New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-18
A TUG CUT DOWN AND SUNK.
TWO MEN LOSE THEIR LIVES:
WIND AND TIDE SENT THE JAMES A. eARy1xzA
AND THE AMOS c. BARsrow CRASHING

AND THE AMOS C. BARsrow CRASHING
INTO EACH OTHER
The propeller Amos G. Barstow cut down III
tug james A. Garfield In the East River yester.
day afternoon, sinking the tug and drowning two
men. II was shortly after o'clock apd tho
Bantow, heavily laden with pigiron, came around
the Battery from her pier in the North River and
steamed up by Diamond Reef. bound for
Providence. Just as she got abreast Of the South
Brooklyn Ferry, the tug James A. Garfield came
out from Pier No. 4, and steered In the direction
Of Buttermilk Channel. strong ebb tide wa
running, which Get the tug down toward tne
Barstow. That part Of the Bay was crowded
with tows, ferryboats, steamers and tugs. as ~
usually s at that hour Of the day, and the strong
ebb tide and the strong westerly Wind combined
to make 1t difficult to thread the labyrinth with
safety Before the hundreds Of people working
on the piers and on the ships in this part OF the
harbor realized it the collision had happened.
The bow Of the Barstow struck the Garneld
amidships, cutting her half in two. For an In
slant the tug swang around against the sios
Of the steamer and then sank, leaving
floating pilot-house, o few splinters, and cloud
of steam on the water where the tug had been.
Before the steam had risen from the water the
place was covered with feet of tugs and other
vessels Four men leaped from the tug to tho
deck of the Barstow at the moment Of collision.
Three Others were hauled from the water to the
decks of tugs. One man was seen struggling
in the water for O moment and then to sink before
help could reach him. The pilot-house foated
over to the shore Of Governors Island where
an hour later soldiers were busy transforming iD
fragments into kindling-wood The Barstow ano
the feet of tugs hung about the place Of tho
accident for some time. Then the Barstow pus
In to Pier No. 10, and the tugs left the place.
those who had rescued people on board going to
neighboring piers to land them
All the people on the Garfield were accounted
for except John Lyons, fireman, and John Steele
O ships carpenter in the employ OF McCaioin
Brothers, of Broad-st, owners OF the tug. ~
supposed that Lyons was in the fre-room at the
time of the accident and went down with the tus
The man seen for moment struggling in the water
is supposed to have been Steele. On the tug az
the time OF the collision were nine people: David
Henderson, captain; Daniel Little, engineer; Jo-
seph Starke, mate; Peter Cassidy, cook; John
Lyons fireman; a dcclS-boy, Captain Lenox, OF
Philadelphia and ship-carpenters Henry Robbins
and John Steele. The tugs Atlas and Carnle
picked up three of the men, four jumped to the
deck of the Barstow, and two were lost. Inc
Garfield had started out to take Captain Lenox ana
the two ship-carpenters to Red Hook to appralse
the damage done to a schooner lying there. which
was recently in collision: She was not q new boat,
but had just been repaired OF considerable expense
and her owners place her value at $4,000. =,
The Amos c. BarstOw is an old-time propeller
running between this port and Providence, ana
belongs to the Merchants Steam Line Inc col
son caused great esaSSoehSod ai0as agd e
eu every 'n'a tug. ssnaiSoas, Or schooner lying =
the piers were black with people, who seemed 20
spring out OF the earth and out Of the water Tho
tug Gtlas came up TO Pier No. Q, and an OLD man
who had just been rcecued from the water was % e.
Robbins He Is seyenty-two years old and was IN
An exhausted condition from the effects OF the
excitement Of the accident and his struggle IN tho
water. An ambulance was summoned Duo noo'
bins refused to go to the hospita! and, aIter resS
ing awhile at the hotel, went to his home, at NO:
best-known ship-carpenters In Brooklyn, ana s
frequently called as an expert In Admiralty cases.
The captain Of the tug. David Henderson. was
landed in Brooklyn and was driven to his nome IN
Degraw-st. He was severely injured his Jaw !
and right arm being broken. He was IN the
posed to have been injured by being thrown over
the wheel None Of the other rescued men re-
ceived injuries Of n serious nature vi the missing
men John Steele was forty-two years old. He lived
in Brooklyn, but his address there c0uld NOT ne
learned last night He leaves wife and several
children. He left the bedside Of his sick wife
to 90 on the trip which ended so fatally yesterday;
John LYONS was a young man from Philadelpma!
lie lived on board the tug:
The ONLY damage received by the Barstow IN tne
collision wos the carrying away or part OF nes
cutwater She will make some slight repairs and
then 90 TO Providence Tho question OF blame for
the collision will probably be decided IN the cour