New-York tribune., 1902-02-25
EIGHT MEN DROWNED.
TWO RARGES SINK AT HAR-
BORIS GATES.
ONE \ FAMOUS BALTIMORE CLIPPER IN
OF TUGS TO RESCUE THE CREWS.

II is believed that within six hours early Sat
urday morning eight men drowned at the
gate Of New-York Harbor. Some time Friday
night the barge Lichtenfels Brothers. formerly
the bark Ceres. 1,136 gross tonnage. sank on
the west side Of the Main ship Channel one mile
north Of the Southwest Spit. 1t is thought that
Captain Walter GrindIe and the crew Of three
men were drowned while asleep in their berths.
At s: - a. m. Saturday. about five miles off AS
bury Park, the barge Mary Whitridge, S74 gross
tonnage, formerly the famous Baltimore clipper
OF that name, foundered in the heavy pre-
vailing at the time. There is no doubt that Cap
tain Beecher. of Boston, the commander Of the
Mary Whitridge and the crew of three men,
whose names are not known, perished.
THE BARGE GROUNDED
The Lichtenfels Brothers and the barge George
r. Skolheld were on their way from Norfolk
with coal dor Providence. IN tow OF the tug
Richmond which lost the barges Antelope and
Mystic Belle, which with their crews. sank
south of Long Island few weeks ago. on Fri
day night, while coming up the Main Ship Chan
mel. the Lichtenfels Brothers. which was astern
of the Skolhed, grounded at the edge of the
channel The barge was finally pulled off. but
in the process the Skolaeld grounded also. The
Richmond then pulled the Skolield off and
back to the Lichtenfels Brothers to see II that
of Captain Callahan, of the Richmond. the cap
tain Of the barge said he was making
water but could stay where he until morn
ing.
The tug, unable to take more than barge
up the channel at a time then set off with the
Skolield which she dropped behind Bedow's
Island. The next morning, TO add to the tale Of
disaster this barge dragged her anchor. and
raked the fittings off the poopdeck Of the Nor
aY,fhy nv
The Richmond returned for the LIchtenfels
Brothers on Saturday morning, and found moth
ing of her above water except part of the fore
castle. A heavy northeast gale was blowing.
A rough cross sea was running at the time the
barge sank.
The Lichtenfels Brothers built in 1889 at
Thomaston Me. she was 174I feet long.
THE STORY OF THE SINKING.
The barges Mary Whitrdge and n. & w.
No : in tow of the tug n. & w. No ., were on
their way from Norfolk to New-Bedford and
Vineyard Haven, respectively, when the Whit
ridge was lost. Captain John Moon, of the N
& w No >, who told the story of the loss
Of the WhitriGge yesterday. was unnerved by
the disaster. He said:
We were off Asbury Park about five miles at
the time 1t was raining. and there was oo-
knot gale blowing from the northeast. Inc
Whitrdge was the rear barge. There was ABOUT
!AtlOmS
No 3 and the same amount between the latter
barge and the n. & w. No. ,. Suddenly, with
out a moments warning, the Whitridge went
down. She sank quickly that the men on
the n & w. No. D. to save their vessel from
being pulled down. were obliged to cut the
hawSer There was no time to cast il off. The
seams of the barge must have opened suddenly,
because | had received signal from the barge
that she was in serious danger | could see that
she was using her donkey pump, but there was
nothing to indicate a disaster was so near at
hand lust then the N & w. No , sgnalled
that she was helpless, owing to a broken rud-
der.
COULD SEE NO SIGNS OF LIFE.
I ran back to the spot where the Whtridge
sank but could see no signs of life or OF the
vessel. | cruised about for an hour, but to no
avail
When Captain Moon asked If the two
masts with black tops, reported by Captain
Parker of the steamer FL Rio, which arrived
here yesterday from New-Haven, standing up
right in the water about five miles from the
Sea Girt Lighthouse could be those of the
Whitridge he said that they might be. The
wreck is in the track of coastwise steamers and
dangerous navigation.
The coal barge Cardenas, with of five
men besides her captain. and the barge Juniata.
from which the taken by the tug
Mars which had her in tow, are drifting about
the ocean somewhere.
In wreckage washed ashore at the Long Beach |
life Saving Station last evening the name
board of the barge Mary Whitridge.
DRY MoNOPoLE CHAMPAGNE.
edopted by the Royal Codrt Berlin since lSls.-
Advt