The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-06-26

NEW ioRR, June 2J.-Iiow many per.
sons were drowned by the capsiting Of
the tug James D. Nicol, OIL Sandy Hook
yesterday, Is not vet known. The OK.
cursionisss woro from all over the east
side from College Poiut from Brooklyn,
and even from Hobokon, and it IS prob
able that some OF those drowned will
never BE- reported or heard from again,
The catastrophe ls rendered moro hat.
rowing by the fact that most OF the men
were married and leave largo iamilios.
Tho highest estimates in the last MI h.'s
dispatches weFe probably within the
mark, for to-day it is thought that not
less than thirty-sjx persisted. Those
identified are: frank Dunn, Herman
Evorard, - kcyser. Thomas 3lasson,
" alter 'liuckridgc.
The two lust named lived In Brooklyn,
the others in New York.
Among the missing are the following,
all Of Now York: FRANK NcAlecr. Al.
bert Pabst, Frederick Vohling, SOLOMON
Crlesmau, Christian Zeth.
The pilot house OF the tug has washed
ashore at Highland Beach, and 50 has n
portion Of the life raft, Among the
wrecElge washed lahore at Purkertoyn
are tTo kegs OF beer.
Captain John HYDE, commander OF
the i'll iated tug. was seen at the office oil
the owner OF the tug. lie Is q young
man, twenty-five years OF aye, and says
that he has had masters license for
the past four years. For the frss time
Captain Hyde told the story OF the dis.
sster:
II could count but fitty.eight passeu-
gers on the tug when sue left the sec.
ond stopnin. place at pier 3, East river.
There were i've men IN the crow, max
ing sixty-threc, all told.
"We had been lying off Seabhght at
anchor when the wind began 10 ireshen.
We soon raised anchor, in,eniine to
leave. We were about Three quarters
OF an hour from the shore. The sea,
when we started, was not very heavy,
and hardly any spray came on board.
he passengers, thinking that they
might got wet, crowded 10 the port side.
l asked them 20 divide up and part take
the gtarboarl SIDE, but no attention WAS
paid 10 my request The sea was som6-
what choppy but not villa; wOGll be
called heavy. Outside some distance
from shore, il appeared much calmer
than in shore. thought II We ran GU:
for some distance, we would make bet
ter weather. We wero in no apparent
danger, except for tho people ctowdinc
10 the p0r. side OF the boac. sud-
denly saw hcavy swell bearing down
on us. closely followed BY Il second one.
I called again to the passengers TO take
the starboar1 side Of the boat, but it
was not done. The frat sea boarded
US clean over the bow and rushed AFT.
The second followed closely also board
Ing us over the bow and washed down
tho port side. This was caused By the
heavy list on the boat
When the first wave hit Us, I
cried For God sake "a: over to the
other side" l pulled the whistle rope
then SO q signal OF distress. and, seeing
the great danger tied It down. 1t kept
blowing until the NIcoi wont down.
Alter TIE boat had careered under the
second wave, Hammond, 4 deck hand,
and myself, climbed through the star
board windows OF the pilot house aud
weat overheard. There were number
OF people strusglin. in the water all
around. The life craft was near the
spot where the tug sank and made Tor
it. There were numb OF passengers
on it and hanging to il. and their slruc-
giles capsized 1t. AS it went over, was
struck by it and vent down When I
arose to the surface l managed 10 grasp
it again. The members Of the crew OF
the boat, pilot, RayIong Kelly,
engineer, John Farrell. fireman. Lewis
Hochiem, Albert Hammond and
steward, John Fleming were all picked
up by the tug Sayre.
II was at the wheel from the time We
left the dock until the accident &C.
Cured, except O short time while at
anchor, when | went below Tor dinner.
II has been stated that I vas intoxi-
Gated. | am not 4 drinking man and
had touched no liquor whatever.
~ do not think the boat was over
crowded, and had the passengers acted
az l told tncm We would have come
through all right"