The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-31
LOSS OF TIT E LOW.
Broke Away From Her Steamer In Fear ful Gale.

Broke Away From Her Steamer In Fear
 ful Gale.
 The barge Seth Low. which has often put Into this port. Is believed to have been lost at sea with her crew of five men In, the gale of last Wednesday. She and the Ringleader were being
 lowed from Boston to Philadelphia by the steamship Santuit, which lowed the Destroyer from New York to Santos during the Brazilian insurrection. The Sar,tuit reached New York on Saturday after one of the most exciting experien- ces of her career. First Officer Hall told the story of the loss of the Low to a representative of the New York Times. He said that they had good weather until 3 p. m. on Wednesday when the sky became overcast and a short time later the ship and her tow were struggling against a heavy head sea.
 Toward midnight there came shriek- lUk Dldsl Slldl6ht lioiAl ShS Stot "eA VI and the edge of the sooty dome was clearly defined by the ghostly radiance of foam. The barges were pitching fu- riously, and the steamship was sending the spray to. her masthead at every plunge.
 A note of distress was sounded from the Low, and moment later signal flare, with Its tongue of flame blown norIxdntaliS ny the gare. HrreHmUt from the half-swamped barge. Captain Nu- gent oi the Santuit knew what the sig nal meant and the vessels head was swung straight into the wind and her engines were slowed Ito bare steerage- way. b. .,..
 Oil was poured over the side, but the seas had grown too Jorge for that to avail and shortly after midnight the sorely tried hawser snapped as the San tuit was rising to mighty wave. Ten minutes later both barges had been lost sight of, and the Santuit was hav- ing all she could do to keep her own drenched decks afloat. A wave, which ex- tinguished her port running lights, shows that the seas were running high, as the light was on the bridge, twenty-two feet above the waters edge.
 Another sea which tumbled aboard dashed the mate and two seamen vio- lently to the deck, severely bruising them. Then it was found that the en- zines were stopped, and the chief en- gineer reported that the circulating pumps were out of order. In the mean time the vessel seemed as though she would roll her funnel overheard, and not until the machinery was started again and the ship headed to the waves had the danger of laundering outright passed. H9'. ''' tE ''..
 The vessel remained hove-to until g a. m. Thursday. Then the weather moderated a bit and the ship headed for the coast line. Thirty minutes after wards she was battling with fierce southwestern. That outfy raised dan- gerous cross sea and 1t was not long after the ship had been struggling in the irregular folds before the steering gear gave way. She fell off into the trough of the, sea again, and for twenty minutes or more she was swaying her masts through. ;,an arc that reached from one horizon to.the other.
 Relieving tackles were fitted, and, steering by the improvtsed gear, the ship was again hove-to. She remained in that position until 6 p. m., when she headed about and ran for the shelter of the Delaware breakwater She reached that haven at 1:30 p. m. Friday. ! i
 The Ringleader, meanwhile, had been picked up and lowed to New York. The agents. apprehensive of the safety of the Low, telegraphed to Captain Nu- gent to proceed to- sea immediately in search of that helpless craft. The last glimpse had of her by the men of the Ringleader, she was drifting fast to the eastward with every bit of her canvas blown Into ribbons That was at o'clock Friday morning. The barge was then about forty miles to the east ward of Sandy Hook.
 4 Following her orders the santuit got under way. but her coal supply had run short, and she had barely enough to enable her to reach New York. She will take on a fresh supply as quickly as possible. KY <, :, .,'.,
 Both the Low and the Ringleader were converted from ships into coal barges. The hulls of each are stoutly built and can stand considerable buffeting. The Low is of 1sOo tons. She had no cargo on board when she broke adrift, and t is feared that she may have been cap sixed by the heavy seas. He sail was siyed by the heavy seas. Her sails were they had beens set.
 x Ae Low had five men on board. in- cluding her master. Captain Dortridge. The iatter's aon formed one Of the crew.