Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-09-24
RiSkED HIS LIFE. 4
How an Enterprising Reporter Got
the News For His Paper.

How an Enterprising Reporter Got
the News For His Paper. .5 Il
Undoubtedly the boldest undertaking
on the part Of reporter to score a
"beat" ever known In the history Of
American Journalism was when Thorn
as B. Fielders Of the New York Times
leaped from q steamer in New York
harbor at odds of about 100 to / of
being drowned and brought In the first
graphic story Of the loss of the ocean
liner Oregon. It Is the custom of New
York dailies to send reporters down
the bay to meet incoming steamers
when 1t is known there is t'big news"
aboard On the ground that it Is bet
ter to be safe than sorry the editors
dispatch the reporters by special per-
NIT on government revenue cutter
or else on a specially chartered tug,
with a view to catching. their game
before the ship docks. 1t was known
early one afternoon that a North Ger
man Lloyd steamer was not far out,
and every city editor in New York laid
plans for sending reporters to meet the
Incoming liner.
Fieldersl was one Of these. He man.
aged to get aboard the big steamer far
down the bay and went among the sur
vivors of the Oregon disaster and OBJ
tanned some thrilling tales Of escape
He took notes enough to write book
about the sinking Of the ship, with
minute details Of heroic rescues and
plenty of what newspaper men cali
human INTEREST," stories. Then time
began to wear heavy on his hands. 1t
was getting late at night and the ship
had not yet passed quarantine. To
make matters worse, the captain said
that he would allow no one to leave
the ship until she had made her way
clear Of quarantine. Fielders vainly
pleaded that he was not a passenger
and therefore was not amenable to the
inspection of the ship by the health
officers. His circumstances were un-
availing. The captain was obdurate.
Ten o'clock came. The city editor Of
the Times paced nervously around the
night desk, repeatedly asking, Where
on earth is Fielders? ?"
Out there in the bay Fielders,
| wrought to a pitch of anger almost
sufficient to impel an assault upon the
exacting captain, looked vainly at the
dimpling stream Of light from his tug
as she lay out in the darkened waters
waiting for him. The captain of the
steamer would not permit the tug to
come any nearer to his ship. Fielders
stood beside the rail, loudly remon-
strating with the man commanding the
big ship. He stealthily placed one leg
over the rail, then the other Then
there was splashing sound below
and a chorus Of shouts from the pas
sengers- The reporter was overheard!
Out in the ripping light his body was
seen to rise, and as it did the daredevil
began swimming toward his tug. His
comrades had thrown out line at a
signal from him previously given, and
he made for that line. Would he ever
get it? Could they see him, mere
speck on the dimly lighted water? He
gained a hold on the rope, was pulled
aboard the tug and gave orders for her
nose to be turned toward the Manhat-
tan shore with all possible speed The
Times contained a full and graphic
| story Of the loss of the Oregon the
next morning.-Remson Crawford in
| Success Magazine. I. -. 81.