New-York tribune., 1901-11-25
SHIP ASHORE; TUG LOST.
LIFE ,SA TER.S AND FISHERJIEN
RESCUE CREWS.
TWENTY FOUR MEN RIDE IN BREECElES
BUOY-TOWBOAT SMASHES
INTO PIER.

Long Branch. n. j.. Nov 24-In one of the
fercest and most damaging northwest storms
that has visited this section of the New-Jersey
coast for many years. which ragged with terrific
force along the shore all through Saturday
night. the full rigged ship Flottbek. thirty days
out from Plymouth. England. was driven ashore
at Monmouth Beach soon after midnight.
few hours later the tug Robert Haddon, which
had the ship in until its rudder was swept
away struck the iron pier at Long Branch and
was literally pounded to pieces.
The crew of the FIottbek numbering twenty
four men, and that of the Haddon. numbering
seven. were saved by heroic work on the part
of volunteer life savers. The crew of the Flott-
bek IS safely housed in No. t Life Saving STA
ton while the crew of the tug is being cared
for. The Haddon picked UP the ship yesterday
afternoon about dark All went well unth late
In the evening. when the wind attained a veloc-
ity of forty to forty-five knots. The tug was
unable to make headway. and the two began to
work In toward the shore, despite their efrortS
Their danger was seen from the shore. and the
life savers prepared to help them as soon as
they were close in The crew Of the tug, reallz-
ing that it was impossible TO keep the ship out
TO sea and that the only chance of saving the
tug was 70 let the ship go, cut the hawser
The ship drifted rapidly toward the shore and
struck well up and close in at point taNorahe
for work on her. About the time the tug cut
away from the ship the former lost her rudder
and became helpless in the heavy wind ana
seas She went before the gale like an arrow,
close 10 the shore, and momentarily threatening
! 20 run up on the beach. She brought up against
I The iron pier with terrific crash about asif
way in. and Immediately began to pound against
il The crashing was heard above the roar OF
rha waves by Louis Chasey. a fisherman VINO
was at work on the shore getting his BOAT UP
out of the reach Of the breakers
He rushed 10 the nearest telephone and tried
TO connect with No. station, but the crew was
already out helping the i'll fated Fiottpek' so
there was no response. He hurried TO the houses
of some Of the other fishermen and got them
out on the beach n a hurry with Il lohs rope
they went out on the pier TO rescue the ere"
Of the tug II was exceedingly dithcult task
% hold the. tug fast to the pier long enough 10
+.t. tho men off Each wave as il reeeded
carried the Haddun away from the pier ana
then as the next came rolling shore"aro' tne
: heavy vessel would be carried on its crest until
II dashed against the ping under the pier o.
against the steel work.
Each time the tug dashed against the pier lhe
| fishermen would cast the rope over her and the
men on board the tug would try to grasp it. 1t
reo,Iired quick action, and time after ume the
rome was missed and the tug was carried away
fr,,, the ,,ier The rope would then be hauled
nm and coiled for another casting, and as the tug
came close to the pier it would again be thrown
If the throw was too soon or 100 iate' "'i"tt"ei
return of the tug had to be awaited "heh one
of the sailors caught the rope ne Simply ciui@
=, - ,,bi1e the fishermen hauled him over the
side of the pier safety. The WORK hdu u
be done rapidly, and before the tug again re-
turned to pound against the pier else IlIe Aoii
would meet 4 worse fate than drowning. that
! he IL z
II was miracle that all the men were sa'eu'
They were all badly bruised and cut
,1aanubile the Flottbek had been looked after
b,, m. life savers The distress signal had oeen
seen by the crew of Station No T. IN coii'iildiiu
| of CAPTAIN James H Mulligan At l2:5o O'CLOCK
the ship was within eight hundred 1eet ol tiie
shore Captain Mulligan fired a sho' hoiii tii~
yrn but the line went over the snip Aho'i'ei
sho, was fired and still a third, before the line
! landed on the vessels deck Ready hailus Oh
the shin made the line fast and the breeches
! -, c con, ont One after another the sailors
rot info II and were hauled ashore. At times
! the waves enveloped them and hid them from
/ tn. SIGHT of those on shore. Only the tusglils
! and heaving on the line told that they were
there In half hour from the 'iIiie eNe az fai
gun was fired all the men hau ~ oeet ~h;saian,
landed Captain Zingler, First Mate ChristiaLi @ ~
an and second Mate Lehman, together with the
| twenty sailors. were taken 70 ,ia Noram Pn a1Vrn
! Branch. where the III -, Their headouarters
| Hose Company opened up - -.
| and made the sailors comtortaDle, .b.+ tho
The ship had struck broadside on, SO rhat at th the
work was comparatively easy, as tne ron oi ne me
! shin was not so great to interfere WIN the
| ,rorl.inr of the breeches buoy line HAD sIle
struck either bow or stern on the nsd prehi1e 70
would have been such as to nave lni i 80 -
mart the line The captain was the last lliaIi ~, ~
! h. taken ashore. He brought mis- papers WIN WIN
him The ship then left to her ads Iats. aHe I
Iii im nrohablv be beaten to pieces unless the
| s+orra sbates soon She does not seem 10 DC
! much injured now and will be high ana drS d.
| low tide so that the wreckers can WORN oii he'
! without inconvenience. .., -. ror
| The crew of the tug Haddon consisted oi . Cap
| tain Joseph J. Starks, Frederick Lanoorl, MAJ
Mark RiIey engineer William Brown' stewart
| Iohn McDonnell and Matthew smith, nrenleh
and Thomas Fritz deckhand- 80 ,,,+
| ,rbe E,Iotthet is of 5000 tons, and was puiit
g.. IIrahr e. Rurkhardt of Hamburg. at New
ca stle- on Tyne nine years ago She was ioaueu a1
with 200 tons of arsenic and l,ouo toils oI oiiiii0
! ana ninecIav consigned New-fork nrms