Evening journal., 1906-12-06
CREW OF FIVE
SAVED FROM DEATH
Barge Providence FOundered
in Mondays Gale OFF
Cape HatteraS
MEN ARE NOW IN PORT

Il have aboard the crew Of the barge
Providence. which vessel was compelled
to abandon off Cape Hatteras Monday
night" was the message flashed TO the
Maritime Exchange observer at the Dela-
ware Brea5water yesterday by Captain
Larsen, of the steamship Florida, from
Port Arthur. Tex, as she passed into the
bay
Behind this message lies a story Of res
cue that has seldom boen equalled, as II |
involved not only the lives Of the five
men Of the barge. but the ten men on
the Florida as we'll.
The Florida left Port Arthur on No |
vember 1e with the Providence, loaded
with 100000 gallons Of crude oil in bulk. |
in tow.
II was nothing but a succession OF gale
from the moment the vessels cleared the
Gulf of Mexico, and for safety Captain
Larsen ordered a double towing hawser
carried by the Providence. with this he
was enabled to proceed slowly, and all
went well until early Monday morning
The steamer, with its tow, was then forty
miles southeast by south from the Black
Diamond Shoals. one Of the most dan
gerous points on the Atlantic coast.
The wind from the north was blowing
at the rate Of thirty miles an hour. and
despite the fact that Providence was
using fore and main staysails. as..well as
an outer jib, she was laboring hard. with
her nose buried deep in the seas. Cap
tain Weldon, of the barge, seeing that
it was almost impossible to proceed under
such weather conditions. signalled Cap
tain. Larsen that he thought it advisable
to heave-to until the blow abated some
what This was tried. but found inn
possible. for with a suddenness seen only
by those who follow the sea there was
shift in the wind. and in less time
than it takes to tell the sea was a seetn-
ing couldron.. and the barger, hawser-
bound as it was was in the thick OF inc
gale, which was now from the northwest
and was accompanied by sieet and rain
rendering it impossible for the captains
to get in communication with one another.
. Captain Larsen saw that immediate ac-
ton was necessary to save his tow. and
ordered the hawsers to be shortened.
Barge Breaks Adrift
All hands were called into requisition
and an attempt made TO get the hawsers
aboard by means Of the steam winch. The
lines were made fast and it seemed as
though Captain Larsen would succeed,
when suddenly both lines parted and in
the darkness of the nigat the barge drift
ed away with her crew, consisting Of
Captain Weldon and four seamen aboard.
The Florida was put about with all speed
possible, and after a battle with the huge
waves, which lasted two hours, another
line was made fast to the Providence, th s
time it was thought snug and fast. but
r the furies of the gales had not been con-
sldered. 1t held until midnight and in
q tss meantime one Of the most daring
rescues that ever took place was record
ed.
= Captain Larsen, kno wing that his tow
4 was liable TO get away from him at any
K moment, decided to attempt TO rescue Cap.
2 tain Weldon and his men.
r. It was impossible to launch boat. fci
h no life craft could live m the seethinG
Q waters and another course, daring ir
b extreme. was adopted.
G Captain Weldon was ordered by the use
e Of a megaphone to rig out himself ane
3, men with life belts and - fasten heavine
n lines about their bodies. one of the Flor
n ida crew, whose name is not known, ther
3 volunteered to risk the hazardous journe,
p from the steamer to tie barge over th'
= tow-llne. He did it, but n so doing wai
y several times almost carried away. Once
aboard the barge he transferred the line
which he carried over sound about hi'
body and tied one by one the crew wer'
pulled aboard the Florida.
They were exhausted and nearly frozel
and had they remained aboard ali night
would have surely pershed, as the barg
e was. in sinking condition.
e Two hours after midnight Tuesda,
: morning. the barge was cut adrift be
s cause she had listed badly to the star
r board, and Captain Larsen looking 70
n the safety Of his own vessel. decided I
MI cut her -adrift. and with her lee scupper
Ir buried under the seas sac drifted to he
final resting place. which is in the Az
lantic in the vicinity of Cape -IIattera
where so many others lie victims of
% like fate.
,r The Florida arrived at the dock Of tn
le Texas Oil Company at Claymont, at moor
TX and Captain Weldon ami his crew wer
u at once landed. The Providence. whic
,e was built of steel. was one oI the larges
l. Of her kind on the Atlantic coast Sh
was constructed in the ward of the NeV
York Shipbuilding Company IN 1902, an
was 2n feet long. SS feet breadth, 2l7 fee
o, depth and her tonnage was 1851 tons. Sh
n was owned by Charles Clarke and Com
l. pany, and was valued at s25,O00. He
e cargo OF oil was worth $50 600.
A