The Jersey City news., 1906-10-08
Willie Cleaning Windows On
the Guard Rail Of Ferry
boat Pittsburgh, Deck
hand Bob" vosburgh
Slipped His Hold and Was
Drownded
MARRIED MAN, WELL LIKED
EFFORTS TO RESCUE HIM W.T.
MESSED BY HoRRoR-sTRICKEN
PASSENGERS ON SEVERAL
BOATS PLYING THE MID
sTREAM OF THE NORTH
RIVER

Robert NJ. ynsblrsh sliiSsyswo years
old deckhand employed on the ferry
boat Pittsburgh, of the Pennsylvania
Railroads ferry route to Twenty-third
street. while cleaning windows on the
outside of the boat on its 8.55 o'clock trip
TO jersey City from New York this NOR
ming slipped from his foothold on the
guard rail and before he could be rescut...
was drawn down under the boat Hnd
drowned. He caught the left rail by his
lett hand before he dropped into the river
he yelled for assistance Maale passen
gers who had seen him at work
from the forward ladies saloon
and who, along with the ladies IN the sa
loon, distinctly heard his cries for help,
rushed to the window from which they
saw him suddenly disappear. They re-
allied. what had happened. They at
temped to lift the sash. Before strong
men could raise it poor Vosburgh lost his
one-handed hold on the guard raiI and
dropped into the churned waters below.
An alarm was given to the pilot. the
boat was stopped in mid-stream, a life
boat was quickly lowered and manned
and search was made for the missing
mans body. Not trace of it could be
found. The Pittsburgh is d propeller
and it is generally believed that yos-
burgh was sucked underneath the boat,
by the motion of the boat, is a victim
tbo Lob - 1f,1n ii 11sr,
Only the brush that he used in cleaning
the windows could be found floating on
the top of the waters.
The tragedy came near creating a pan
ic on board the ferryboat Several of
the women almost tainted when they
With intense interest, along with the men
they watched the deck hands search the
waters for their comrade and when it
was ascertained that the man had not
been saved, CONSERVATION over reached
them. It was not only so aboard the Pitt
burgh. Other ferryboats some of hem
crowded with passengers, bound from
Jersey City to New York, had witnessed
the fall oerboard of yosburgh from the
guard rail of the Pittsburgh. They wers
as much excited as those on board the
ferryboat from which the man had fall
en-. Other craft sent out boats in the
search.
Pilot Taylor grew anxious about me
fate of Vosburgh SO that he lost two trips
in search for Vosburgh's body. His
men in the life boat searched the waters
in the vicinity Of the accident for three
Nruarers of an hour.
James Mcmahon, second engineer of
the Pittsburgh said that he received
from the pilot house signals to stop the
boat and went ON deck to assist in low
ering a life boat. went forward" he
said, "and could see man swimming.
He held up for about five minutes, as
near as can judge. but he was weighted
down by his clothes and boots. 1t looked
to me as though the crew of the dyna
mite launch Jenny" employed in furnish
ing dynamite to the Pennsylvania Rail-
road tunned workers would get him, but
they didn't. Our Pilot signalled the PHI
lot Of the launch to sop, but he signalled
back that his crew didn't get him. Ev-
cry effort was made to rescue the unfor-
unate man by the crew of the Pitts
burgh."