The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-06
PERISlIING CLOSE TO LAND.
THE GOTERNMENT INTESTIGA TTON or
THE BJRNEGIT HRkCh.
Some witnesses wbo Think More Lives Wight
HIVE Been saved. aud Others VIII" Aver
That All was Done that Could he Done.

BARNrGAT, y. j., March 5.--Lieut. Thomas
D. Walker. Assistant inspector OF tue Life Saw
ing Service. has been here for several days con- |
durting IN investigations by order OF the Treas |
ury Department. i'm relation to the wreck of the |
schooner David II. Tolck. In which Capt. Sawyer |
and his wife and three sailors persisted. Tho /
object OF the investigation was to ascertain |
whether there was any cowarlice neglect OF |
duty. or acknowledgement on the part Of the life |
saving crews to when the loss Of life in the |
wreck could be ascrlbed.
Capt. benjamin F. Martin. the keeper Of Sta
tioa No 10. described the work Of the surfmen
under <Ss direction. As soon he learned OF
the wreck. Capt. Martin and his men ran their
boat out with rsavy hauling line abreast Of
the wreck. The surf was 30 lad that they went
for the brecchcs- buoy apparatus. They fired n
line Mt daylight but II fell short. The second
line reached the vessel but 1t WIS in such po-
siion that the men on bonrd could do nothing
with H. Can't. Martin did not deem 1t prac,i
cable to reach the vessel in the lifrboHt. The
crew Of Station No. Is was sent for. Commune
| cation with the vessel by means Of n line WINS
/ finally established ut about noon. 1t was after
/ 2 O'Clock before the second mate and little
! Geneyra Sawyer were brought ashore
! I'm tho buoy Then communication WIS
! broken again. Then the boat was put
! on from the leach. her crew being
]
/ lions. Two attempts were made with thn hnnt
! a heavy SEA struck the boat and Can't Martin
/ Can Grimm. 81 Station No. IS. caught him by
I the foot md pulled him In. Then communion
! ton 10y line WIS rrtstahlished. Anorwnrl Capt
Martin. whose back WIS hurt. retired to the
station ~ doctor II, turning the charge oil a1urs
J6s"ph Martin. the pntrolman who discovered
the wreck. testified that the current Carried the
boat swiftly northward in the two attempts that
were mad" To- reach the vessel. The men IN the
hnnt could not be- PNrellrd 10y amy on the beach.
When the Inst two sailors were drowned 10y
/ being washed out Of the buoy. the hauling line
| caught ON hoard the vessel. and then parted near
the buoy. leaving the two men suspended be-
Tho,nns Iazleion testified that tho Ito crews
made two attempts to send tn" whip line ana
block on. hut thH s,hooners crew seemed utter
~ uuahlr To- haul the block on hoard.
Can't. Grimm testified that the situation was
such that the bont could not hay" lived along
vessel He thought tho hont could not have
lain under The end Of the lying lihboom even
II they could have reached the vessel. The
wrecked crew were In the m.2zen rlggi ng.
which was tn furthesi Of shore.
Samuel J. Phnro. m agent OF the Coast Wreck
Ing COMPANY testified that he was satisfied That
with his own wreck M crew he could nave
boarded the vessel. The situation was danger;
Gus. and required good judgment ami a good
crow to bring Of the III n from the wreck. The
boat must 20 20 one particular place, namely.
tnrhed no lame u the station men for the loss
Of life. and thought they dh all they could 80
far u.s. iheir experience went. Had formed the
opinion. having seen him only once in his boat.
TINT Keeper Martin was hot un experienced surf
man.
Joseph r. Ridgewav. wrecker. testified
Martin went 90 Capt. Pharo Hni ked him I
boat could live IN that sea. Catt Fn!ro tol !
J him. Yes. II she Is properly mnnnced' Can't.
