New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-01

EAPERIhNCES OF TEN MEN-TIMELY RES-
CUE BY THE PHILADELPHIA SCHOONER.
Vineyard Haven, Mass, Jan. 3l.-Captain
George Clark and nine men from the missing
steamtug Edwin II. Webster of New.York, for
whose safety much anxiety has been felt, and
who arrived in this harbor last Friday night are
still quartered on board the threemasted schooner
Everett Webster Captain Bowen, of Philadelphia.
The Everett Webster was bound for Boston from
Philadelphia with cargo of coal, and rescued the
ten men when nearly every hope OF being saved
had been given up. A violent northerly gale has
been blowing since she anchored here, making it
too rough for the rescued men TO make land
lng and it was not until to-day that the schooner
could be boarded and full particulars of the
ascertained. Captain Clark, of the ill-fated steam
tug, tells this story:
We left New-Yorlx Tuesday morning about
o'clock for the dumping-grounds of Rockaway
Inlet, about three miles from Coney Island We
had dumping Nos ) and ] Z in tow. There
was an increasing northwest wind blowing At
4 4:55 the same morning reached the grounds.
and after the two scOws had dumped their loads
we started TO return. The wind at this time had
attained the velocity Of a gale, and the tug was
struck by binding snow squalls, causing her TO
keep near and under East Bank In conse-
quencc, she got into shoal water, and while en-.
deavorng to get out into deeper water. the hawser
caught III the propeller. just as day was break.
ing the steamtug Nichols, with two scows in tow.
came to our assistance in response 10 signals,
and as all efforts to get the hawser clear were un-
avallng she endeavOred TO tow the disabled steam
tug and scows to New-Y York but was unable to
do so on account of the severe gale and high sea-
The Webster was then anchored. and tho
Nichols proceeded toward New-York with her
own scows The Webster with her two scows
hrpn ra1 l,1. IL
Gent to hold them. Fifty fathoms of hawscr
was bent on to the end of her chain, which
checked her greatly. she then having about 100
fathoms Of cable out After an hour the hawser
holding the scows, which entangled in the
propeller. cut chafed itself clear, and the scows
drifted rapidly out 10 sea. They each dropped
their anchors, which apparently of but
little service TO them They could he seen by
the Webster all day Tuesday drifting TO the
northeast but the next morning nothing could
be of them The Webster continued dragging
into rougher water, and a complete mass Of
ice She abored so heavily that she sprang bad
leak, and by constant pumping and all hands ball
ing with buckets could just keep her free Of
water. The steamer rolled badly that coal
was washed into her bilges and under her pumps.
choking them up badly. The men were obliged
to stand in the icecOld water, working for their
lives, endeavorns to keep the pumps clear and
in working order In this manner they we're all
or less frozen.
AT midnight on Wednesday the supply of coal
became exhausted, and all available woodwork
such as berths, flooring, joner-work, etc, was
burned, furnishing fuel 10 work the pumps
About o'clock, while in this precarious condition.
the wind still heavy, the fuel exhausted, tho
water up 10 the gratebars in the freroom, and
the crew all nearly exhausted from exposure,
excessive labor and hunger, having eaten scarcely
anything for forty hours, vessels lights were
sighted, heading straight for the Webster. The
welcome vessel, which proved to be the schooner
Everett Webster. was signaled by our lights and
she Immediately bore down and lowered her
stern boat. which was manned by her first officer,
W NJ Leeds, and three men, These men, by
skilful management. rescued the ten men from
the sinking steamer, one by one, this consuming
about an hours time. When the last man was
rescued the guards of the tug were level with
the water and she could not nave stayed aloat
much longer
The following are the names of the rescued
men Captain George Clark, captain; Robert II.
lasher. mate; Thomas Wall. engineer: Z. }.
Knowles, steward: Ferman Dauser. John Zane,
Olaf Burgrist and Dennis Manning, tiremen; Will
lam Gillin and John Lund, deckhands. When
landed aboard the schooner it was .scertalned
that all of the rescued men had their hands and
feet or less frozen but they have rapidly
recovered since they have been board the
schooner, and they will soon be in a suitable
condition to be forwarded 10 New-iork They
will leave here for their homes tomorrow morn
ing.
Captain Clark states that too much praise can
not be- accorded TO Captain Bowen and the officers
and crew of the schooner Everett Webster for
their gallant rescue. The schooner herself was
a solid mass of ice nearly To her fore-crosstrees.
and was almost unmanageabe. Captain Clark
also states that Mate Leeds handled his boat in
the most skilful manner on the high sea, and had
they not been taken off just at that time, they
would certainly have been lost, as their own frail
row boat had swamped The captain states that
had large steamtug been sent out after them
at once the Webster could have been saved. lie
has no knowledge of The missing scow No. 3.
but thinks that she would not sink, being largo
and new. with water-tight compartments running
nearly the whole length of her. lie manifcsts
anxiety regarding the two men on board, as she
was not abundanty supplied with food and f~el.
The tug Webster was abandoned about twenty
miles east of the Highlands of Navesink. Her
crew saved only what they wore and are in Q
destitute condition.