New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-30
WAITTNG ON THE WRECK.
Rescued CreSc Tells of -Four Days
Fight for Life.

Fourteen OF the from the Drumelzier,
rescued by the Sandy Hook life saving crew.
were landed from the Moran about O'Clock at
the Atlantic Basin and brought to this city
another tug The men were all able seamen
or members OF the freroom gang, with the ex-
ception OF William Cunningham, the cabin boy,
about thirteen years old. The were
hausted from their four days fight for life on
the stranded steamer Such clothes they had
were scarcely enough to cover them, and their
rags and tatters scant protection against
the freezing wind the water front They
were weak from hunger and exposure, and some
had TO be helped ashore. They escaped with
nothing but what they had on their backs and
were in great need of the food and clothing fur
nished them when they reached this city.
The cabin boy. Cunningham was the best
dressed of the lot. and rapidly recovered his
spirits in the warmth of the engine room of the
Moran The older men, particularly the fire
room gang, showed obviously the keenness of
their sufferings from exposure and serni-starva-
tion for four days
Ole NOrdstrom, one Of the men brought here
told in broken English the story OF the suferings
OF the crew:
/ don't know how came to go ashore" he
said 1T was my watch below. The first thing
knew was thrown out Of my bunk. We did
not know what had happened and, with the rest
or the mates watch, rushed on deck where we
round that there was no great danger for the
present We then went below and turned in
again When we were turned out on deck In
the morning the steamer was hard aground.
heaoed about east-northeast, about head on to
f1re island light, about midway between Fire
Island and Midway buoys. two miles off shore
ABOUT four bells, the end OF the first dog watch
hiepoat came out 10 US IN 81 binding snow
storm. we did not see them until they were
uhder our starboard bow They hailed the
bridge but Captain Nicholson told them he Gid
not need assistance after he had talked with
the first and second officers
Ihey thought that we would get OFF at hieb
uoe about half past ten. The old man and the
rest OF the afterguard were about the onI,, opaa
VINO wanted TO stick on the old hooker Tho
rest or us wanted to get ashore badI,, epo,,ob
can tell you. At high tide we were Just as
hard and fast as ever The wind was o,,t o@ a.
northeast and 1t was showing so hard that we
could not see half the length Of the vessel rbo
iae running out Of the inlet with the wind and
ui1 Aep' smashing US TO port. and gradually
careenins the Drumeizier to starboard
Inc waves went over US all the time su.ea,
ing US clean. but we did not mind that untu
"'oiiesoay morning, when the pounding on the
Oai iiossed her That smashed her engines
aii" poiiers loose, and everybody except the can
'aiii gave up. She kept working inshore eradu-
amy Win the tide and the wind, which sbiftad
10 the westward, until she lay al bout threeo,,sr-
teFs or mile offshore, with six feet Of uatar
III her forward and eight feet aft We could
see the life savers watching on shore when +ba
log Hnted On Wednesday. but we knew they