The sun., 1906-12-27
POLICE LAUNCH Is MISSING.
FLEET or RELIFF BOATS rs
SEARCHING FOR LOST CRAFT.
NnoIe section OF the Police Navy Securing
the waters-LAunch Had Net Been
Seen Since Yesterday Morning Three
Policemen AbOard-Battie WIN Ice.


Policemen Abosrd-Battie with leo.
Police launch Q; containing three men
Of the Cansrsie stati on; set out for Sleeps
head Bay from the Canarsie shore at Z
O'Clock yesterday morning and at mid
night nothing had been heard from her.
A general alarm was sent out by the de-
rartment to the hsrbor squads and a feet
Of relief boats, put out in search OF the
missing craft.
The policemen in the naphtha launch
we're Frank 4. Ford Of Remsen avenue and
School lane, Canarsie, who was tho pilot
John J. Walker OF Ninety-sixth street and
Avenue G. Brooklyn. the engineer. and
William II. Ward Of Richmond Hill. This
is one of the crews which regularly patrol
Jamaica Bay and the Barren Island shore
out as far as Rockawsy Point. Ordinarily
they are on duty for twenty-four hour shifts
and take rations along with them sufficient
for that period. But yesterday morning
they left the Canarsie shore on a special
detail and didn't take bite with them.
They started out for Sheepshead Bay
under Instructions from Commissioner
Bingham to meet the police OF the Sleeps
head Bay station at the foot Of Ocean avenue
at about 3 o'clock and cooperate with them
in searching some Of the fishermen's shaoks
on the marshes along Sheepshead Bay.
There had been several petty thefts re-
Gently in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood.
chiefly from yachts that were tied up for
the winter and from closed clubhouses,
and il was tho do that some Of the loot
might be stored in these huts.
The launch in which the three policemen
put out is about thirty-five feet long and
draws six feet Of water. She is driven by a
Fix horsepower naphtha engine. She is
practically open, being protected only by
light canvas top.
The launch started to make the passage
from Jamaica Bay through the small chan
mel but found it clogged so badly with ice
that she put about and started out into
the open sea through the breakwater and
the main channel between Barren Island
and Rockaway Point.
Capt. Austin McAvoy is. so far as the
police have been able to learn, the last per-
son who saw the police craft. He met her
in the breakwater OF Barren Island and
she was having pretty hard time with ice.
Capt. McAvoy was aboard his ferryboat,
which plies between Barren Island and
Canarsie. and he lent the little launch a
helping hand by going ahead and breaking
up the ice for her. The last he saw Of
the crew Of bluecoats they were headed
10 n.
mel and appeared to be getting along fairly
we'll
John A. Whitaker. an oysterman, saw
the launch about the same time.
At the time the launch left Jamaica
Bay the tide was running out and there
was a stiff northwest wind blowing out
in the open sea. The only hope that is
held out that the launch reached Sleeps
head Bay is the statement Of a man named
Austin, who says he thinks he saw the
boat trying to put in along about noon.
The craft which he saw finally gave up
the attempt to make a landing because
Of the big ice foe along the shore and turned
toward the open sea again.
The police launch carried $50 gallons Of
naphtha, enough to run her for three days.
She was a pretty old boat and the engine
was a glutton. II there has been an ex-
posion with such a large quantity Of
naphtha aboard the boat has undoubtedly
been blown to pieces. 1t is the belief Of
the police OF the Canarsie station, though.
that something has happened to the en-
gine. If that occurred when the launch
was in the open with the tide outward
bound and the wind in the northwest she
would be driven to sea.
Word reached the Harbor Squad at Pier A
at about o'clock and the big police boat
Patrol with its crew Of ten men and an
additional complement Of four policemen,
with a roundsman, started out. II was the
intention Of the police to cruise down as
far as Rockaway Point. At ESD o'clock
one Of the Patrols crew called up from
Barren Island and said they had not seen
anything of the missing boat.
Capt. John Becker Of the Canarsie police
station. a little while after the Patrol had
started out, sent out a 10 horsepower
gasoene sloop manned with the masters
Of the craft. Albert and August Benham
and four policemen. The bueooats who
volunteered their services were mostly
members of the crews which had the re-
lief trick on the launch. They were Sergt.
George +. Riefschneider, William Matthew,
patrolman and pilot of the relief crew;
George Seymour and Mark Glynn.
The sloop bore the name Of Carrie Won
Voorhees,. She was forty-fve feet over all.
The crew took with them provisions enough
TO last for two days. She planned to cover
all the bars in the bay and failing to get
any trace OF the launch on them to break
out into the open. skirting along the shore
where il was possible 40 as to cover any
havens which the crew in the launch might
have sought.
The Patrol Is equipped with a search
light and is a powerful boat, and an effort
will be made TO have the two boats CO.
operate. At midnight Capt. Becker had
arranged TO send out a third relief party
IN another fishing sloop.
The inlet between Rockaway Point and
Barren Island is a treacherous spot. IL was
there that one Of the freboats went aground
at the time Of the burning Of the garbage
plant on Barren Island.
The police lay their greatest hope in
the safety OF the crew TO the fact that
Ford the pilot, Is an expert sailor. He
has navigated most Of the Iwaters Of
fka