The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-27

Water-FuIIy Twenty Are Believed
To Have Lost Their Lives-The ves-
sci Overloaded-A Cat Boat Disaster.
NEW YORK, June 25.-The tug James
d. Nichols, with sixty-three excursion
ists and a crew numbering ten or twelve,
sank at about l o'clock this afternoon,
some three miles off the Highlands
Fifty-four Of those on board have been
accounted for. The rest were probably
drowned.
The tug left Fifth-st. and East river
at 7:5O o'clock this morning, touched at
pier 3. East river. and then went on the
fishing grounds. She had, it is said. a
license TO carry fifty passengers. but
sixty-three tickets were sold. There was
a bar and a lunch counter on board.
whose attendants with the crew, brought
the whole number on board up to about
seventy-fiVe.
The tug reached the banks on time,
but the fishing was poor and the sea too
rough for comfort, and about noon she
started back. When about three miles
east of the Highlands and about four
miles south Of Scotland lightship, the
waves began to break heavily over her
starboard rail. To dodge the water and
wind the passengers began to run around
to the port side and 10 climb on top Of
the deck house. The boat careened
alarmingly To port. and the water swept
in over the rail. The terror-stricken
men rushed back TO the starboard and
the tug swung deeply down on that side.
At the same moment three heavy break
ers struck the boat in quick succession.
The captain. William II. Yatt, stuck
pluclSi.y To his post and sounded the
whistle Ia prolonged scream for help.
Even as he did so, the tug filed with
the water that poured into her from both
sides and sank out Of sight in the water.
Down Like stone.
She went down like a stone. carrying
many OF her passengers with her
The water choked the cry of the
whistle. but not before it had been heard
and needed. The Clyde steamer A.
gonquin, a mile away, heard 1t and
swung around to go back to the rescue.
The tugs Wallace b. Flint, r. J. Moran
and Governor also hurried toward the
spot From farther away came the c.
Il. Evarts, reaching the spot too late to
be Of service.
The Algonquin sent her lifeboat with
First Officer y. NJ. Rich and four men.
The picked up ten men. One, however,
died few moments later. The tugs
rescued the others who remained ahoat.
Some had life belts on. but most of them
were clnging 20 bits of wreckage. a life
raft supported a dozen and the top of
the pilot house as many more.
The unconscious man picked up by the
Algonquin was found in the Nicholas life
boat. He was under the thwarts and
entangled in fishing lines. The boat,
practically unsuitable. was floating right
side up, but was full Of water.
Capt. S. c. Platt of the Algonquin says
that while a stiff breeze was blowing
there was no sudden squall. There was
a big, short, sharp sea on.
The Algonquin brought those she had
picked up TO the city. The living dis
persed to their homes, and the dead
body, which has not been Identified, was
sent To the morgue. All were people
bearing German names and living on
the lower east side OF the city. Some OF
the tugs not wishing 10 come to the city
transferred the men they had saved TO
other tugs.
The Savers brought up thirty-four sur
vivors and landed them on the east side.
The c. E. Evarts brought up two bodies
and several survivors. The Governor is
supposed to have landed others in Brook
lyn.
eutv-fVe have been accounted for, three
of them being dead. officers OF the
FLINT. for some unknown reason, de-
MED having rescued any of the men or
knowing anything about the matter.
A survivors, story.
John Magele, who was rescued by the
Algonquin's boat. says he was caught
under the awning Of the tug when IL
sank. He managed to crawl out and
seized a table, which kept him afioat.
Finding his chum. Frank Kaiser. in the
water. he let him have the table, which
would not support two, and started TO
swim. Soon after he was picked up. but
Kaiser has not been seen since.
The Algonquin arrived at her dock at
pier 20, foot of Roosevelt-st., at about
5 o'clock this evening. She had on board
nine OF the survivors Of the j. d. Mich
OILS. and the body Of one OF the victims.
Capt Platt of the Algonquin, when
asked concerning the accident, said;
"The tug was about sinking when first
SlSnleQ Dy lnet AlkOnqulil. lhSlS was a
heavy sea on, and a good deal of wind
from the northeast. My attention was
first called to the tug by the blowing OF
its whistles. She was then rolling from
side to side, and suddenly turned over
and went down almost instantly. The
passengers appeared to be demoraized,
and ran about the deck wildly, and as
the boat swayed TO one side they rushed
to the other. The tug appeared TO be
top-heavy as though she was over
loaded. 1 ordered a life boat lowered
Immediately and sent II in charge of
Chief officer Rich to the scene OF the
disaster, but before it reached there the
tug sank out of sight. officer Rich sue
ceeded in rescuing nine Of the survivors
and also took on board the life boat the
dead body of a man which he found in
a derelict boat belonging to the tug.
The dead man was all tangled up with
fishing lines and the boat was full OF
water though right side up. Soon the
tugs, Flint, Moran. Governor, Sayers
and Evarts arrived at the scene and they