New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-13
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
GIVING THE BARGE TOO MUCH ROPE.

COMMENTS on THE ACCIDENT AT HELL GATE-IHH
PILOT ACCUSED.
Tho barge Republic, which grounded on Flood
Rock i'm Hell Gate Wednesday evening was, towed
of at high tide about o'clock yesterday morning
On examination. the damage to the vessei was
found TO be very slight and she resumed her t,ps "
Oriental Grove Yesterday morning: Captain Georp .
Mackey of the Government tug A. A. Humnhreys
who watched the barge as it went past Wards
Island and afterward rescued some of the passeh.
gers from Flood Rock. gave the following account
II saw the tug r. W. Burke with the barge Re
public in tow coming down with the tide about
Wards Island they made circle and headed to 20
through the ship channel between WARDS island
and Mill Rock. The Government dredging scow
w..rking on Diamond Reef. off the Battery. lay in
the channel north of Mill Rock. When the tug
sighted it she changed her course and tired 10 70
through the east channel between Flood Rock
and Willetts Point, but II was too late 10
do this as the tide was running very fast, and the
barge had such long hawser our mat , the h Tug
until after she struck. The barge gave bound as
II grounded. and then the hawser snapped Inc
tug ran swiftly down through the Gate and then
came up on the west side aud after trying to tow
the barge off came alongside at Flood Rock and
offered to take the passengers Oft Bnt none OF
The passengers say, the pilot was drut ls,
but would not say that. think he was wrong
IN taking the course he did since II ne
had stood his first course through the ship channel
he would have come ont all night. There was plenty
Of room between the dredge and the shore, about
800 feet wide, and good, deep water. The tug nad
Two men in the whee-hO1se, one OF whom came ont
Just as the barge struck. The bawser was about
three inches in diameter and looked new"
Z. Brown. liquor seller at the foot OF Ninety
second-st.. who Is familiar with the rocks at He'll
Gate said the pilot did a very rash thing In chang
ins his course after heading for the ship channel
If the barge had not struck Just where she ana,
he said there wOuld have probably been serious
loss of life"
Mr.. Briggs, owner of the barge and proprietor OF
Brggs's excursion line; was found by the reporiser
at his office al Christopher and Nest-sts: tie sald
did not hear of the accident until O'Clock. ana
/ arrived at Flood Rock at o'clock when the
passengers had all been taken of. do not feel
of carelessness or not We hire the tug and pilot by
the day from the Greenpoint owing Company and
give them no Instructions captain DeeNan
has worked for us since about June /,
and has always appeared TO be sober, trustworthy
pilot He particularly recommended as GATE
pilot The passengers clam that he was drunk
but he certainly was not drunk when reached the
Rock, at p. m. 10 Offset this, he says some one
cut the hawser. but do not believe any of the
party would be guilty of that
Sometimes a rough crowd. when it thinks ii is
getting home TOO quickly, VIII cut the hawser in
the nterest Of the man who leases the bar so that
he can have more time 70 sell liquor. The hawser
was a new five inch one, only IL use two weeks. The
tug generally t@ws with about fifty fathoms OF line
between. We have carried over 200 parties year
up the sound for i've years ana never Dau an accl-
dent until this one"
CAPTAIN Schultzof the police boat Tiger Lily,was
found az the loot OF East SeventeeHlh-st las even
ing "Our boat was coming down the Harlem
River he said, and saw the barge just after she
struck Then we went and took about $50 Of her
passengers TO East hirty third-st. The passengers
said the pilot was drunk and they could bring fifty
witnesses 10 prove 1t, but did not see him. Drunk
or not. whoever says that il is the proper
thing To tow a barge with long
line down through Hell Gate at ebb tide
does not know what he Is talking about. WITH
such long line ont the tug has no control Of the
barge and the tide swing il around as IT pleases.
call II piece of clreesSneSs, and my pllo: says,
and he knows the haTbOr rs well as any one"
The captain OF the tug kept his post on the r. W.
Burke Yesterday, and towed two barges the Gale
donna and the Republic 10 Oriental Grove and back.