The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-07
five WENT
DOWN IN
BARGE
FIcnis, With 2069 Tons Coal
for Providence, Sunk In Gale
OF Fire Island.

New Bedford. Aug. tug Boswell ar
rived here yesterday afternoon from Nor
folk towing barge Emile.
The tug has on board Capt. Cobb and a
deckhand. the sole survivors Of seven
persons on board barge Florrie, which
was In the tow, and which went down be-
tween Barnegat and Fire Island early
wednesday morning Those drowned were
Mrs Cobb. the captains wife. a lO-year-
old son, a boy named Jones, who was
making the trip with the captain -tAe-ef4-
gineer and cook OF the barge, names un-
known
About II 30 Tuesday night the Florrie
lost her deckhouse aft. which was swept
away in the terrible seas encountered
The barge signaled the tug, which slow
ed down. but In very few moments she
went down stern foremost, and Capt.
Cobb had just time 10 seize the two boys,
one under each arm, who stood beside
him In the pilot house.
Mrs Cobb, the engineer and the cook
were all below, and were carried down
with the sinking barge.
The waves tore Capt. Cobbs hold from
the two boys, who were swept away.
Capt. Cobb and the deckhand clung 20 a
hatch and were rescued more dead than
nilNt III dOoul ndlI an HOuI py the AAes
The tug sailed yesterday afternoon for
Boston with the survivors on board. The
Glorrie was bound 10 Providence with
2069 tons OF coal
The captain OF the barge Emile stated
when interviewed THE seas boarded hin
and carried away his deckhouse, and
this made II easy for the seas 10 fill him.
He was forward with his son and his
neighbors son, who was making the trip
Or liza aettrA aatl Iic ffe
was in the forward house as was the
cook, while the engineer. whose name
do not know, but who was at one time
captain OF the barge Fitzpatrick. was In
the engine room keeping his pumps
gong.
"Of a sudden. Capt. Cobb saye. the
Florrie went down stern foremost He
had just time to take his son under one
arm and the Jones boy under the other
when he felt himself engulfed. Capt
Cobb came to the surface with the two
boys but the heavy sea made II impos-
sible for him 10 cling 10 them. and they
were torn from his arms. He thought
that he would have to drown, but man
aged 20 keep aaoat for ten minutes
when he felt something strike him on the
back, and seizing this object, he found
that IL was one OF the hatch coverings
on II was the Providence sailor. who
had gone down alongside OF him.
THE men managed TO cling 10 this for
half an hour. when they were rescued.
more dead than alive. by the Boswell.
The Boswell remained In the vicinity OF
where the Florr.e went down until Z
or 8 o'clock the next morning, but
nothing was seen OF any wreckage or any
Of the drowned
Capt. Cobb was fesrfully used up
His back was sprained. his face was
badly bruised by being struck by float
ing wreckage, which hit him when he
had the boys In his arms, and he had
a black eye.
When we went past the sinking Flor
rie. | heard somebody shout Throw
me a line. Throw me a line 7 couldn't
see anything and Capt. Cobb told me
later that he was in the water when he
shouted that.
THE Boswell dropped me in the river
here this afternoon and proceeded 10 Ros
ton to get a tow of light barges Capt
Cobb and the rescued sailor are on board
The captain halls from Lamberts Point
Va. and the sailor from Providence. ="
The barge which sank was only six
months old and was valued at s3s. 600
he had 1903 tons OF coal on board con-
signed TO ]. r. White OF Providence.