The sun., 1891-07-14
DID THE LAUNCH EXPLODE7
sToRY OF THE DROWNING ACCIDENT
OFF EAST ROCKAWAY.

sroRY or THE DROWNING ACCIDENT
OFF EAST ROCKAWAH
Steersman white Says There Was an Ex-
nIos,on sna Then . whirring Sound
How Mr. Caemmerer snd His Two
Quests Went Down While swim"'ns.
The naphtha launch Ethel, belonging to
Louis J. Caemmerer Of East Rockaway, went
"a the bottom on Sunday afternoon while trying
20 force passage into Rockaway Bay against
snowerful ebb tide. mir. Csemmcrer and his
onssts, d. Read Dennis OF BROOKLYN and
Gsoree M. Norwood OF Flatbmsh. were
drowned The party had gone outside
for b!uelsh against the advice OF friends
md fishermen In the buy, who warned
them OF the dangerous nature OF the inlet at
abb tide. Louden While. Jr. young OYSTER
man who accompanied them as steersman.
sayod himself by swimming seaward and cling
Ing to buoy. where he was picked up by
YACHT. Whi,e says there was an EXPLOSION In
tho launch Just bofore the boat won't down
which stove hole In her bottom.
Mr. Caemmerer was In the Iron business at
az DeKalb avenue. Brooklyn. ND to . few
months ago. when he retired He was about
AZ Years old, and he had wife and one child. a
six.year.old girl after whom the boat was
named. Mr.. Dennis was manufacturer OF
underwear in Brooklyn and he lived at 465
Clcrmont avenue with his wife and three chill
dren. He was about 35 yenrs old. Mr.. Norwood
was the manager Of the firm OF Joseph Nor
wood 4 Sons. manufacturers OF wire goods at
$40 Adams street. Brooklyn. He was unmar-
red. and be lived with his father. mother. two
sisters anil three brothers In Flatbush. He
had been member OF tho Gilbert Dramatic
Society of Brooklyn for several years. He was
90 years old.
When Mr.. Caemmerer retired from business
he built fine house at East Rockaway and
moved there with his family. His brother-in-
law, David A. Curtis, o journalist. lived there.
He and Mr.. Curtis had married sisters. Tho
two were devoted fishermen. aud they spent
ali their Sundays on the bay. Mr.. Caemmerer
used to own sailboat. but when he moved to
East Rockaway lie bought the naph,ha launch.
Sallboats were too dependent upon fltful
winds to suit him. He purchased the launch
from tho Gas Engine and Power Company OF
Morris Dock. 1t was twenty-five feet long. and
had the engine aft. The naphtha was stored
forward and had to be pumped into the on
gina device intended as n guarantee against
explosion. The launch Gust sl.o52.
Mrs Caemmerer was much opposed to he,
husband ge.,ing the & nnphtna launch: M She and
knew that he took big chances on the water.
An agent Of the msnnqMIactnrsIs M cruised d about
him how to handle the launch. and he laughed
at his wi'e's fears.
Sunday M and Mr. "s Dennis. il the al senoe.oi bis
wife and chl hlldren in New Jersey. lad come to
SSFam. as asH' H. ssa M os Il s%n
were ,snG Mi sna Mrs Gsr
sseora roW.d deWn Bsy spa
hicks Beach. Just within the inlet, 10 shoot
sh rest y snd
SSi4 Gsemmerer:. Mr. Norwood, III: Den:
oiiowsd nI i in the Ethel. With i.ouden White T at
,hs helm. White knew netting S,.d q paph,ha .s
when + xas IsquiIed. They reached Hicks
or er HerwoSa. Gb and bsnnis MA snnoanced anu tSeir In
su sSs ladies' s ashore. % There "a are p kinelsh and
ssSa Sss sa. MT .ad Ssss: s.ta took his to
Say. you won't ATTEMPT to 60 outside. will
"0h. guess not" said Mr.; Caemmersr
the inlet is 4 terrible place on an ebb tide. and
back. rowed down around the inlet Just be-
fore you came. aud found it pretty rough
ssh h.y Sons Rsns sS o oTtd Wits %hs ss Mr.
ING. ~. ID were not seen again.
BOTH 81 lone n"r
ss'p Sad Sa ,e nH%
shelter Islapd on the west The inlet is shall;
low and ds 3; 1pd
switS or the ebb tide there is tumbiing
times boats can enter only by narrow and
close 10 ,te WapUt POINT Of
yeserdsy. the party moved from spot to spot
Mr. Sns Sassss 10 ih s
d:h,ermi.naticn . TO 20 outsias dear and try for blue;
Long Beach. Hi8 QueatR AQre6Q. and Mr..
Cssmmersr would not lislen to the few
ss. sss: ss. e ysly Quiet tsn sa T ers WITS Mss s
WIND as, they went out, through lie
@ rnnnc and RSt epsD. I White h 8ss sss
a. luck and about ) O'clock came back. .Tns
Was a mass OF sweIls and breaEers ~ 4 fresh
wind was blowing from the southeast and the |
rs E!he pushed her E nose into the east s SIDE SIDE
ns SH was After
not be affected there. and they went around to
fhe Shelter Island side and tried the West
II was very rough. said Viii Q, Yesterday |
TO Buy reporter. aud we were Just inside |
VIII when there was Yhirr, wGirr. whirr. There
the whirr,ne sound. and S'f says to casmmsrer. c
.Caemmerer. We can't stand this. Give me |
" aS sSe oar for the water WA getting up high
What. had you shipped water2" asked the
you know"
Where was tho hole ""
Why In the bottom That came when the
snglne explosion came. Why 1t seemed to ne
~ pIg as my hand, and the water poured in"
,o,! "a the explosion blow the hole In the bot
,,".i don't know. but the wat"r was getting
alan' and l said. Give me that our and l
%.Is s0.x the oar and slewcd her around. for We
were getting In the trough OF the sea. Then
Mo ns breakers struck us. hut they didn't go
U,sr %slsu "; Ian and yankee on the oar, Then Caem-
%eIer TOOK hold Of the oar too. There was only
SSs @ oar IN the boat. Then another sen came.
SsSsx,s sSxs didn't sLip that either and then an.
u. M Isst,ine up % In the the boat boat and casmme1er @ meier
a,a . % guessed It was all up. for the achinery
ON mn 1nroke. ! said: Cnemmeler, we've lost
sn Hu, wheel or We could get out o. this but we