New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09
THE TRADE OF THE WRECKEk
NOWADAYS HE REsCUEs SHIPS WHICH
ARE IN PERIL
xrEN COMPETITION OF RIVAL COMPANIES
RACES FOR THE SCENE OF DIsAsTER-soME
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTs-TIE
APPARATUS USED

APPARATUS USED.
1-hs rescue Of the American liner St. Paul from
N. sandy Long Branch shore by the Chapman
and Merritt wrecking companies has brought to
,enewed attention "A great marine industry. 1t is
an industry about which comparatively little is
Known by the general public. because Of the iso-
lated nature of its workings. That little is known
q, its needs or Of the great skill and ingenuity
Nsnlayed by expert hands Is perhaps the reason
f,r one distinguishngy comcal feature of the
e. Pauls mishap. which has ended 50 fortu-
rately This feature lay in the mass OF communi-
cations received by the heads Of the two wrecking
companies and the newspapers well. advising
Nth solemn and weighty phrases how TO remove
the ocean queen from her sandy berth. These
communications were from all sorts and condi-
ions Of fools. from the graduated article to the
.bap who has just started on the downward road,
and they proposed all kinds Of schemes. Cap
tain Merritt had the drawer OF his desk filed to
the top with them. and remarked that as soon as
the known resources OF the company
hausted he would dig down into the pile and sec
nhe could rake up grain of
However. the search not made necessary
by lack OF the part of the expert hands.
Thus Is that the picture Of the ST. Paul floating
between gray sky and shifting. restless waves,
supported by monster balloons was denied
shifting sands being cast from the seward side
Of the stranded steamer by the action Of sub
merged pipes leading from powerful pneumatic
pumps was likewise rendered unnecessary.
also the design Of ranging a procession of
ocean liners. something like dozen or more. and
letting them yank the recalcitrant from her
throne In three shakes Of lambs TAIL or in less
time II possible. These only samples Of the
schemes proposed. nearly all Of which went to
show the utter inadequacy OF the insane asylums
Of this country to protect the thinking mass OF
the people from the know-it-als who are eternally
wasting their energies on the business Of other
people.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.
The wisdom born Of lifelong experience in
chosen calling is set at naught by the interfering
norton Of the country the instant there is a
calamity requiring special endeavor TO save
property from further loss. The further the ac-
wiser lives from the ocean the more assured Is
his method OF rescue and redemption from ma
rine accident. His experiences with water may
hive been confined to the navigation OF ferry
raft across an old country swimming hole.
However the ST. Paul is once more In her ma
tive element. and the rescue was effected by
known and tried methods. which tend 10 bring
forward with stil1 greater degree Of prominence
the gallant men who reck not of lee shore surf
and who battle with old ocean In It's widest
moods At times they meet with accidents;
sometimes comrade is lost in the swirl or waters
about the sides Of stranded ship or diver IS
snothered by the twisting Of the air-hose lead
ing down to his twilight berth In the water But
the work goes forward Just the same. Bronzed
checks may pale for an instant, and there may
be dim questioning as to who will be the next
to pay the debt but there is no yielding OF muscles
strained to the task Of saving life and property
II would be interesting to know just how
term Of opprobrium has been swung round on the
tide Of custom to apply TO 60 worthy calling as
.-ecxing Wreckers have figured in romances
snor time irnmemorial as jewellers upon rocK-
hound coasts full Of wave-beaten lamentations.
lifting promontories from which raise beacon
fires were made to blaze on moonless nights wheh
the storm fend riding his foam-cresteo
steeds and drawing sail-riven ships upon sunKeh
eefs wrecker is zone who plumbers wrecks or
collects goods cast ashore from wrecks 1et
there Is a ga wing grace IN the use OF another anu
compound word. "Wreck-rnaster." who Is "a per-
son who takes charge OF the salvage from "ie'"
for the interest OF the owners.
TO SAVE. NOT TO RUIN.
But there is evident necessity for REVISION
OF the dictionary on this particular woro' loi
the wrecking companies, so-called' diVide with
LII Saving
ing humanitarian enterprise. They are not
wreckers but saviors from the accidents OF the
yea and II is no detraction from the honorable
service they render that 1t is conducted upon
business basis and for profit. They begin
wbera the power which causes a wreck leaves
off and they display activity which Is only
eoualled for expedition Of movement by the
ne-saving crews themselves. whose sole duty
from first 10 last is to save life Once let the
news of q wreck be received in New-YorK, IL Is
Immediately and by some mysterious process
transmitted TO the offices Of the wrecking com
panies the Chapman ard the Merritt being 'he
most notable organizations OF the KIND IN 'he
country or perhaps i'll the world, II their mas
terful apparatus be considered and compared
with the facilities Of other like corporations
So soon as the word reaches the offices the
telephone begins to play its part. The ofiices
Of the owner or shipper are called up and the
services of the wrecking tugs rendered
In some instances it is a question or BIDDING
and the lowest bidder gets the job He may he
expected to make an offer for the work of res
cue with only the knowledge that can be OBJ
tanned by viewing the ship from the midst or
turmoil Of surf However this IS not often
the case The whole system Of recovery rests
upon weli-defned maritime law concerning sal
wage on cargo and ship This IT was which,
aside from any question Of a lump sum for the
contract made the work OF rescuing the ST
Paul particularly inviting. The amount liable
for salvage there was s3.000000 1t was the
biggest thing Of the kind which had ever fallen
to the Let of the wreckng companies TO con
slider the Atlantic Coast and the st. Paul
was the biggest vessel ever seen with her nose
In the sand. In this instance it question
Of speed to see who should be on the scene first
and 1t is worthy OF note that the Chapman
company first got hawser aboard Of the
Stranded liner. In the case Of the Inflated