The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-03-18
MODERN WRECKERS.
They Play The Good Samaritan
On a Cash Basis.
An Industry That Has Grown
Into An Art.

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for any other harbor in the world.
The immense shipping interests of the
city are probably attended with
smaller percentage of accidents than
most harbors. There are, however,
hundreds of accidents, from variety
of causes, in the course Of year, to
ships Of all sizes and conditions, and
the work of rescuing distressed vessels
has grown to to be regularly estub-
lished business. There are at pres
ent some ten firms devoted to this
work of mercy for fixed charges, and
the annual income from its interest
amounts in the aggregate to several
hundred thousand dollars year. Be-
, sides these there are scores of pilots,
heavy tugs and variety Of craft.
which nre always on the lookout for
an opportunity TO play the Good
Samaritan. II happens, however,
that, unlike this familiar example,
these siviors Of vessels are not
willing to work for nothing more sub
stantial than for charity's sake, and
very exorbitant rates are charged for
such services. The salvage is in such
cases regulated by law.
If it we're not for these modern
Samaritans, New York harbor would
be converted every year into q regular
ship graveyard. 1t is not generally
known that there are several hundred
wrecks Of one kind and another al
most within sight of the battery each
year. These vary from the great
ocean greyhounds to the dirty little
clam boats. The amount of salvage
money collected, of course, varies ac-
cordingly. These business transac-
tions between the wreckers and the
wrecked is carried on invariably on
the principle of emo cure, no pay"
A large part of the wrecks about
| NtW lOEh COuoibb VI NtoSCio vi uii
races aud previous conditions, which
have sunk to the bottom of the har-
Dor. Tho popular meaning of the
word salvage is the money paid to
some brave crew who risk their lives
and their boats in the purely disinter-
ested effort to save sailors who are in
the greatest peril on the high seas
Cases of this kind are, however, com
paratively rare. 1t sometimes hap
dens, to be sure, that the tiny crew OF
some oyster boat or other small craft
have to be rescued from the waves and
afterward brought to by the admins
tration of plentiful supply OF slim
ulants and blankets.
The modern wrecker, however, is,
first of all, the clever business man.
The popular notion of the wrecker
with his undoubted courage and un-
selfshness has been replaced by q
clever speculator, who works only up
on strict cash basis. The wrecker
works for percentage, and when he
succeeds in restoring vessel to somo-
thing of its old condition he is allowed
by law to levy upon n ship if neces
sary, in order to collect his bill.
There are bad debts in this Samaritan
business, as we'll as in any other. /,
sometimes happens that the rescued
bark is not worth the cost of resuscitat-
ing her. The rates by the way, for
these charitable services are exceed
ingly high.
The largest amount of salvage
money ever asked for single job is
the fee which is to be paid for services
to the great American liner ST. Paul.
There can be no doubt that this is by
far the largest ship ever found in dis
tress in or about New York Harbor.
The work of bringing her safely to
her dock, which was carried on with
such energy, illustrates very we'll the
: magnitude as well as the skill of the
wrecking industry. The larger con-
: tractors for carrying out this Samari-
tanlike work have at their command the
most improved machinery known.
, They can on an instant become the
commanders of good-sized navy OF
tug boats, lighters aud variety of
marine craft. The reputation of these
cash basis Samaritans is SO good, as
was that of the Biblical ancestors, that
they are intrusted with wealth. In
this case, as all the world knows, they
4 were required to handle incidentally
rather more than million of dollars
h in gold. New York Journal.
Use OF Light Kangaroo.