Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-15
A[|R'IF on The DEEP.
Coal King Arrives After Being
at Sea Thirteen Days.
WAS PICKED UP THURSDAY
Crew Had Supply of Frovisions and
Did Not suffer A,y Hard
ships Story or tae
Trip.

After drifting ai.nlessly on stormy
! see tof' fifteen days the barge Coal
king, Captain Peter Nelson, which
slipped her tow on the might of Satur-
day, January 1, OF Fenw4ck Light, ar
rived in port at O'clock yesterday. a f.
#tern4on in tow of the tug boat c. W.
: Alo9fse
The Coal King, which is a regular
trader at this port. left Boston on DE-
AcemEer 81. with TWO other barge$, in
tow of the tug Luck.- be, EEK
AL Went weM till tine following day
when tile wind began to blow fieree
gais trlln the Northwest, causing the
sea TO become turba1Gent. AT 10 O'Clock
Saturday night he Lawser snapped. 1t
Webs Intensely dark. huge waves were
rocking the vessel and tha5 gnal was
not discovered by ths, LucKs back. Cat-s
tain Nelson hauled the large anchor
over the star board. giving it sixty-five
tfathon1s of chem, and was making
ready to let ghf the small anchor, when
the chain hoGling -he one already nvef-
board parted. This left the barge at the
5imercy of the sea. The wind btat
4 as.ilnst the canvas, ripping ths iit,4il-
sail from It's fasteningS Then the
! spanker was carried away.
tBut tine master and his crew of three
mSn were llndaunted Tlktng the glib
(which was left, they nlar.e q mainsan.
z The wind shifted, driving the Coal
KING due East, as she was laying to
the wind. Several days later another
fierce gale blew Up and swept away the
5 imrrovfsed mainsail, leaving the barge
helpless.
After drifting about for six days the
scfH2oner Joseph y. Elliott, bound
from Boston to Cha rleston, hove in
sight. The balse was then about $50
miles due East of New York. The mas
ter or the schooner spoke 20 the Ceal
King. asking Captain Nelson If ne
peedssl assistance. With tha exception
of a small supply OF flour Captain Nell
son had sufficient provisions to last
) the crew flr several weeks. He asked
Z. fer fictir, which the master OF thu Ell
%tiott very generously gave him.
,sG.. Three days later the Chesapeake ana
Ohio steamship Greenhrier bctnad from
AIondpn 10 Newport News was sighted.
"a The Cfrrsahrer, Captain Nelson told
ia resAiter for the Daily Press, passed
S5as&4Ans distance. but made no offer of
zee. However. he Captain Nei-
&AAllad to he refor!ed. This was
200 miles East of New York.
IS These We're the only vessels sighted
a4t,ys the Ceal King till at 7:45 eiclock
y Thurssiay morning. when the tug w. G.
Z Morse. bound, from Boston to Norfolk
wi h two aarges. in. tow. sFo.le 70 her.
ssss The barge was then drifting EDWARD
. the coast in the direction. of New York
and wass about fort S-five miles south OF
8Asecon Light. Finding that the tug was
E0LniItS TO THESE 4WatefS sIlpi2F II -aSlSOE
asissSi to be toweSf t5ward the coast.
The hawser was made fast and the
;Fharge arrived yesterday. with all well on
bead and a goo,Ily supply of provisions
left.
~ The Goal King is an oad trader at
@t'hiS port. For the last two years she
has been making regular trips to this
halhor, loed ng steam coal for New
York and Boston.
az representative of the Daily Press
in terviewed CAPTAIN Neasln as soon as
he dame ashore. The master of tbs
barge Was somewhat excite! when he
landed and h.asteref to the telegiap
t1ffice to send a dispatch to his family
In New York. so as TO relieve. them Of
tile suspense they have undergone for G
s fortnight.S
Whsn Ii was first rep rtld that the
Coal King he'd slipped her tow It wa
Thought lie Vessel had gone down, as
the sea Wss very rough. It was also
! reported chat sh--crsI he'd q lneagSe
81 Of provisions and it was fefaaSes-
q At we ns II the barge had not been lost
a u Esnna an board would perish, bu.
captain .aison said his n1sn had plenty
40 cal ayEi there was no la$i OF fuel.
s ST, aeaIlfa an Nelson takes it as bad omen
45that NJ vessel Should have & NE adr:f
Z on .tns5frst day of the new year to be
: pts,kefff up on the thirteenth. and sailors
: WI: ,tagard the vessel with superstition.
\ =. ~ iae gis.al King will await her turn al
s. hs5s piers and take ON a cargo~of cal
- Boston.