Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-28

New YoRK. June 24-'fhirty.ono
| happy excursionists, returning from
| fishing trip, were drowned off the At
lantic Highlands about o'clock this
| afternoon by the laundering of the tug
| james d. Nichols. There were 10 per-
sons on board, according 10 best &C.
counts, and only AS were rescued by ex-
cursion boats that happened to be near.
The victims, all of whom are residents
of New York or Brooklyn, are;
| Drowned--Frank schultz, Frank
Mailer, Gustave and William Kirshncr,
Charles Weitling, Walter Buckridge,
| Buck Trainer, one man, unidentified.
Missing-William Schultz, George
Wanke, Christian Brecht, Charles
Graham, James Hayes, Richard Howes,
Theodore Schlnssnger, William and
Andrew Weisler, Albert Pabst, Emil
Wolf, Joseph Wolf, Frank Wolff,
Charles Wolf, Louis Bierman, Henry
Fleming, John Hoffman, Carl Hupc,
Gus Frazer, Charles Buttling, Herman
Eberhard, Edward Fay, Alexander
| johnson.
The tug Nichols was chartered by an
association known as the Herring Fish
Il
street, East river, early this morning
| for the fishing banks off Seabright.
| There was quantity of beer aboard,
but from the accounts of the rescued
| passengers, no one was intoxicated.
After several hours fishing the start
| for home was made.
As the tug proceeded the wind fresh.
ened to some extent, and tho waves
Tod A
of the Clyde Line, passed the tug, and
at that time there was nothing amiss.
But the waves became more boisterous
and dashed against the sides of the tug,
throwing spray over the excursionists.
STORIES OF SURVIVORS DIFFER.
Stories differ as to what happened
next. According tc some of the rescued,
the fishermen, to avoid getting wet,
moved around to the dry side OF the
vessel. This caused the tug to topple
over, and the water ran into her to such
an extent that it was impossible to
navigate her. She struggled for short
distance and, rs the water continued to
roll into her, she sank further and
further into the swells and finally went
down,
An OLD AND ROTTEN BOAT.
BY Others it is claimed that the tug
was an old and rotten affair: that she
was terribly oYercrowded and topheavy
and that when she got into the heavy
sea she simply went over.
When the accident occurred the
Algonquin, which was headed for New
York, was q mile away. The scream of
q whistle reached the ears of Captain
Plat, who stopped his boat and sent
lifcboat to the rescue.
SANK OUT OF SIGHT.
The laundering tug was now tipped
over to the starboard, her smokestack
almost touching the crest of wave
Another big whitecap came rolling
along and, striking the tug, sent her
over the other way. Thus the waters
played with her for minute or more
and then she went to the bottom.
AS she sank, the wheel.house, to-
gether with a raft and life.boat, re.
NAMED floating on the water. To every
particle of wrcckage chung one or more
of the drowning throng. The life raft
was the most sought for, and those who
were so fortunate as to make 1t were
saved.
When the Algonquin's boat reached
the scene she was Joined by three tugs
the Governor, the Wallace b. Flint
and the r. j, Moran. All had been
cruising in the vicinity. In less than 20
minutes from the time the rescuers ar
rived, those who renamed afloat had
reached places OF safety.
The Moran saved "a; the Algonouin's
crew secured nine, while the Governor
and Flint also got number on board
their respective boats.
The lost tugs lifeboat was found float
ing aimlessly about full of water. In
the bottom, tangled in ropes, was found
the body of man who had evidently
been caught just us he was about to
plunge overheard.
New York, June GA report from
Sandy Hook says that another body
from the tugboat James Michel was re
covered this morning on the jersey
beach, opposite Spermicetti Cove. This
makes the list of those actually known
to be drowned six.
The list of missing men has been
swelled TO SO, and il is believed that this
number will be increased to so or more
when the names Of the strangers who
were on board become known.
THE CORONER INVESTIGATING.
HIGHLANDS OF NAvEsISK, N. j..
June 25.-Coroner William Morris of
Long Branch arrived here this morning
to hold an investigation in the case OF
the sinking OF the tugboat James D.
Nichol, having on board "a men, mem
bers OF the Herring Fishing Club.
Coroner Morris took charge of the body
Of man which was washed ashore at
this place this morning, empaneled n
jury, adjourned the inquest and had the
body removed to the morgus to await
Identification.
| WHAT CAUSED THE DISASTER.
The story of the disaster as learned
to-day by the coroner from the sur.
vivors is to tile effect that the sea was
running unusually high when CAPTAIN
William Hyatt started for Horse Shoe
The waves broke over the tug and the
crowd on board to try to escape gcttinr
wet shifted to one side of the boat
which caused her to careen. While IN
this position the tug took water ranidlv
and when there were several feet ri
water in the engine room some one cried
out that there was danger of the boilers
exploding.
This caused panic and a general
rush for life preseryers. The tug WAS
ilghted by being struck by big wave,
nut she had taken in so much water
that she sank in very short time.
GOT CAUGHT IN THEIR LINES.
:. Many OF the men on board had tishinG
iihes out at the time and it is believed
that some OF the drowning men got
caught in the fishing lines. MANY of
lne survivors censure Captain Hyatt
and his crew for mismauarement ~ ~