New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-30

ne IN ,v;pdwara of the wreck, so we sailed across
her stern and came up to leeward or her, MneIe
there was some shelter Ihose mno NC hovsO
leave the ship-fourteen men and TWO poy a,-
came down the port side into the poat oy lleatis
of ropes and rope ladders When we hilahy
showed off there were Twenty-Five IN eile poSi'
includinr nv men We soon sailed back to the
tug and were picked up and towed PACK. Inc
entire trip made without any ihJuis " '''V
Captain Deakin and Pilot Philips who have
followed the sea for many years both agreed
that the rescue of the of the steamer Dy
Captain Patterson and his men was as brave
a bit OF work as they had ever Witnessed. al
the men wore their life preservers, ana captain
Patterson himself was at the steering oar AT
times when on the bar, the boat would take q
run on top OF big comber part or when "oulu
break into the boat, almost floating the men
out OF her but being a self baling craft. she
just shook herself free, and went on uhtl she
was lost TO view under the lee OF the pig steam
er's hull Coming back she was deeply loaded.
and the ifesavers had to beat her TO Windward
and use the oars part of the way but tney nan
died her we'll, and not q soul was hurt during
the trip. OF course they were all wet, put that
is nothing 10 a sailor man when his life is at
stake.
The reason It wEs said by some of the men
rescued, why the captain and officers and the
rest of the crew wished to stay on board me
ship was that there were some of the wrecking
company'S on board, and If the crew left
the ship the wreckers would then be in full
charge and claim salvage. Soon after the tug
left with the sixteen rescued the wreckers
also decided to quit. and so the balance of the
crew signaled and were taken OH by the oak
The Drr1melzier is a hopeless wreck. One of
the Nreckers told Captain Patterson SO. Her
engines are bent up and both her boilers are
loose, one of the fremen said. He added that
at midnight OF Wednesday the smokestack was
driven up through the deck and the sea began
smashing the bulwarks out. All the aValaDle
stores were destroyed by the salt water, and IN
a short time the men would have been starved
out Besides their clothes were being literally
torn from their backs by the fierce seas that
smashed everything before them
If the story of Martin Ekaberg, one OF the
Quarterrlasters is to be believed. and there is no
reason TO doubt it, the Drumelzer on Sunday
night steered straight from Sandy HOOK
Lightshtp to the spot where she ran agrouIa'
East by north is the course that the tug Catn-
crime Moran steered yesterday morning to reach
the wreck. and that is the course that the quar-
termaster says the steamer was steered In the
snowstorn He is corroborated by several
others OF the crew, Captain Deakln says. Inc
proper course for an outward bound vessel to
pass outside of Fire Island Lightship is about
east-southeast, which is three points to the
southwark OF the course said to have been
steered. Shipping men say there are only TWO
ways of accounting for this error in the course,
Either the captain did not give the right course
that he made a mistake in the deviation OF
his compass.
one OF the cooks who among those res
cued by the Sandy Hook crew said he should
never forget those two nights spent on the
stormbeaten steamship.
1T was horrible" said he, that awful sea,
as II came rushing at us striking the ship with
a force that sounded like q. thousand claps or
thunder lifting her at first. and then pounding
her down on the hard sand until 1t seemed as
If she must break asunder. It took all the
nerve out of US. 1t enough 10 drive a man
insane. and I have doubt that some of the
men are almost out of their minds. for when
we realized that might never be saved the
strain was almost at the breaking point Our
starboard lifeboats Were smashed early on
Tuesday on account Of the ship settling down
with a list 10 that side and the port ones were
worse than useless. being so high up on the port
side Captain Nicholson and the officers did
all they could to cheer UP, but we knew
when the engines broke through her bottom
that the ship would not last long, and can
FL DFr-ok