The evening world., 1888-11-26
PRICE ONE CENT.
SWAMPED In THELOWER BAY
OF A FLEET OF FIFTEEN BARGES TWELVE
WENT TO THE BOTTOM.

One Of the most disastrous accidents which has
ever occurred to O tow of barges in the vicinity Of
New York happened about 2 O'Clock Sunday morn
ing In the Lower Bay. Out of a feet Of fifteen
barges only three were saved. All the rest went
to the bottom with their heavy cargoes, which con-
sisted Of coal On nearly every barge there were
women and children, and, although as yet II ia not
known that any were lost, II islittle short OF mirac-
lous that anybody on board the lost boats escaped
alive. The captain in charge OF the tow 10 reported
TO have placed the number at twenty-one and the
lost at nineteen.
Late Saturday afternoon q tow of about thirty
bargcs laden with hard and soft coal arrived OF
bergen Point. They were brought there by the
tugs Willie and Winnie, OF the Delaware and Rari-
tan Towing Company. which is controlled by the
pennsylvonla Railroad Company. At Bergen Point
the tow was divided, half Of the bargee remaining
at the Point, while ~the.other fifteen were made
into q tow OF three tiers, with i've barges TO o tier.
It was blowing nard at midnight when this tow,
which " was decided should 60 through to New
York, was made up, and. in view Of q rough p's-
sage, the barges were tightly dashed together with
unusual care. In the front tier were the Title
Hughes, the Ocean Queen, the Florence Moore,
and two Others. These were the largest barges Of
the feet and were intended to break the force OF
the seas from the lighter ones. Some of them
WCTc Qute. new, uuu with U Oh wv W tOt UO
each. In the i've which made the second tier was
the A. c. Hannegan, commanded and owned by
Capt. Albert II. vedder, of South Amboy. The
tow was pulled by the powerful tug Bordcntown,
also of tho Delaware and Raritan Towing Com
panv, anu commanded by Capt. Fagin.
Nearly all the captains of the bfrges are married
men and live with their families on board their
boats, Many oil these cabin homes are lifted up.
with something like luxury, having nne carpets,
IgOod furniture and now anu then a piano or an
organ. In a good many instances the captains own
the barGes on which they live, and the boat. the
furniture and the little family around him repre-
SCENTS about all mis- earthly ties. Aoogether there
must have been IN the neighborhood OF nfty souls
began, told the reporter a thrilling story Of the dis
ser which befel them .. ,n, ,, 10
aid, ''before / wished we had not come. Sew
raj of the captains oil barges DID not want TO 80,
he wind was from the northwest, nearly north.
NJ was on the front end OF my barge, which was in
be second tier and right behind the Florence
Il core. ! could sse the Dig seas sweeping over the
HoArges in front OF me every minute. We seemed
~ lump SIX or eight feet out of water at every
IHounl, anu every loot we advanced things got
W<Esc. AL the women folks and the children were
in the cabins asleep and not dreaming that
BY about O'Clock we all saw that unless some
,hias was done every boat would 20 down. Then.
] ne ne tO@% Of Sar v sWsnEi To- the nsh Bor aea s~1u 70 sur a.
\ about and run back 10 Bergen Point After D long
time she responded and things became easier. II
she had continued her course and gone back to
Bergen Point not q boat would have been lost.
But just as we were beginning to think we were ali
right again, the Bordentown suddenly swung her
head back to the old course and made straight for
In less than no time the Title Hughes in front
of me mad ton after ton Of water dumped on her
from the heavy seas Finally, she plunged her
10 the bottom. knew then that 1t was q scramble
Tor life. l rushed down into my cabin My wife
Soy. Ao ! mad 'snsm out aal IN 50 q ,i MgS amy ms hnsissa ane%
gu deck. All my wife was able to put on over her
nigh. clothes was an old wrapper; The boy had
saw when i got on deck with them was the lights
of a tug which was heading straight for us. 1t was
very dark and the wind ripped and tore about us
SO we had to cling with our very eyelashes TO keep
from being swept away. Every minute or 80 we
got q douslng from the seas which were washing
over US. The tug was soon alongside.
"How / got my wife and child on board her
hardly know; sne was pitching and Jumping
wasn't much steadier. ! stayed behind to try 10
save the barge. / was afraido the boats ahead of
the iashings to the Florence Moore. At thai mo-
Feared beneath the waves. As she west down tie
lshings to my barge snapped or she would GER
,ainly naye eS dragged z e I'm me n Go%n with ,Ns,I her: The cap;
The Moore was swamped they and the Moore's
people got to the Ocean Queen.
'"Whiie this was going on the tug which had
rescued myi wife and child had been going from
barge 10 barge taking the people of. The women
on deck, and their shrieks and cries seemed all
around you as though hundreds OF people were
struggling In the water In every direction. The
tug was soon crowded with half-dressed women
and children aud with a good many Of the barge
had helped to tow the fleet from South Ampoy to
Bergen Point. Her people had become uneasy AZ
put out alter US. 'Ae About the time Inc s1o nrss Sasae
went down the Bordentown whistled for assistance
ana ner signals were heard on board the Willie.
Had IT not been for her the loss OF life would have
been frtghtful.
We'll. l saw barge after barge 60 down all
down WITH them. But as one barge went down
me people would scramble TO another. Isoon
0 oar t rnree w Ssp sIoas at On na amy e Jass t sea II. was So.I plsln
town came towards us. / brushed down into the
cabin 70 see what ! could grab hold of TO save and
Here, /" ne said, stake hold Of this"
~ grabbed hold iof Il, hardly noticing what it
turned out to be o sewing machine. This and tine
Clothes l stand In Is everything ] nave left. The
SorSS' w which was my hone; ana an my household
my wife and ! feel the sorest At heart over losing
an old trunk with a few dollars' worth Of clothes
kets and the playthiugs were those OF my little boy
ana Girl who died u short time ago. anu we thought
Me Willie drew of with her on board, 10 save that
Eant. Once, a little laler, when 1 thought my
n, Sasf tTun WAS ana s9 3h1sw sure "a e:, ! r 1Ss ,n,9 the s,r cabin; T gos
barge went down before mino did and the trunk
vent 10 the bottom with her.
The Willie landed the rescued people at Pier No.
e. ana my wife and child went 10 my prother-in-
avs He lives on a boat at the foot of Vest Flew
svslh street. The barges had on board from $50 ~
\ ssslons Of coal each, anu some Of them were con-
sssEhed TO New Haven and the rest TO parties IN this
SS ~ The greater part OF the coal belonged 10
SueEney a. Conynham, No. ! Broadway. 1 had
SSny BOUGHT my barge recently, and ! put 5000 Into
~ not long ago. 1bought O new brussels carpet
W. me cabin par!or, and w had two larve led
,uolns nicely aud newly furnished and were
,SIv costly liked for the Winter, amt now We are
Mill w on land With only tue houAes OF irienJs 70
At me onlce OF the Delaware and RarIt9p Tow
SE company inquiries were met with a refusal to
ssppened to a tow OF barges. hut did moi Enow II
Ny ives had been Lost. In the afternoon the tug
mnne LOOK several representatives of the company
sown me bay. Capt Vedder, OF the barge Harrt-
80 san a full list OF the bargeH In the tow was
@naSsea INTO the towing Onice early yesterday
Seyefsi of .ss h.r,.s s,....