The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-10
COAL BOATS GO TO BOT. OH
HEROIC RESCUE OFF4MTLIES OF
THE CAPTAINS.

THE CAPTAINS.
The Lady Jane and Dixie, Baund for
New London and stonImgton, En-
counter Heavy Seas and Hauser Breaks
Ropes Tied Around Women Who
Jump Overheard and Are Hauled
Aboard Tug.
The barges Lady Jane and Dixie,
loaded with coal. were sunk off Ham
nonassett Point near Clinton on the
sound Monday afternoon. The two
barges were in town of the tug NcWil-
hams, bound from Jersey City for New
London and Stonington.
The McWiIliams left Jersey City the
latter part of last week with tow of
barges loaded with coal consigned to
different ports along the sound. The
tug put into New Haven narLor on
Sunday on account of the weather and
RtGtA tC1 CNt S@SoG@lI4 WIN SA4C wv OcAA 9NSs
Monday morning and proceeded to the
eastward. Until she got east of Faux
ner's Island the weather was favorable,
but about noon Monday the wind in
creased in force and kicked up the kind
of sea that causes the towboat men to
make Cor the nearest point of shelter.
Captain A. N. Van Ettan, commanding
the McWillams, headed for Duck ISL
| and breakwater Cor shelter. The seas
ran so high that they continually broke
over the decks Of the barges, which
were tossed about like chips of wood.
The strain upon the haWser caused it to
| part, and the two barges broke adrift
| and were soon being buffeted about in
the seaway
| Captain Van Ettan turned about and
| started the work of rescuing those
| aboard the coal barges. 1t was a peril
Gus undertaking, for the barges were
| being tossed about SO as to make it
dangerous Cor the towboat to come too
close to them. Captain Van Ettan
brought the tug uD to as near as he
| deemed prudent to the barges and the
crew Of the tug set to work taking off
the people on the barges one at a time.
Captain Louis Whalen, his wife and
two small children on the Lady Jane
were the first to be transferred to the
I McWilliams. Captain Whalen picked
up his younger child and scupping it
until the proper moment was gained
swung it to the crew in the tugboat,
who caught the child in their arms. The
/ other youngster was rescued in the
same manner The tug was now too
| near the barge and she was backed off
to a safe distance.
The rescue of the mother Of the chill
| dren was therefore more difficult, but
most heroic. The sea was now break
ing over the tug and barges and they
We're rocking in it's trough.
1t was feared that if Mrs Whalen at
tempted to jump from the barge she
| would fall overheard, so Captain Van
Ettan decided that the best method
would be to fasten a haWser about her
waist and throw her overheard. This
proposition was not at all pleasing to
the shippers wife, but she finally threw
| aside her objections. The hands on the
tugboat cast off a stout haWser and one
end was wound about the waist of Mrs
Whalen and made fast. The tugboat
crew made part of the other end fast
to the bits, and taking in the slack
stood ready to put the haWser. Mrs
I Whalen dressed only in light clothes
stood on the rail of the coal barge and
at a favorable moment she jumped into
the sea. All hands on the McWiI1iams
pulled on the hawser and out of the icy
waters was drawn over the rail the
plucky wife of the Lady James skipper
She was unconscious from her exper-
; fence in the cold waters of the sound
She was hustled into the boiler room OF
the tug and made as comfortab BILE as
possible. Whalen was the last to leave
the Lady Jane. He waited upon the tug
came to within jumping distance anC
then he made a spring from the Goa
barge and landed in the arms of the
tugboat men. Captain Van Ettan now
directed his efforts towards rescuine
Captain Snow Of the Dixie and his
wife. They were rescued in the same
manner as those on the Lady Jane, the
captain jumping and Mrs. Snow being
dragged by rope through the water.
Two minutes after the crew were TAX
en- off the Lady Jane turned turtle,
tossed about so much that her cargo
shifted and caused her to careen ant
go down bottom side up, carrying with
her the Dixie. The tug started for Duel
! Island breakwater and remained there
all night. She left there at O'CLOCK
yesterday morning and arrived here