Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-02-01
ALL NOBLY RESCUED
l or Forty Hours the Webster
 Crew Fought Death.
CAPTAIN cLARE's VIVID TALE.
The Tugs Guards U ,der Water When Aid
 ReacAed Inn.

sprung Leak Soon After the Accident
 to the Propeller and the Woodwork
 Was Burned to Keep tn Pumps Going
 Frantic Efforts of the Half Frozen and
 Hungry Men to Keep the Tug From
 the Schooner Crew.
 VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass, Feb. f-Capt. George Clark, who together with a crew of nine, was carried out to sea from New York on the disabled tug Edwin H. Webster, Tuesday during a snow storm, and rescued by the schooner Everet Web ster, Captain Bower, of Philadelphia, vividly described to a reported the ter rib!e experience of himself and his men and their daring rescue by the officers and men of the schooner Webster when hope had almost been abandoned.
 The captain, after saying that the trip to the dumping grounds of the tug and her two scows was without incident, continued as follows:
 About o'clock Tuesday morning, after the scows had dumped their loads, we started to return. The wind, which had been very high all morning, attained at this time the velocity of gale. Binding snow squalls prevailed, and before we knew it we got into shoal water. While attempting to get out into deep water, the hawser fouled the pro pel'er and the boat was rendered help less. Ase
 "All our efforts to get the rope clear were unavailing, and we hung out dis tress signals which were seen by the tug Nichols. She came to our assistance and endeavored to tow the disabled tug and scows to New York, but was unable to make any headway against the severe gale and high winds which prevailed.
 ''The Webster was then anchored and the Nichols proceeded to New York for help.
 would not hold and with the scows we gradually drifted out to sea.
 About an hour later the hawser hold ing the scows, which was entangled in the screw, cut or chafed itself loose and the scows driftcd rapidly seaward.
 ''Those on board the scows dropped their anchors, but they did not appear to hold and the boats continued to drift to the northeast
 "All that day they were in sight of us, but next morning they had disappeared. The Webster in the meantime, had con tinued dragging slowly but surely into roughcr water, and was complete mass of ice Sne ial'ured heavily and at length sprang leak.
 ''Things now began to look serious and the pumps were set to work, while the crew assisted in the bailing process with buckets. By this means we managed for a time to keep her clear of water, but the pumping and bailing had to be kept up necessarily.
 |'The steamer rolled badly and coal was finally washed into her bilges and under the pumps, choking them up badly.
 "lhe men were obliged to stand in the ice-cold water, working for their lives in the endeavor to keep the pumps in working order.
 ''In this way all hands were all more or less frost bitten.
 "At midnight Wednesday, the supply of coal became exhausted, and all available woodwork, such as berths, flooring, joinerwork, etc., was burned, furnishing fuel to work the pumps.
 About 3 o'clock Thursday morning, while in this precarious condition, the wind still heavy, fuel exhausted, the water up to the grate bars in the fire room and the crew totally exhausted from exposure, excessive labor, and hun ger, they having scarcely tasted food fol forty hours a vessels light was sighted, heading straight for the Webster
 "This was most welcome sight and we frantically waived signal lights to attract her attention.
 ''The vessel, which proved to be the schooner Everett Webster, saw us, and she immediately bore down toward Us.
 "Upon learning our condition her cap tain ordered the stern boat lowered and this was manned by Mate w. NJ. Leeds and three men.
 ''The sea was very high at the time and AI Of cfa f ha.1 the Webster was both dangerous and tedious, and their boat could take but one man at time.
 By skillful management, hOwer CT, Mate Leeds rescued us all from the sink ing steamer, but it took ten trips and over an hours time to do it. ''When the last man was taken from the | tug her guards were level with the water and she could not have staid afoat much | longer"
 l Captain Clark is high in his praise of | Captain Bowen and the officers and crew 1 of the schooner The schooner herself | was a solid mass of ice and was almost | unmanageablc.
 The Captain is of the opinion that if d l large tug had been sent to their aS- sistance they and their boat could have | been saved.
 Captain Clark has no knowledge oi l missing ScoW NO U, put UhlnkS tnhi Nai l could not sink as she had water 1. .ht 1 compartments running nearly her wnos, ! length. He expressed, however, gre. 1 anxiety for the two men aboard of i..' ] as she was not abundantly supplied vi, food and fuel. The tug Webster wa abandoned about twenty miles east U: the Highlands of Navesink.
 The crew saved only what they stood irl | and are in a destitute comditi'sn. l When they were lal.lcd ;;l"nii,f tl,
 schooner it was found that nli or | .,
 rescued men had their hands ;ii,. .,ri more or less frozen. They l.:.tr, ...," ever, rapidly recruted since .tAi t..,.
 will be in a suitable condition to h, I Il | warded to their homes to-day.