New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-11
WIRELESS CALLS FOR AID.
RESCUER BREAKS DOWN.
Lightship Aleak and
HelpIess-Fireroom Flooded.


South Shoal relief light vessel No. 5S moored
far out in the North Atlantic was plunging
about to-day in the severest storm 50 far this
season a leak was discovered in the hreroom
compartments which let in the water so stead
lily that when wireless communications ceased
at $50 o'clock this afternoon the fires had been
extinguished and the vessel was helpless.
The Hghtship, which went on the station only
five days ago. is equipped with five watertight
compartments. and it was believed tonight by
the lighthouse officials that she would live out
the gale, which at that time was backing into
the northwest.
Every effort made to go to her assistance
in the heavy sea. It found that the gun
boat Hist was the only vessel available in port
here Just as she was about to leave this after
noon her steering gear broke down. The light
house officials in Boston then arranged to dis
patch the lighthouse tender Azalea, from New
Bedford. and it expected that she would
reach the Iightshp before morning.
Lighthouse officials here pointed out that her
compartments should be adequate to keep the
vessel aAoat, even with one OF them filled. for
some time. It was also pointed out that the
shift of the wind to the northwest usually fiat
tens out the sea near that station.
Lieutenant Commander Marshall inspector OF
tie lighthouse district stationed in Boston, re-
son at O'Clock this afternoon, stating that the
leak was gaining in the freroom compartment
and that the vessel would have TO be towed in
: Com 4a11der Marshall thought this indicated
mat those on board nad not given up hope OF
keeping the vessel afoat until help arrived.
/, The Nantucket South Shoal light vessel is an
I shored forty-two miles little east of south
: rom Tom Nevers Head, OH Nantucket Island
entirely out Of sight of land and within a lie"
! niles of the Gulf Stream. She has for many
: years been the turning point of steamers bounu
f % and from Liverpool and NeW-HorK- oIe Is
S equipped with the wireless telegraph She is
commanded by Captain Jorgenson, of Dennis
zIass., and carries a crew consisting of two en-
gineers and eight men. nearly all of whom are
nfrom Barnstable County, Mass
. She also has on board three naval wireless
Operators They are Russell Furbanks chief
electrician; Charles Blankenship, first class
electrician, ard William Z. Snyder second class
Electrician.
q Her first olHcer is George Acorn. Of Boston,
her first engineer. Stephen Davis, Of Fairhaven'
Mass, and her second engineer, John Lubby, OF
'Newport.
It was o'clock this morning. while the storm
was at it's height here, that the naval wireless
station at the torpedo station received mes
sage stating that the lightshp rad sprung aleak
early in the day, and that although the pumps
had been kept constantly at work the water
was gaining. The water appeared to be coming
in somewhere above the freroom plates, but the
leak could not be located definitely Three
hours later another message was received say
ing that the water was still gaining, and asking
that assistance be sent as soon as possible At
8 O'clock it announced that the fires had
been distinguished and that the freroom was
flooded. The gale at the Iightship had backed
:ol-o,3
cross sea. At $3.50 o'clock vii less communica-
lion ceased indicating that the dynamos had
given out
The last message received at the naval station
was Water gaining We are helpless"
1t is believed that the lighthouse tender |
Azalea provided the sea goes down, will be abs !
to bring the Hghtship into Hyannis late to- |
morrow afternoon.
The lightship is moored in $50 feet Of water, |
about fourteen miles southwest by south from |
Asia Rip Phelps Bank. Nantucket Shoals, and |
about forty miles to the southwark and east |
ward of Nantucket. She shows two fixed cleo
9ric white lights. with twelve-second fash and |
three-second eclipse. There are four lanterns
'sncircling each masthead. When the electric |
light apparatus becomes imperative a supple
nentary light arrangement provides that her
lights show fixed white without eclipses. They
IRE less brilliant than the electric lights.
Her other signals Pinch steam chime
whistle and bell, to be rung by hand If the
whistle be disabled. The whistle has five
Jecond blast with silent intervals of twenty-five
seconds.
New-Bedford Mass, Dec. 1O-The United
States lighthouse tender Azalea sailed from this
port at 7:30 o'clock tonight to the assistance
Of the disabled relief lightship on Nantucket
South Shoals.
Orders were received from Boston by the COM
clander of the AZalea late this afternoon direct
i'm, 10 Non Err.vrNT
IS soon as the officers and crew of the steamer
could be assembled the Azalea left port