The sun., 1906-12-28
RESCUE OF THE MARINE COPS
WALKER TELLS OF THE PERIL OF
HIS COMPANIONS AND HIMSELF.
Only Real Danger was the Possibility Of
Freezing 20 Death There Was No Fire
In the Launch and the Night Was Very
Cold-A High wind was Blowing

Freezing 20 Death There Was No Fire
In the Launch and the Night Was very
Coid-A High wind was Blowing
Policeman John J. Walker, one OF the
three members Of Police Patrol 9. sta
toned at Canarsie, who were caught in
their police launch In the Ice foes OF
Deep Creek, Sheepshead Bay. and held
there all of Wednesday night. took . long
sleep after his rescue yesterday morning
and then told Of the experiences which he
and his fellows had encountered during
the twelve hours that they were icebound.
We started out in the police launch early
Wednesday morning to 60 over to the
Ocean avenue landing in Sheepshesd Bay.
said Wsiker. We had intended to cooper
rate with the police there in making a tour
OF the shore in search of clubhouse thieves
Policeman Frank Ford, the pilot, knows
all the channels and inlets OF jamaica and
Sheepshead bays like a book. He was at
the wheel, | was engineer and Policeman
William H. Ward was the crew. We went
ont around the buoy and into the main
channel of Jamaica Bay without difficulty.
Then we made south for Sheepshesd Bay.
The wind was blowing high and the
waves were running some. Ford made
for Garrison's Creek to avoid the rough
water and to make a short cut. At 1890
the launch ran afoul OF a mud bank in
Garrison's Creek and we were forced to
stay there until the tide rose TO carry us on.
AT l45 we got high water and slipped
on the mud nat. started the engines
going, but after u couple OF coughs the en-
gnes refused to work. The launch hes a
nsphths engine and though understand
how to run the machinery pretty well
found upon examination that would have
to lift mp part Of the casing to get at the
seat Of the trouble and didn't have the
proper tools for doing this work. So we
were helpless and drifting
The wind and tide carried us out Of the
creek and down the bay. The wind helped
u s instead of hinderinE us. We got out
oars and tried to paddle a straight course,
but we could do little more than keep the
boats head TO the wind. just about the
time we drifted into the south end OF Deep
Creek, bet ween Barren Island and Riches
Point, the ice began to pack around the
bows and we came o standstill.
"Cold?" echoed the policeman in answer
70 query. why, yes, it was pretty cold.
We had no fire, Of course, and We were ex-
posed to the wind, which seemed to increase
toward shutdown. Ward suffered the most.
He is an old man and was not feeling well
when we started from Carnarsie.- We kept
him at work with an oar breaking the ice
as II piled up on the bows Of the boat but
he got cold-we all got cold; we got very
We had not hing TO eat on board except
chewing tobacco, and that helped a great
deal. But as the sun went down and the
prospect Of staying all night on the marshes
with the wind blowing as i was grew more
certain even the tobacco didn't satisfy.
Just as the sun was sinking we saw the
single mast Of a little fishing schooner
around the bend in the creek about half
mile a head of us. When we caught sight Of
that we began cracking ice for fair. The
wind would blow us along as fast as we
could make passa ge in he ice, so we made
steady though slow progress until at last
about o'clock. we came up slongside Of
the schooner, which was the Gertrude.
Henry Schumacher and Sumner Lee, who
were on board, helped US on the deck
They had little food left. but not enough
TO do more than make us hungrier. But
there was a fire and that was the great
thing. We got warm and prepared TO settle
down for the night.
Along about $50 o'clock in the morning
we bagan TO hear the guns and the police
whistles sounded on board the launch Van
VOORHEES,, which was manned by Policeman
William Matthews, George Seymour and
NJ. J. Glynn, and under the command OF
Sergt. keifschneider. At 4lO o'clOClr the
launch was alongside and we had 20 Gt
the provisions that Capt. Becker of the
CdrnArHle StHtlOn nau sent along.
The policeman added that at no time
were he and his COMPANIONS in danger OF
being washed out TO sea. The only peril
they had TO fear, he said was the possi-
bility Of freezing to death.
The provisions Capt. Becker had sent
out in the launch Van VOORHEES, we're ample
TO feed ten men. When on Wednesday
night the captain OF the Canarsie station
commandeered the launch and put the re-
serve crew OF Patrol on her TO 90 out
0.l. ts.la -
head Ray he sent an order to a grocery
store TO put together a box OF provisions.
The groceryman evidently believed that q
polar relief expedition was being pr o jected
by Capt Becker, for the consignment Of
provisions that he sent down 10 the Canarsie
landing included ten loaves Of bread, several
pounds Of canned beef. canned tomatoes,
onions, coffee, sugar. two and one-half
pounds OF butter a pipe. cigars, and bottle
annotated aS Maryland 81 25," in the bill
sent 20 the captain yesterday.
A soon a. the r,solling party had found |
the shipwrscked mariners from the Canar-
SIZE station they took them on board and |
put back for Canarsle landing. A. 7o'clOck |
lhs men we're landed. They reported 20 |
their captain and then waited &C the wharf |
for further orders, for their twenty-fOur |
hour shift was not up for an hour. Capt. |
hecker oriered thsm by teiephons 20 re- |
port on and 20 to their homes 90 rest.
A soon as Capt hacker heard that his |
thnss msn were safe hs sent a tshsphons |
message to Police headquarters notifying |
ths Central Oftioe ~ the resoue. Pnspara-
tions Icing made to send out nore searching |
parties were Immediately siopped and as |
.oOn As tho various boats Alr~ady sent tO |
Jamnina Nay could bs communicated with |
they we're nsnalied. Capt Becker had given |
0Tdsrs that the 20 hOFA~-TlOwsr anKillary |
si0op Amphion lslonRing 90 Fred bogis |
u Cana Arns, should put Osm for tlls further /
N~achss Of Jamaica nay si O'Clock IN tbs
morning
Tho poilo~Insn of il.s Canarnls station said |
yesterday that Ward. who Was One of tho |
thNse caught In tle 700 could Add THE laei /
mishaEs 10 tls long llsf ~ mssadNeDturss /
that have hesn his during tlAs last four |
yaasa. Ward. thsy sald, ~ae . Sldowef, |
fis fafhsF ~ sesen cbid.B. hs y iie dlsd |
too yaars ago. -Four years aEo hls four |
tssn-year-ol hoy sas eiDofhsfed Ca dsafh '
~ tks aayins lB ~ hank under which |
~ and his osmt,anIons vers plnyihs la |
dan. A ysaF aH0 shs polloemsn wss riding |
In . pafroi wagon wbich sas ssr,bsk w an 1
elsctife or in canarsls and overturned. |
Two poliosFDan serr klil~d and ward MAS |
fo.w rnonfhs IN Q hoepiial - fhs rrssIlf ~ |
iniur,as no rspariyed. NJ V 81 years old |
asl Aas bssa 60 thp feros sAnas isss.