The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-12-30
DRUMELZIER WRECK
Steamer Abandoned to Hen
Fate on Fire Island Sands.
ENTIRE CREW TAKEN OFF IN SAFETY
Vessel Has Four Feet of Water In
HoId-BoiIers Broken Away--Bul-
warks Stove In-LittIe Hope
OF Salvage.

NEW YORK, Dec. 80 - Captain
Frost, Captain Doxsee and Captain
Baker, with their crews. have just re-
turned to Oak island, bringing thirteen
members Of the crew of the steamer
Drumelzier.
They had hard time getting to the
stranded vessel and back, but landed
at Oak island safely.
The steamship has been entirely
| abandoned by her captain and crew.
Soon after sixteen of the men had
been taken off by the Sandy Hook life
savers the remaining thirteen MEM
bers of the Drumelzier's company, in
Guiding Captain Nicholson, were res
cued by the life saving crew of Oak
island. This accounts for the twenty
nine members of the DrumelZier's com
pany.
There is four feet of water in the
Drumelzers hold. her engines and
boilers are loosened. and her Dulwarks
and bulkheads are stove in.
When the position of the stranded
British freighter crew had become des-
perate Captain Nicholson hoisted the
signal Send lifebOats to save crew"
The Oak island and the Fire island
life saving crews ut once tried to put
off from the shore through the break
ers. and boats were also hastily low
cred from the three Merritt-Chapman
wrecking tugs which had been stand
ing by the steamer since morning
Earlier in the day the DrumelZier
hoisted three signals-'S. q. H." elm
bad condition.. TX. ID. r." C'Cro0ked
and bent') and 20. Il. r." CLaboring
very bady').
The Drumezier's bow is now afioat
and has swung to the southeast Her
stern. however. il still buried in the
bottom. As the sands off Fire island
are continually shifting. they may
themselves relieve the stern. So varia-
BILE are these sands that the lighthouse,
which was formerly on the point OF
the long strip known as Fire island
beach, is now three or four miles from
the point
Lying there glistening in the sun
light, the Drumelzier looks like fairy
ship fashioned out of silver, while the
spray dashing over her might be show
ers Of confetti.
All the rescued men were well, but
showed plainly the effects Of the ex-
haustion and exposure which they had
undergone during the 100 hours since
the vessel struck. The men rescued
by the Moran were brought TO this
city. while the remainder were made
comfortable for the night at Oak is
land.
The Drumelzler will be total loss.
although 1t is believed part of her car
go can be saved if the weather holds
good owing to the fact that the hull
is firmly imbedded in the sand, The
steamers back is broken directly I'M
der her boiler room. and this has rails
ed her engine about six feet. Every
strain threatened to cause her TO break
completely in two. There are six feet
of water i'm the steamers hold, and she
is so strained that the bolts are being
sheared on by the plates.
When asked the cause of the disaster
Captain Nicholson said:
"All ! can say is that in binding /
we got out of our reckon .
inc, and the first thing | knew we /
hauled up on the bar while running .
twelve knots an hour"
When aske< whether his compass .
had been affected by the 1000 tons of .
steel billetS that formed Il portion of .
the cargo the captain replied, 1T might .
have been So and declined to discuss
the matter further.