The suburban citizen., 1900-10-13
BRAVE REPORTERS BEAT
HOW T. 3. FIEoLERs RIsKED HIS LIFE
TO LAND IT.

azine. tells in vivid style the story Of
the New York Times famous scoop"
on the occasion on the loss Of the
steamship Oregon.
Word had been received from Fire
Island in the Times office on Sunday
afternoon that the Fulda, which had
rescued 300 Of the Oregon's passengers,
was waiting below Quarantine for
high tide so that she could cross the
bar and come up to the city.
There were only three men in the
| Times office when the dispatch ar
rived, w. II. ]. Kenny, now promi-
nent politician; Tracy Bronson, who is
still member Of the staff,and Thomas
B. Fielders, at present in London,
where he has been editor of the Pail
Mall Gazette.
The three secured a tug, went down
to the Fulda, were admitted on board
under the impression that they We're
quarantine officers, and secured the
story they were after.
They wrote out five columns between
them, but when they attempted TO
leave the vessel they were chagrined
to he told 10y the captain that they
would not be permitted to leave the
vessel until the Fulda had passed
Quarantine,
Their eXpostulation and prayers were
/ in vain 1t looked rs though with a
great beat in their very grasp they
were to lose it through a German Off
GERS obstinacy.
Fielders, in the meantime, did some
hard thinking He looked over the side
and saw the tug on which he and his
companions had come aboard, thirty
| feet below, about to push off,
Turning to his companions, he re-
Quested them to give him their copy.
what are you going to do?' asked
Kenny.
"Take it to the Office" responded
Fielders, calmly. 1--WE can't afford to
let these foreigners beat an American
newspaper out Of its news"
But how are you going to get to
| the oflice" inquired Kenny, beginning
/ to brighten up "Those four sailors
| over there have been given orders to
/ watch us, and the companiOn-ladder is
| hauled up, anyway"
Il am going to jump over the side
on to the tug" said Fielders, quietly
/ do you see that light? That is the
| Quarantine station, and in an hour or
two there'n be fifty reporters on board
| getting news without any trouble
/ which we've been at so much pains and
expense to get. can get over the
/ side before any sailor can get hold
Of me, catch one Of the stays of the
tugs smole-stack, and then slide down
easy enough
But If you miss It you'll kill your
self" said Kenny
That's just the reason I'm not go
ing to miss it," returned the reporter.
"Qulck, give me your copy; we haven't
any time to lose"
81 don't just like the idea began
Kenny, reluctantly, "but, still, know
you're pretty good at such things"
And both handed over the matter they
had written.
Fielders put the bunch Of precious
manuscript in his inside pocket and
buttoned his coat over it. He then
took off his oyercoat and his gloves,
and asked them to throw them over
to the tug after him. as they would
be an lncumbrance in making the
jump.
Anyone who has over seen a little
tugboat alongside an ocean steamer
will realize the peril Of Fielder's un-
dertaklng.
The top Of the tugs smoke-stack did
not reach the level Of the Fulda's deck,
and Fielders would drOpat least fifteen
feet before reaching even the iron
stays, or guy-rods, that held the
smokc-stack firm. Then, If he missed
his aim, or his grip on the rod failed,
deck and break his back or neck or
else go overheard between the two
vessels. More than this, he had to
jump at least ten feet to catch the
stay-rod, since that was as near as
the tug could get to the steamer, which
tto AiDN ANA @AAAs1 ftAl'thAl 'b lhllhlN mat
the smaller vessel was fast falling
astern.
Quick as a fash Flelders dashed TO
the side of the vessel and before any
Of the crew could stop him he sprang
off, caught the stay Of the tugs smoke
stack and slid down to the deck.
1t was half-past three o'clock i'm the
morning when the tugboat landed
Fielders at the Battery, and before
four o'clock the printers were at work
on the copy.
And this story explains how It was
that the New York Times was the
one New York newspaper that pub
lished the complete details Of the Ore
Gon disaster on the morning after the
big steamship sank.
When tho Rain Falls.