Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-12-05
DISASTER AND HERolsM.

Norfolk, Va. Dec. 4.-The naval tug
Peoria, towing the submarine torpedo
boat Adder. which ran ashore yester-
day, has arrived at the navy yard here.
The Adder was saved BY the herOism
of Boatswain Deery, who responded To
a call for volunteers and swan one
hundred yards with a line TO the Ad
der from the tug and pulled a hawse-
after him.
The Adder is leaking badly.
The Peoria left tonight for Curri-
tuck to aid the Yankton in locating
the MCccasin which is now high and
dry upon the beach.
When Boatswain Deery responded 20
the call for a volunteer TO swim to
the Adder, a thirty -four mile gale with
mountainous seas was crashing ever
the Peoria and burying the drifting
submarine boats beneath tons OF wa
ter. Deery battled with the wind and
tide for 400 yards. finally reaching the
Adder and gaining her deck There ~
hauled a thick hawser aboard by means
of a life line and made fast At this
time the Adder was being tossed about
like a cork one minute and driven Tar
beneath the surface the next. reelins
and wallcwing i'm such manner as To
make il almost impossible 10 retain "A
position upon her scanty decking, bur
Deery held on and accomplished his
work
Then he went back to the tug hand
over hand on the hawser.
Great confusion was caused here to-
day by conflicting reports regarding
the whereabouts of the Peoria. Adder
and Yankton. The navy yard was with
out any information whatever and the
weather bureau reported the tug and
Adder as going direct to Annapolis In
naval circles these circumstances. to-
gether with the inability e the hIe-
savers to enter the stranded vessel.
caused some uneasiness, especially Ov-
er the condition of the MOccasin- The
Currituck life saving station reports
the Moccasin in coed condition with
out water in her. From reports r.
ceived. however, it is not thought any
headway can be made toward floating
the vessel without the aid CT wreck
ers as she is high and dry upon the
beach at low water and directly i'm a
nasty surf at high tide.
1t was said at the. navy yard today
that Boatswain Deery would be COM
mended at once to the president fo-
bravery.
The Adder is leaking and her ma
chinery is badly damaged. Lieutenant
English, commanding the Peoria. says
the little boats towed very well indeed.
until they were just of the Virginia
capes. There the heavy seas running Al
that time proved too much for the
hawsers of the Adder. which was tow
ing first, following the tug. Tney
snapped short and the two submarine
vessels went adrift. The Peoria sought
to catch them, but they drifted south
ward before the wind rapidly. There
were only the broken bits on which 4
get a hold, so the tug could only run
in between them and keep them from
humping together.
The seas were running entirely too
high, the lieutenant said, for the tug
to run alongside the boats. and 70
would have been suicidal TO lower a
boat. All the Peoria could do. there
fore, was to keep the boats. apart.
All Wednesday this continued and then
the line between the boats snapped. II
was then that Boatswain Deery. who
comes from the Brooklyn. performed
his herioc act in a leap TO save the
boats.