Evening journal., 1904-09-19
CAPT. THOMPSON
TELLS OF STORM
Lies in New York Harbor
With 100 Mile Gale
Blowing
cur LOOSE FROM HIS T0N

WI Luubl iOW lllt lVU
Lying at the wharf in New Castle
Is one of the largest tugs that has ever
ploughed the waters of the Delaware
River, the Neptune" Captain o. A.
Thompson in command.
In conversation last evening Cap
tain Thompson gave an interesting mar
rative of his experience in the recent
storm and although lying in New
! York Harbor his big vessel narrowly
escaped destruction. The Neptune
sailed from Patuxent River, Nd, on
/ September g. having in tow the two
masted schooner Humphrey Tooney
bound to New York. BY midnight the
clouds were thick and lowering and
when off Five Fathom Bank early the
next morning he was convinced that
heavy storm was about to break and
crowding on sail and with a full head
| OF steam he made a run for New York
Harbor, reaching that port in safety
! BY this time the storm, a heavy north
east gale, was blowing at the rate Of
100 miles an hour and in order to save
his tow and its crew he was COM
PEELED to take her to a point Of safety
along the beach and after seeing her
safely anchored cut loose from her and
made for the wharf at the foot OF
Fifty y-eighth street. On board the
Tooney beside the crew were the cap
tain, his wife and nine children and
Captain Thompson is convinced that
had he been one hour later all hands
would have been lost.
Broke from Mooring.
Reaching Fifty eighth street Captain
Thompson ran out several lines from
aft and amidships and made fast to
the wharf. SO heavy was the sea and
high the wind that this feat was ac-
complished with great difficulty and the
sailor who had landed in order to make
the lines fast had to crawl upon his
stomach dragging the lines I'm order to
avoid being blown overheard.
Scarce had the tug been made fast
when one line after another snapped
like pipe stems and in order to avoid
being swept out to sea il was neces-
sary to break out an eight inch haw-
ser, such as is used in towing in rough
weather. and make fast with that. The
seas ran so high that they swept over
the pilot house and water flowed into IL
and the forward cabin occupied by
captain thompson.
Scene of Wreckaae.
When morning broke the Neptune
left her dock and steamed over into
the harbor which was full Of floating
debris and overturned craft of every
description. Twenty-Five barges bot
tom up drifted past the sturdy tug and
along the beach was the wreckage Of
linnumerable pleasure craft and ves-
sells of every description. Fortunately
the Neptune escaped injury of any sort
from drifting wrecks.
Spent Night in Jail.
Captain Thompson relates an experi-
ence he had while I'm New York Har-
Dor on December 1 Of last year when he
came in collision with the tug Idlewlld,
which resulted in her sinking and three
of her crew losing their lives The
morning was heavy with fog at the
time Of the accident and although he
was running at a low rate of speed
the boats met, with the result described.
Later in the day Captain Thompson
was arrested on a charge Of homicide
and spent the night in the Tombs,
pending a hearing the next morning.
When he was ushered into police court
and his case called he demanded that
, the bodies Of the drowned sailors be
! produced to substantiate the charge
, against him. AS this was impossible
? at the time he was admitted to bail
G but the case never came up for trial,
; il having been proven that the collision
was purely of an accidental nature and
: not due to negligence on his part.
The Slocun Disaster.
Eanfofp fTbornpcon fc familiar wifi n
the details of the Slocum disaster and
says efforts were made to shoulder
much unjust blame upon the COM
p lmander of the ill-fated steamer. He
states that after the accident occurred
? the passengers rushed frantically up
r. into the pilot house and filled Il TO
2 such an extent that il was impossible
2 to manipulate the wheel properly and
n as a consequence the steamer could not
have been beached in a shorter time
than that in which It was done.
Dangers Of Seafaring.
In the opinion of the captain OF the
! Neptune the dangers OF a seafaring life
! have increased greatly in recent years
J. despite the advance in ship building
I These dangers he attributes to the
+ change in conditions Of the weather
I over former years and the variable
4 land almost unaccountable shifting OF
: winds. Many sailors Of the deep to-
lday. he says, undertake voyages with
! great trepidation on this account He
J also believes that in face Of the i'm
s provement in life saving devices that
THE individual life preserver is the best
method OF saving lives in case OF ship
wreck.
A Stauneh Craft.
The Neptune is one of the staunchest
craft in service today and is moderr
/, in every respect. She was built by
the r. NJ. Spedden Shipbuilding Com.
q lpany of Baltimore for the American
! Towing and Lightering Company o.
that city and was placed in commits.
= sion in May last. She is entirely o.
steel. 116 feet over ALL 23 feet beam
: 10 feet draught. Is equipped with an
q 500 horse power engine. a $4,000 gal
: lion fresh water tank. has an average
Z speed Of twelve knots. gross tonnage
: lSS tons and has a coaling capacity O.
- 13O tons. Her cost was about $4,000
. The Neptune carries a crew Of ter
\ men beside the captain. composed OF (
n pilot. first mate, second engineer. three
. nremen. two deck hands and a steward
A. She is at present awaiting a tow o
. / fo,,r baruao which have hppn ep,nIovaf