The sun., 1895-05-09
A SHOT WHIZZED OVER HER.
ALARM ABOARD THE FISHING
STEAMER Al FOSTER.

A Screaming Proiectiie just Missed the
Boat, Her Passengers Say, as she Was
Passing Sandy Hook-Binme the Govern
nent Gnn Testers for the Reckless shot.
Some of Uncle Sans gun testers at Sandy
Hook gave n bad fright to party OF jolly Ger
man-American citizens who went down the bav
on the twin screw fishing steamer Al Foster
yesterday. According TO the officers and pas
sengers n projectilo of some sort whizzed past
uncomfortably near the boat and fell into the
water close at hand with a tremendous splash.
The Foster is one of the largest steamers that
take fishermen down TO the Banks for n days
sport. She il capable of carrying FIVE or six
hundred. and frequently does SO in the middle
Of summer, but on yesterdays trip only ninety
five early-season enthusiasts took passage. EI-
cepting two women aud one child. the party
consisted entirely of men. The steamer started
out bright and early. and during the middle of
the day was anchored of the Cholera Banks.
Some OF the passengers fished from the steamer
and others went out in small boats. All had
good luck, and about O'Clock the Foster got up
steam and started back. The German-A Ameri-
cans disposed themselves In various parts of the
vessel and proceeded to imbibe refreshments
while they talked over the days sport.
On the hurricane deck. aft, with a couple OF
friends. sat Henry Schmnlz, whose saloon is at
$50 Eleventh avenue. Just behind them were
sixteen others. SchmalZ and his companions
were Quatllng their beer and chatting comfort
ably when. at $3.50 o'clock. the Foster reached
point little south Of Sandy Hook. Nothing
was further from their minds than grim -visaged
war and its dire concomitants. suddenly there
was q whizZing noise and heavy body passed
over the boat. Schmalz is ready to take his
oath that it was not over six feet above him nor
thnD feet side Sclmaly and
his companions nearly fell off their camp stools.
"Py chiumny crickets." said one OF the
friends. Il tiuks l go by der basement hin
unter,"
Similar ideas occurred at the same moment to
the other men on the hurricane deck. and they
all made break for the cabin. The passengers
on the lower deck crowded in there, too in fear
lest more shots should follow. Some Of them
had seen lot OF thick. white smoke ut Sandy
Hook moment before they heard the whiz-
zing noise, and they were almost panic strlck-
en- when they saw the projectile drop into the
water near by aud throw up a lofty co umn OF
spray. one OF the women tainted. and tho little
the engineer TO put on all speed. and the steamer
shot ahead at great rate. No more shots were
reraned TO
show themselves on deck again. She was In
usual.
Capt Foster and Purser R. H. F. Ling posted
of at once to the Office OF Jacob Loewer, the re-
ceiver Of the Al Foster Steamboat Company, at
525 East Forty-frst street and informed him
of the occurrence. They left with him a list of
twenty five passengers who are ready to make
affidavit that they saw the shot. Among these
were George Solms OF 12O broadway, E. E. Ned-
ling John Walker of South Orange. Conrad
street. street MIR Mr. Loewep I p said last night that
he should talk the matter over with Capt.
Foster to-day. and would probably make
complaint to the proper authorities. as such oo-
currences were dangerous and apt to injure the
business OF the steamers. Last year. he said.
the conclusion from u shell thrown from Sandy
Hook had broken six windows in the Al Foster,
and IT was time that something was done.
The exact nature of the projecte tnnt came
near making hole in the AL Foster will
probably remain unknown until the gun testers
themselves are heard from. If 1t passed over
the boat and fell as near it as most Of the pas
sengers think it did, 1t must have been thrown
that he inclined to. this view. although
he did not himself see the projectie
sF ss lie epud find out tad from h'' the pa
senGers it dropped about forty or fifty feet away
from the vessels stnrboard side. the side fur
thest from sandy HOOK Mr.. Schmalz, how
ever. says that he saw it pass over the vessel
a mile astern and Just in advance Of a big two
masted schooner which was working in throw
ing the water up to q height of fully fifty feet.
In that case it might have been horizontal. or
rifle. shot.
1T was a narrow escape" said Capt Foster.
"The Foster travels about a mile in four min
utes. or twenty-five feet n second. II the shot
had been fired second two later II would
feet further to the eastward it would have hit
us as It was. The course taken by the Foster
at that point Is exactly the same as is followed
by the ocean liners and almost all incoming