Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-09-12
CREW SAVED.
Sailors Made to Work at
RevoIvers' Point.
Steamship LongfeIIow, Badly
Leaking, Reaches Port.
Desperate Struggle Of the Dynamite
Laden Steamer.

| cod Friday night. until the vessel
| reached a point close enough to shore
to warrant a hope that when the
! steamer was abandoned the men could
reach shore in their small boats. Waist
deep III the water which was steadily
| gaining unon them, the men toiled in
the engine room until the fires were eN-
tincuished and then they were released
| from the duress that was their only
safety.
| 4 few hours later the boat sank. but
all hands were saved. thanks, i'm large
| measure. to the efforts Of the life saw
| ing crews stationed along the danger
ous back shore of the cape.
| The LongfelloW went down in about
13 fathoms of water ana took with her
4 cargo nf dynamite estimated at $50
| tons. What will be III" result whom
| this dangerous explosive begins to
wash ashore and adrift from the steam
or is a problem which is giving the
cane Cod life savers many an anxious
minute.
The Longfcllow sailed from Whining
| ton, Del. last Tuesday morning. under
command of Capt. Edward G. Riley of
|
Engineer Dee Miller. also of brooklyn.
Assistant Engineer Charles Holloway
| of New York. Oier William Ferris of
| brooklyn. and a crew picked up at
| Philadelphia. which included a Lisbon
| Portuguese. 4 Norwegian. a Swcde, a
| Cork lrishman. a Russian. and enough
others to make up total compliment
| of i6 mon.
Beyond some trouble with Il defective
pump the boat had no mishap until
Ii o'clork. Friday morning, when the
chief engineer and the oiier as they
came on Watch. discovered she was
leaking Il little forward Of amidShips.
Ry S O'Clock that morning, the leak was
so serious as to demand constant at
tontiOn and early in the afternoon it
gave promise Of serious trouble. The
boat. in tho morning. was Il little be-
low Gay Head ana nearly all hands
We're sent to work ut the pumps. and
bailine. once during tn" afternoon the
| crew hrcame frightened ana almost
threatcu"d mutiny. and tho pcrsuasions
of the officers kept its members at
work.
About :: o'clock. 50 rapidly had the
men, ranic-stricken. refused to stav
l longer in the hold and started to es-
/ cape. Words proved unavailing, Chief
l Engineer Miller drew his revolver ana
l for Il f"W hours longer kent the mutt
nc"rs ut their task. while the captain
was making every effort to reach Prov
incetoWn. or some other harbor Of re-
| fuge.
But the water gained steadily upon
the fires and first one and then another
. of them We're cXtinguished. At this
time all the men We're waist deep in
the water. while the shorter members
of the crew, the man from Lisbon. for
example. We're immersed to their
: breasts.
. Without fires the boat was. Of course
without steam. and tho task of at
| tempting to keep her free until Il haven
: was reached was abandoned, the boats
we're made ready and ail hands were
| ptpcd to supper. The men who few
, | hours before had been convinced the
| craft vas going to sink immcdiatelS
recovered something Of their Solf-pos.
| ! session under the Influence of the ex.
/ ample set by their officers. and ate
with hearty arpctites their evening
meal. which was the last they We're t.
g shar" aboard the boat
:, The JOY Line boat Old Dominion. dis
covering tho predicament Of the steam.
or. had come close aboard and rendered
: assistance. hut at the time late in tn,
afternoon, capt. Riley thought he couIt
make harbor and simply requested :
tug be sent to aid him in reaching port
! hon hA L,
beat became desperate and it wa.
; found there WAS no hope of her saliva,
i ton, signals for help were frcel,
II burned but at least one steamer
g watched eagerly by the anxious eve.
E of the imperlled crew, passed alona
Il the cape without manifestng any sigr
lof having seen the summons for hclp
L Not so the hardy surfmen. who wer,
a alert along the whole stretch of danger
e Gus shore. A stiff northeasterly wine
+ had. during Il couple of days. kicked III
: a nasty sea. which was running So hict
II as TO indicate to the experienced tha
II somewhere out at sea more wind wa:
: abroad.
l. Along the Cape shore the fatcd boa
II swept slowly. From Nausett, wher,
J. she was first noticed, she advanced to :
II point near Pamet river. Her lights anC
u her signals We're seen and answered
T, from the shore.
n 1t was about o'clock when Cant
Il Riley and his men abandoned their shin
IL Their attempts to reach the shore. Al
5. least those Of one of the boats instant.
q ly attracted the attention of the coas
guard and COstOn lights were burned
? freely TO keep the sailors clear of tn,
/ beach and its pounding surf.
It When the boats left the Longfellow
e. Capt. Riley took command of one. tax.
II ing with him Chief Engineer Miller
IS Oiler Ferris and five of the crew. Ir
Y the other boat were Mate johnson. AS.
e sistant Engineer Hallowey and six Of
It the men.
n, Warned from the shore, the boats
II were Kept at a safe distance. The mer
$. had brought their dunnage with their
lie from the sinking ship. but this. and
le themselves rs we'll. were soon saturat
III ed with the salt spray from the rollers
A whlch tossed the long boats about like
IN feathers. Close upon midnight the
l-ons1elloW. which had gradually s,lnL
lOwpr tn he