New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-27
PRICE THREE CENTS.
CARRIED OUT TO SEA.
FOURTEEN MEN ADRIFT IN FOUR SCOWS
AND A TUGBOAT.
4 FRUITLE5s STRUGGLE AGAINST THE NORTH:
WEST GALE-LITTLE FOOD on BOARD

WEST GALE-LITTLE FOOD on BOARD
THE VESSELS.
Four scows and helpless tug with their crews
were blown to sea yesterday by the northwest
gale which blew at the rate of siyty-four miles
an hour off the coast. The tugs Edwin Webster
and II. S. Nichols started at o'clock yesterday
morning, each with two loaded garbage scows
in tow, for the dumping grounds off Far Rockaway.
When the scows had dumped their loads the tugs
started TO return, and at ! o'clock they were
seen from the beach struggling against the gale;
trying to get back TO port Suddenly the bawsef
by which the Webster was towing her two scows
snapped and the scows were driven rapidly sea-
ward
A heavy sea was running, and icy waves broke
the scows and frozc upon their decks. Thus
one mass of glittering ice, they went swiftly fly
ing out the windswept sea in the direction
Of the Straits of Gibraltar. The Webster turned
to go to the;. rescue, but the broken tow-line
became entangled in her propeller. and she. too,
coated with ice and bufeted by the waves, was
blown helpcssly out TO sea after the scows.
The captain Of the ting Nichols, seeing
the danger Of the Webster, anchored
his scows under the lee Of the beach near Rock
away and ran out to the rapidly drifting tug Hs
got a line 10 her with great difficulty, but was
not able to tow her against the wind and sea.
Finding that both tags would be driven 10 sea IL
he persisted in his attempt 10 tow in the Webster,
the captain of the Nichols cut loose from her and
made the best of his way TO this port where he
reported the peril OF the Webster and the two
scows Meantime n dispatch was received from
Rockaway saying that the two scows anchored
by the Nichols had dragged their anchors ana
had been blown out 10 sea.
ic ha received in this CITY,
F. b. Dalzell. OF the Boston Towing Company
telegraphed to Newport ordering one OF the com
panys big ocean tugs 10 90 out and search for tho
Webster and the drifting scows. The Nichols, no
companied by the tugs Vosburg and Dossoris pun
out again, and the three vessels went on into tho
raging sea- the bitter cold and the gathering night
the southeast to try TO rescue the crews oil the
Webster and the scows.
The scows were owned by the Barney Dumping
Company of No. 81 Broadway, which was working
them under contract with the street cleaning de-
partment. They are patent dumping scows valued
at $4,000 each The scows were Nos. D. IL, .
and l6. The first two OF these the Webster had.
The others were in tow of the Nichols On scow No.
3 were John johnson and Johan Hansen On No.
were Charles Crump and an Italian named Canoh
Olaf Dahl and William Larttsen were on scow
No. IL and John Robinson and Samuel Moore on
No. l6. On the tug Edwin NetSler "eie NaP
tain William Ilenncssy and crew of five men.
The Webster was said to be owned by her captain
She is a good sized tug and in good condition.
though she is old, having been built in the days OF
the Civil War. She did duty patrol boat at
that time There is little il any food aboard tho
scows, but the tug has enough, it Is thought, 70
feed the crew for day on short rations Inc
scows are provided with 6OO-pound anchors and
foytv-lye fafhoms OF chain cable each.
Two years ago dumping scow was blown TO sea
with two men on it, They were Knocked about by
the ocean for three days. when finally
they were picked up. There was
no food aboard the scOw, but there
was n yellow dog and when the hunger Of the
men became unendurable they killed aud ate the
dog Ii is not known whether any OF the scows
Al present drifting about are similarly provided
with pet animals which might support HE in an
emergency. 81
CAPTAIN Ienncssy Of the Webster. lives in IT.
Marks-lve; Brooklyn The men on the scows
ali live in this city and Brooklyn, but their
addresses are not known.
When the rescuing tugs went out yesterday
afternoon they went with the prospect OF a dismal
ulrht before them. There was little hope that
they would be able 10 pick up the scows or the
Webster before daylight