phuro WAS requested by Surfmau Mills 70 steer
, tue boat Phdro snid that IL he took the boat
Can't. Martin would have to leave. meaning that
! Martin would be removed PhurO snil 10
Martin. You are paid by the Government Tor
Martin then took OH his boots aud coat and
= lut on cork JACKET and we showed lhr
! Kim 10 mt his strongest man in 10
I row the Ice bow oar. H. put Surlmnn Isaac
Cranmer in that position. 4 mixed Grey from
both stations jumped INTO the boat. Keeper
Grimm Of NJ is taking the stroke oor Tue
. wreckers and remainder OF the crews ih~r
: clear OF the beach, Sur:man Cranmer turned
: his iara 10 the bow watching the sea and null
: him from the shore to look The other why nnC
\ pull. They then headed straight ior the wr'fk
n tut the wind and current cut them 50 far nortl
iar tho outer bar they re,urari. m
g about 100 yards south ~ the wreck in order {,
= ofl-"t ia" current. When they started the sec
I ond time. Capt. Pharo and Ir.qu"sira them g
- head more g. the southwark. They iuliei how
9 cvrrtp DO So. but headed straight oN shore. an,
= The wni and current carried them a. before
= on tic Ice side VI hi- oar stead of 10 wind
+, ward. allowed the boat o. gnh Ter stTnwav an
J., his oar WAS thrown from his hand h recover
=. CT u. h9w-X,r' ui SIN retained NJ position Z
- lrowIri. The hont HEnln gathered s"rnwny
70 Nlrn MS oar fllprl MIN Nftta1 iltls Nl N.All
Grimm caught hlm ty the foot Hnd hnul" hin
iu They then returned ASHORE. ! think IN
hoat could hHy" gou" II properly Tan ird. 90
tlny met heavier surf on the bar than wa
= under the bow ot the vessel
Timothy seaman wrrrker testified that M
walked along tae X" Of the sur uhout nil.
h TINT morning. Did not consider the surf bad
= Tnnks he couM have Nkrn boat ~ "a"
j. fisherman Of Baruesat testified that in hi
IT, opinion the sea was MT so bad ~ {" prev"nt
"a t np ,c '"' hn snJ IN, WHEN nsknd ~. sti"
n men why they did not land III" vessels rev j
the boat ihry r"pn"d that thrN wanted 10 JAN
. then, IN their apparatus. Iuut was nm IA" 'rr
X noon. ! heurd srNerA persons, iu'ullug CAP
5 pharo express the opinion. whue PRESENT 0
- When the boat went on in tn, afernoon.
H' tuink She coul! have reached the vessel
n handled right. That Is my ouinion rs u sur
w man. Have had tweuly years rNprrlenrn ~
surman. Of aud on. Never had any am 'ui
" WIN any q u,m' nor am otpoI"d 70 thrn
in ment they could nav" taken their boat "lons
mr. Emo h L. Jon. 5 ~ Barneent testified mat 1
4. his opinion the life saving Non did all the
m could. aud could not have done b.ter.
-, Oth-r Witu, $50, Were eXnm o. Il ~ N'w N0r'
Id theirtestimony closing last nighf. Awous th
IN were Francis G, W. Prterss N. the first mate
lv the Tol't. VINO testified: Ar \. NJ tu'r" wrr
- I two loats on the beach, hut no attempt ",
~, mHlrto unch them saw tnc boats on shol
NJ Il daylight Saw other apparatus On rhe Ger
~ About 1870 \. NJ the h,st line WAS shot I'M
~; | shore and fell short; the next line We rot. Tn
Ir parted about9 4. u, whitley of our men wei
|
ne on the beach lett with their cart, an
~ ! were gone about one and half hour
N nul cume back with another coil 81 ron
M They then fired two more lines, the Int faliiu
az iusidr the rail. and we secured il. Thore ".
"a mo- tally board with instructions or ta,l-Nin.
m sent ~ with thr." lines. The hr.m'h"s hu'
~, eot IN the vessel about 1890 p. W. The s"a wi
~ not rigging. ANY sailor at all could have pull
an on with boat To us with ease beiur" 10 o'rlDr
N" hnt there wns none launched. Tne nrre, h'
IL buoy WIS then used rs reported. The hl ulit
Nh line ON the vessel parted nit'r the second ma
IN and baby went ashore, bfviuse II got iouN'
"" with pieces of the wreck. We did uOt cut
II, Next tf. people on shore launched the su
". hout We had been SINGING. ont TO them ALL d'
ko 10 launch the bout and l think they hear
~. Us because the wind WINS h.OwnE tOwnl
ir the beach,, But they apparently paid no h"
a t. IL until they luuu 'hed the boat TINT "a
at Hhout T. NJ. The current swept the boat ~
H. along tlIr hench, and n't'r Ert NJ half WY
pr H. tnev went back. The Sr'ond time the bog
en- was launched fr m Hhout the same pIUr" ON Il
,ir heuoh. about abreast of the vessel with thn san
hs + suit When we Jaw tu" boat coming tho -r
IN, Oud time we wnre So positive 70 would r'Hrh
Ia tuut we cal' ed down the two men from thr uo
rst top to the mi2zen rigging 50 We would l"i
MI ready tO jump into II. Tie Captain aud vi
IN wrrr then exhausted. Tie Captain told m"