my men refuse to serve. These men Of mine
who are all over the middle age. have been
I6U%sh cup ySH might Sass say r in the @ aey
seaways as that in question on their
way 70 their fishing grounds. In their stay OF
Learly ten years on this station they have never
before been accused OF either neglect OF duty or
tmidity:, They told me. and ! have never
known them to make misstatement in the
long period that have been "a shipmate with
them that they were asked To 20 over an hour
before the attempt was made. At that time. in
live minute in the tremendous breakers
me6 sRG was dwn b @If '9e was s
said. and we can take them of IN safety; but
nnS b as 6 Ts ny b in The hat
men from No. % then came up. and after wait
Ing nearly an hour and without word To- us
the word Capt. Weeks selected his mon mon i from
among them and pushed on As for the other
We're picked NJ by my men were all brought TO
Station No, 25;, They were. believe. Of only
II is said that the enmity existing between
These llie-savlng crews was caused principally
board consisting Of Lieuts Walker Schu-
macher and Dr. Sawtelle, of the Revenue Ser
vice, after an examination. in which the ac-
cused, ording 10 their account We're not given
sufficient opportunity to set forth their defence
decided upon their discharge With this de-
cision. Capt Verify said yesterday. that be be
iieves that his brothor-in-law Cornelius More
mas had much 10 do. His wiic's father died u
short time ago. leaving the principal part Of his
property to her. The will was contested 10y the
brother. but without success. Since then, the
Captain says. he has. openly threatened 10 use
ms Intimate friend. TO have Verify and his crew
discharged.
After the finding Of the inspectors was made
known 20 thu Superintendent Of the Third Dis
triH Capt HuuInS. he asked stephen K.tch-
am. member Of No. 20, To act ~ keeper ~ No.
~. rms hctcham refused % do unless he
could select his own men, TO this Hutting
Ihally conscntrd. supposng that he would
choose only Republicans. Stations "a 25 20.
and y do not contain single Democrat. and ii
Narragansett Pier to Montauk Point. thirty.
three IN number. Although a Republican him
seli. Capt, ketcham selected the best six men
turned ont to be Democrats. This fact il
seems, was unknown 10 Capt. Huttlng until
the names hnd beer sent 10 Washington. and
me appointments confirmed. Then he was IN
dignant, but II was too late. On Tuesday. the
papers having arrived, Cart. kctcham present
ed them to Squire Capon OF Amtyville and was
sworn in. Tn following are the names Of the
new aS, crew; Stephgn Kelchami keeper; William
NH IcCnt9lHs Cortwright. John ketcham. and Fetch
Notwithstanding the feeling that exists hcre
IN reference To the change OF men. all agree that
me new crew Viii prove to De the best on the
ness and courage. Besides tins. they have.
without exception. been brought up on the
water. To give an idea Of the class Of men who.
owing 10 politics. have heretofore been chosen
Tor this service It is only necessary Ia say that
OF the sixteen men composing Stations Nos. %
and 70. fve are carpenters 10y profession, two
shoemakcrs, one Is Jewcller and one Il school
teacher. Again. some families seem 10 have n
sort Of lien on these stations. The Supcrin-
tendent OF tne Penthouse oi auiiuih County Nj.
=. H. Williams. has managed 10 keep his broth
ers-in-law Frank and Augustus Weeks in
charge Of Stations Nos. % AMI 70, and his
father-in-law. Mr.. Prior Weeks has Just been
Iemoved on account of old age. His brother.
Mr. q. T. Williams 10 also the Postmaster of
Amityvillr
The case of Robert Austin n seafaring man.
with wifi" and eight children. il cited 10y the
townspeople rs an instance Of the arbitrary
conduct OF some OF thcsr political appointros.
He had been connected with the volunteer and
Government llie-saNing stations on the breach
since 1860. The election Tor Supervisor Of
Babylon took place last April Although Re-
publican, he determined 10 vote for the Demo-
cratic nominee, Mr.. Duryea, who was III favor
OF eontrsiing the right of the town Of lslip 10
prevent claiming IN Isp bay.
The story has spread in Amtyve that tho
old crew at NJ. y have determined that none
shall patrol that beach hut themselves re-