Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-25
Terrific Storm off New
York City Creates a
Thrilling Scene.
HEROIC LIFE SAVERS
Incurring Much Peril to Themselves
the Coast Guardians Save Two
Distressed Crews.
Tug Which Went to Res. ue a Ship
Is Beaten to Pieces in the
Waves.

New York, Nov 25.-The storm
which swept this coast Saturday night
and Sunday was one of the most
violent and destructive in local
history. The damage to shipping
was heavy. The fullrigged ship
Flottbek, which went ashore at
ship Flottbek. which went ashore at
Monmouth Beach during Saturday
nights gale, is now resting on the
sands. apparently little the worse for
her experience, and her crew are be-
ing cared for by the life-savers of Sta
tion No. 4. The tug Robert Hatton
picked up the Flottbek Saturday at
ternoon about dark. The ship. under
command of Captain Singler. was
bound for New York from Plymouth,
England, with a cargo of white clay
and minerals. The tug had crew
of seven men and the ship had "a
men. all told. All went well until late
in the evening, when the wind attain
ed a velocity of 40 or As knots. and
the tug was unable to make headway,
and the two vessels began to work in
shore. Their danger was seen from
the beach and the life-savers prepared
to aid them. Seeing the struggle was
hopeless and that the only chance of
saving the tug was to let the ship go,
the hawser was cut. The ship drifted
rapidly on shore and struck well up
and close in at a point favorable for
work upon her. The tug lost her rud-
der about the time she was freed from
the ship and driven by the gale. per-
fectly helpless, she drifted down the
coast and brought up against the iron
pier at Long Branch and began to
pound against it. The crashing was
heard by a fisherman, who reused
some citizens. With rope they went
to the pier to aid the seven men on
the tug. Each wave as it receded
carried the Hatton away from the
pier. and then as the next came roll
ing shoreward the heavy tug would be
carried on it's crest and dashed against
the piling under the pier or against
the steel work. The work of rescue
was dangerous not only to the men
being rescued. but to those aiding
them After many efforts a man on
the tug caught the rope which was
thrown from the pier. He hung on.
and as the tug was carried away from
the pier the man clinging to the rope
swung clear of her and then was hur
riedly hauled up on the pier before
the next wave could dash him against
the piling Thus all were saved.
Meanwhile the ship had been looked
after by life-Savers. After several in
effectual attempts the regulation pro-
jectile was thrown over her and the
rope caught. The whip and cable
were hauled out by the crew and made
fast aloft. The life-savers had their
shore anchor down and the breeches
buoy was rugged within very short
time The ship had struck broadside
on, so that the work of removing the
men was comparatively easy. The
rescued sailors were taken to Long
Branch.
About 8 O'Clock in the morning the
iron pier broke in two. The tug hac
continued TO pound against it, and
the piling and superstructure were
gradually weakened by the blows
The tug. tco. was battered to pieces
When the pier was carried away, one
man whose name is not known, was
washed snto the sea and drowned.