The Washington times., 1905-12-13
RESCUED MARINERS
SAW DOOM AHEAD
Grateful to Gibbs and Crew
of Azalea.
HOURS SPENT AT PU MP S
Ten Minutes More and That Would
Have Seen End of Vessel
and Men.
HOURS SPENT AT PUMP s

NEW BEDFORD. Mass. Dec. l3.-
My God didn't the AzaIea's black hull
look good to usl" thankfully exclaimed
Capt James Jorgensen. of Nantucket
South Shoal Relief Lightship No. IS,
which the tremendous storm sent to the
bottom. Certainly Providence helped
I'm our rescue II the Azalea had been
ten minutes later IL reaching us. we
must have taken to the boats. and that
would have certainly been the end of all
Of us
The thirteen men of the Iightship
whom lighthouse tender Azalea saved
from the very jaws OF death and
brought back here had sufficiently re-
covered TO go to their homes in south
aestern Massachusetts today Captain
Jorgensen told his story simply:
''Tn all my years at sea. I never went
through such an experience. and pray
TO God / may never have to again.
said ne. Thanks TO my dear friend.
Captain Gibbs. of the Azalea, and his
noble crew, We are all alive today
Discovered the Leak.
Sunday morning about l o'clock we
discovered leak in the firerOOm COM
partment- We tried 10 locate II, but il
was impossible. and in a short time the
water had flowed in and was over the
floor plates. The steam pumps were
started. but they soon choked with coal
and we had 10 keep cleaning them ev-
cry five minutes.
Then the eIrculator choked up with
soft coal from the bunkers and j or
dered the men to man the hand pumps
No sooner had we got to work on these
than they also choked with the soft
coal which flowed in with the water
from the bunkers. So there was the wa
ter gaining and no steam pumps or hand
pumps to get rid Of It.
so we took to bailing and the men,
all hands at work. bailed with all their
might with tubs and buckets. But still
the water gained. At ! p. m. the water
always gaining, put out the fires. We
had sent our first wireless message to
Newport, begging for help about s a. m
Sunday, and continued to send them
hourly until the water reached our fires
By good luck there was power enough
IN our storage battery TO send mes-
sage yesterday, and at 2 a. N. our las,
appeal was clicked to the mainland
Help from anywherer
Then Ship Listed.
The ship then listed to starboard anC
the deck was covered with water tw,
feet deep, while every stateroom foo
in the cabin was covered with water
The leak happened at the very wors
time, coming with such a heavy blow
II was impossible TO do anything. Ha,
We taken 10 the boats we would hav
been frozen to death. so to leave tn
ship in boats was TO be my last move
II held on to the old vessel as long a
there was any show OF floating. an
every man kept up his spirits. Ever
sea broke over US. but we held on to tn
hope that help would reach us in time
Early Monday morning l got the boat
ready The ship apparently was sinkin
deeper and deeper. We had rigged
drag to take with us when we shoul
leave the ship. and then. about i a m
We saw the Azalea headed for us.
There's Captain Gibbs said TO Nj
Achron.- nv mate If any man ca
help us he will The sight OF the Aza
lea braced up the almost eXhauste
the station. When the Azalea hove I
sight IL was so rough that nothin
could be done for several hours. Sh
lay by US ready 10 take off the men
the lightship went down, and later. afte
we had made fast, the old ship wer
under.
Grateful to Gibbs.
The Azalea took US from our boat
fed and warmed us. and here We az
safe and sound, thanks 10 the Lord an
Captain Gibbs
The captain and his engineers say
will never be known how the lea
started in the vessel Her wireless ou
tit WAS worth $500. 1t was eXpecte
here that repairs to lightship No. 6
the regular beacon of the NaHtuck
South Shoals station, will be finished
that she will take up her position Z
morrow