The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-26
LIVES LOST IN THE HUDSON.
A CANAL BOAT BREAkING FROM A row
IN A ISLE or WIND.
The Captain Choosing to die with hi. wife
md Children Rather than Escspe-Thc
Result OF Overlooking the Van schnick.

Tho dead bodies OF Capt. Gustav Maybcc
his wife. 3-ycnr- old child and baby, are in the
cabin OF the canal boat William II. Van Schalck
sunk yesterday morning of Hastings on tho
Hudson In wind storm. The gale was from
the northwest and, although it was not violent
In this city it piled up great waves in the river
above Yonkcrs. At its highest fury, tho tug
boat Brandt. Capt. VI. S. Doyle. was of Hast
ings. on her way down the river from Athens
with miscellaneous lot Of craft-hny bargcs
ice bargcs, and canal boats Tho Van Schaick
had been picked mp ut Rondout on Thursday
evening. Capt Maybcc had tho canal boat
ready to start on Wednesday. and had tried to got
the tugboat Cheney to take her along. but tho
Chcney's Captain had refused. saying that the
Van Schaick was not 1T to travel in such squally
weather. Sho was loaded with $50 tons OF coal
consigned to J. d. Kurt Crook wholesale coal
merchant Coal and Iron Exchange. and that
twenty-five tons too much. Besides the boat
was Open except at either end, where the
bee. said that freiehtsV P We're So so low that
the boat must take big cargo TO make il pay.
70 take him in tow. Capt. Maybcc waited. Capt.
Doyle also objected. hut was finally persuaded,
Young James. barge. Both were the storm
most boats. and weIe htched together 10y bow
nd 6e % td ns hS fFuPG JS% T sd e6
Setback 10 the ice barge Sheer by siX-inch haw-
s".rs tho former with three the latter with two;
Tho Van Srhaicks two hawsers were secured
to ts bits, two upright square timbers protrud.
ing from the little deck between the forward
the starboard side and we'll att was driv-
ing the whole tow rapidly toward the casterly
shore. ,Thcn The Brandts prov was turned to
the middle Of tho channel To keep from being
dashed on the rocks. Men were busy all along
the line tightening the hawsers. The Brandts
sudden turn nctod on the rear boats as the help
less boys at the end Of the limo in tho childrens
game Of snap-the,.whip; Even the foremost
and they rolled in tho trough Of the waves. Tho
strain on the. Young James broke ono ~ It's
hnwsers and burst on the chocks by which tho
other TWO hawscrs were held. a second hitch
OF the hnwsers had luckily been taken around
large cleat hack ~ the chorks. and il held the
barge; On the lee barge Mnot I. Finch WIS
i'm, futile who describes what happened to
Cnpt Mayhem and lad from Statewide.
James Sscor 10 years old, were ON the deck OF
the Van Schaick the mother and children had
not como out tho cabin all tho morning. The
wrench TO the hawsers Of the Van setback broke
oil the bits below the deck. and pullel them
overheard. where the haw.ers DROPPED OH But
She was not entirely adrft, for the bow and
breast limos hcld her 10 the Young James for
minute. Tho h2w line parted nrst. Then as
the Van Schaick's bow swung on. tho stern
swung up o. that Of the Young James. Up To
this time the men on the other boats had not
they cried 10 Capt Maybee TO escape by jump
,pg from the stern OF one boat To- the other. The
Van Schalcks bow swinging rapidly
around to tho rear. and in a moment must come
the yank on the breast line that n hawser double
the SIZE could not withstand in such u sea and
Capt Maybce started for the Young James
ana put his foot ON the rail 10 spring across the
intervening space ~ f"w inches Then he
seconds and il would bc toe. late. Tho men
shouted lranticaly but Capt Mayhec appeared
as though paravzed. Then he turned. leaned
moment against the cabin. and started to
hasten into the cabin whore was his family.
The last line snapped aud the Van Schack
was Rdrilt she was loaded SO heavily that the
water reached within foot Of tho rail when
trough q the waves. and lurchcd heavily IL few
times. Then wave washed over her bow. her
nose pitched into the water. and down she went
Secor alone appeared struggling on the surface
The Brandt was not stopped. nor any at
Tempt made To save him on the tow. Capt
Doyle says that 1t wns impossible to do anything
Tor him ~ ne had his hands full in keeping tho
Fun yrd M We o i9 , from gong on th9 T2cks
prevented getting near 10 the boy
,s Tnr tusn ,, A. Sem h2,an was hall mile
| lrelan put her To the top Of her speed and ar
rived M the boy WIS almost exhausted. A ropc
was thrown 60 him. and he was pulled on board
! more dead than alive. He fen sansecss. Moth
ing could be- seen Of Capt, Mayhce " Of his fam
n.y., Capt. lrehn headed for ionker-; landed.
/ liquor 10 rub on tho boys body aud bring him
s scSr to S wgrnh PGysi,ian was sumgi9nsd
Irclan proceeded with him 10 New YORK.
| whittier he wa bound. To-day the boy is to
| return - Slntosnurg.
Cap'. Maybcc was known TO most II tho Cap
| tains of North River tughoats. He WIS about 80
| years old aud on the water all summer between
| Rondnut River and New York Bay Port
| Ewing. y. Y. wns his native place.
! The owner OF the l!randt is Mr.. Cheney, Four
| i""uth street AMI Eleventh Avenue. He said
| last evening that after the tugboat Cheney had
| refused 90 pirk up the Van Schaick nj Rondout
| IN Wodnoslay word was sent to tho owner Of
The coal. Mr.. Crook, and that gentleman has
! tened T. inquire Of Mr. Cheney what the reason
was. Mr.. Cheney replied that the Van Srhaick
| was oycraden. and that he would not take the
risk = her swapping. Should he take her he
would not GCrco 10 pay flr the coal if il was lost.
straight To an insurance ofliee and insured tho
| cargo. Meanwhile Capt. Doyle uninstructed
10y Mr.. Cheney. had picked up the Van Schnick.
The gale is said ~ have been tho sevcrr.i and
the water the toughest seen on the Hudson in