The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-01
DERELICTS COME HIS Way.
LICK or CAPT. WATKINS IN AID
ING DISABLED SHIPS.
He Has Just T0wed the Russian
Erika Into Port - Said TO Have
Made More salvage Money Than
Any Other Transatlantic skipper
--Plucky Work In Ocean Gales.

"s"s WV" III WYNN o''S'
II ia said that no other master mariner
has ever made 50 much money from salvage
hauls as Capt Watkins. skipper Of the
Boston City, which towed the disabled
Russian steamer Erika into Newport, K J.,
last Tuesday, This If the first salvage that
the Boston City has earned for Capt Wat
kins and the Bristol City Line, 10 which the
vessel belongs; but in his old ship, the Ex-
cter City, he wa the envy of the entire
waterfront. The Boston City is lying at
her pier in Brooklyn, and he said Of her
Yesterday
Il have just got her gait She is young
at the salvage business yet, but she gives
rare promise"
The Exeter City, under Capt. Watkins,
more than paid for herself by her salvage
awards There are dozens Of master mar
liners in the Atlantic trade who would go
hundreds Of miles ont If their way To pick
VI, vessel that needed tow, but somehow
or other luck Is aRalr,rr Thorn capt Wat
kinS is particularly fortunate N tins II,
spc,t II seeGls his good fortune - fail ~
frequently with some craft that needs ~ucCor.
Opportunities to earn salvage com" {"
mary transatlantic mariners, bat they
SD'iltNlN''- lHib" llIfIll away ~ l'lh-'iit
to tow, or Civ, up the attempt after a f"w
failures. Capt Watkins l. a >ticSer and his
success mas b,ea il great measure due /"
that fact.
In IN Caso of his latest salvage haul ire
lay 10y the Erikr a whole night before +"
attempted to run a towing line. and al
though the hawS"rs parted five times he
put his teeth together and declared that
he would bring the Erika into Narragansett
Bay OF use up every pound of rope that
there was on ti.c two vessels
All the craft towod in 10y the Exeter City
were picked up during 'hc tim" that C:p.
Watkins and Capt. Weiss w'r" officers #
her One Of the first ~r"am-r- that 81"
towed in we, the Palmyra, with $50 people
on board This was particularly diff
cult job and il was feared at 81" tin" that
both chips would 60 down.
The towing in Of the big steamer Strain
even was another good piece of work.
ard so wa the salving Of the British st,au..r
Regina The Am, rican schooner Agn -
Manning, that Lad been abandoned at sea,
vas picked up by Capt. Watkins ard
brought into port
The Manning had a bad record. having
sunk the steamer Manhattan of Fenwick
Islend Shoals, resulting in the loss Of nine
teen lives. She was found derelict. with
twelve feet of water in her hold. 400 miles
east OF Sandy Hook. IL was one of the
hardest hauls the Exeter CITY ever made
and the court gave her owners. master
and crew $3.50 for actual exposes and
so per cent. Of tire property saved. which
amounted to $4,000.
Another stiff Job that the Exeter City
performed WAS the towing in Of the steamer
tokoja, which was bound from London
for Boston. II was during the month of
December and in the midst OF gale that
the Exeter City came across the Inknja.
The latter was witht " lifsboats and dis
abled and the Exeter CITY had to stand 10y
for thirty-six hours before a line could BE-
finally made fast. The Exeter City towed
her helpless charge 7e5 miles in four days
and anchored her in Barry Roads The
courts gave the Exeter City f2,750 for
Capt Watkins has not alwf y been sue
ccssful in his attempts To tow disabled
vessels in. however. In April, 1899 the
Exeter City fell in with the British steamer
Kairos, from New Orleans for Glasgow,
in a disabled condition and unmaraRrabio.
Cart Watkins made arrangements t. tow
her and line made fart AT II o'clock
on the NON ne OF April 2.
serious mishap for three DAYS. Toward
evening on April a binding snowstorm
sprang up and was followed hv gale.
The towing line parted and the Kairos was
lost sight Of. When the gale abatcd Oh
April I se1rch was made withCu' success
for tho Kairos. Another ship towed her in.
The courts gave Capt. Watkins and his
men all award for good frtention, he having
towed the Karos 375 miles in the direction
81 HslifaX.
One of the odd things about the luck Of
Capt Watkins il that when he gave up the
NJ md nf the. IN steamer Linn
q n City for anothor charge sha became
disabled al sea and had 20 be- tow.d into
Qua,nstovn by IN" steamer Regina, which
he afterward assisted into port hehird the
tow roI- of the Exeter City. The latter
broke down hovlTlf three year, after IA"
towed in tho Manning and this rnishap
seem,.d "a br'ak t'r l"'.