The evening world., 1893-11-21
SANK WITH the TUG.
Two Lives Lost Through a Fire
mans Carelessness.
Attached the Hose to a Tank and
then Went to S'eep.
lie Was Ono Victim, the Owners
Son the Oiher.

The carclessness of one man caused
the sinking Of the tugboat Charles II.
Stone in the North River, near pier \.
shortly before . o'clock this morning.
and the death from drowning Of himself
and another of the crew. A half dozen
men escaped the same fate, after a hard
struggle with the water, which was
rushing upon them. The dead are:
WILLIAM FLETCHER. thirty years old, fireman
Of the tug, lived in Jersey city.
y ROGERS. nineteen years old, son Of
Robert Rogers, OF ca Barrow street, owner Of the
tug.
The boat had been in use all day, and
about 8 o'clock last night made fast to
the dock, between the Steamboat Squads
station and the Iron Steamboat Com
pany's pier. The day crew went of
about that time and the night crew took
charge.
This crew consisted OF Peter Cherry,
the captain; Bernard McEntce. the en-
gineer; Hugh McFarlane and William
Fletcher, iiremen; Peter Taylor, deck
hand; Frank Murphy, cook. Young Rog-
ers and his friend, william
were also on board.
About midnight all the crew with the
exception of Fletcher turned into their
been entertaining some friends, for a few
hours before. He had been detailed to
remain up on watch all night and fill the
tanks with water. Young Rogers and
while the others slept below.
Fletcher, who had only been employed
on the boat three days. took the nose ana
the per and turned on the water, He
filled one of the tanks. then attached the
hose to another. What he did after that
is not Known. The theory is that ne lot
on, and becoming drowsy went down.
stairs to sleep
At l.40 o'clock Engineer .McEntee was
awakened by the roar of the rushing
water, and %springing out, he yelled that
the tug was sinking. hisrcries aroused
the other sic epers who IL fbled out and
fuuPht their way upstairs.
The boat at that time was two-thirds
full of water, and the deck was then
almost on a level with the river.
Rogers is President Of a stock com,
owns half a dozen tugs. Some Of the
latter, including the l.. Pulver, T.. {.
Evarts and William E. Ferguson, were
fastened close by and d the police patrol
Sergt. Ivory was asleep in his bunk
at the time. but was aroused by the COM
motion. Hastily gathering his crew
about him he rushed on deck. He was
just in time to see the tug go down.
About two feet of her pilot-house, a
little of the bow n the smokestack,
renamed ABOVE lne SURFACE. lie luS -
rowboats was floating near by, bottom
up.
At first It was thought that all had
| been saved by climbing on the other
| tugs, but 1t was soon discovered that
young Rogers and Fletcher were miss
ing.
Rogers's father was summoned by tele-
| graph. and on his arrival a diver was
employed to go down after the bodies.
Capt. Rogers, who is himself a diver,
was going down first, but did not care to
see his sons body.
A few hours later they were found.
The body of young Rogers was discov-
| cred In the cabin: the fireman was found
downstairs. Both had evidently been
asleep when the water overpowered
them.
The hose pipe attached to the fire by
drant. with the other end at the tank
and the water still turned on, told the
story of the sinking.
The bodies of h2th men We're taken
on loard the tug Emperor, which, with
the Champion. also belonging to the
same feet, arrived on the scene soon
after the accident.
They remained there all the morning
| covered with a piece of tarpaulin until
the Coroner arrived and gave Il permit
for their removal.
The body of Young Rogers was tnk"n
to his home; FletChers remains VIII be
taken to the Morguc, unless some reld-
tive appears to claim them.