The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09
STEAMER CLEFT STONE WALL.
CONEY EXCURSION BOAT RAN
CLEAR OUT or WATER.
With Ninety Passengers Aboard, She started
in the Fog to 60 by Land to Elizabeth
port, and Didn't Halt TIL Her Bow Was
Eight Feet In the Air-IIunEcr Aboard.


in the Fog to 60 by Land to Elizabeth
port, and Didn't Halt TIL Her Bow Was
Eight Feet In the Air-IIunEcr Aboard.
The excursion steamer j. 8. Warden was
feeling her way home to Elizabethport from
Coney Island shortly after midnight yes
terday morning. She had passed st.
George, Staten Island, and had run into a
dense fog, for tho wind which cleared the
air q trihe in the lower bay was blocked
by Richmond Terrace. But Capt. Rhodes
saw shore lights dimly to port and supposed
he was navigating the deep water Of the
Kill Won Kull.
Then there was a grinding sound, the
Warden trembled, and the bow gided up
ward at sharp angle. At the same time
the stern settled, and the Warden was as fast
aground az il she had been lifted bodily
from the water.
Capt. Rhodes had the engines reversed,
but few revolutions sufIlced to demon
strate the impossibility Of backing of. 1t
was high tide, and the boat was there to stay.
The ninety passengers aboard were tossed
about roughly as the boat struck, and some
Of them were badly frightened. but it was
soon found that the hull was not stove in
and that the worst experience they might
expect was detention on the boat over
night. Twenty five of them were women, and
these were made as comfortable as possible
on improvised cots in the cabin. Camp
chains and the deck were the best beds the
men could find
Capt. Rhodes footed the whistle until
daylight and wondered why no tug Dam 9
to his assistance. At about o'clock, when
the tide was receding and 1t was getting
light, he discovered the reasob. He found
he was on a breakwater directly north Of
Constable Hook and fully half mile away
from the Kill Won Kull or other water deep
enough for tugs Of moderate draught.
Two hours later, at the slackest ebb OF
tide, 1t was seen that the bow of the War
den .waseight feetoutofwater and extended
ton feet beyond the breakwater, 1t then
bscame apparent that the sturdy boat had
accomplished a remarkable feat. 1t he'd
ploughed It's way through three feet of
large stones, which formal the top dress
ing Of the -breakwater and rested on legs
which formed the sides Of the crib. 1t
had done all this without displacing tim
Der, or sustaining puncture.
More than that, the steamboat was on an
even keel, and, barring the chance of n
heavy southeaster, was in no more danger
than II in dry dock.
AZ o CLOCK roWDOat, ma nned by some
OF the Grew, put of for New Brighton to
secure boats for the removal of the pas
sengers. None was 70 be had until
O'Clock when Capt, H. g Smith placed
his launch at the disposal CT the stranded
passengers.
The launch draws only eighteen inches
OF water, but grounded 800 yards from
the steamer, and not until 10 O'Clock when
the tide was coming In. was 1t possible to
reach the vessel. Suffering more from
-. vNlpa kx,y
were then brought ashore in four trips. mono
Of them much the worse for the experience.
The breakwater on which the Warden
ran Is directly north OF the Standard Oil
Works at Constable Hook. 1t was built
twenty years ago. before the establish
ment OF the Standard Oil Works; but the
basin it encloses has never been dredged.
1t is L shaped, the long leg extending north
and south and the short one eastward at
right angles. Another hreakwater runs
eastward end OF the short leg, and it
was through this short passage that the
Warden found her way. At low tide
rowboat can barely enter the basin.
water and Capt. Rhodes cannot tell how
the boat got as far as it did. Capt. Smith,
who Is one OF the ancient mariners of the
Kill Won Kull, thinks Rhodes mistook the
lights on one Of the Standard Oil piers for the
lights Of Richmond terrace and was thus de-
oeived into taking a course far to starboard.
Peebe Bros Of Brooklyn, who own the
steamer, made preparations to get the boat
OF at high tide yesterday noon. They had
two Hight draught tugs, the Stapleton end
Rescue, but in trying to enter the basin
the Stapleton ran aground. The Rescue
pulled her off and then herself ran aground
and had to be assisted by the Stapleton.
The experiment showed that assistance
from tugs was out OF the question.
Tie tide receding again. the stones parted
by the steamers bow were removed and the
how shored up with beams 80 as to preserve
an even keel A derrick scow was sent for
the steamer and. by utilizing the scow's
engines and those Of the steamer, make a
combined effort to pull and back her of.
This attempt was to be made at midnight.
The Warden is twenty years old and was
the Eliza Hancock until six years ago, when
she was rebuilt and renamed, She is a
sidewheeler Of 4s5 tons and chartered to
carry 1000 passengers. Mr.. Beebe, one of
her owners, was in charge of the prepara-
lions for getting her off yesterday and was
sThe old Warden has done a thing no
other boat ever did he said. .She has
cut clean passage through three feet of
stones and isn't injured a particle. Look
ished marble and you can't find a scratch.
1t almost seems to me that the wood must
'onoe you get the Warden under full
neaOWay, continued MT. DeeDe, not even
q stone pile could stop her. I'm salts
fed no sandbank would impede her progress
in the least. In fact she must have gone
right through sand hank last night, and
Capt Rhodes assures me he was only going
at a rate Of four miles aIshour
IF he had been going at the rate Of IL
miles an hour, say, am absolutely certain
we would have taken the boat over the
breakwater, rock dressing and all, and
landed her on one OF the main streets of
Bayonne.'
The top Of the breakwater is about six
inches out OF water at high tide and about
five feet above the water line at low tide.
The ancient mariners, like Captain Smith,
shake their heads when they hear that Mr.
Beehe's plans for saving the boat will be
su successful. but Mr.. Beebe is sure he will
succeed.
At any rata the Warden Is safe unless a
strong southeast wind sends swells around
Constable Hook with sufficient violence to
force her stern upon the rocks. In that
event there is unanimity in the prediction
that even il tho tinbers are petrified she
will pound TO pieces.
TO DRAW PEOPLE TO CHURCH.