The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-22
TOWING THROUGH HURRICANES
Ell DORADO LOST Ell VALE
TWICE on THE WAY UP.
Managed on HAtteras TO Pick Her Up
Again on n stormy Night. but Dropped
Her for Good OF SeabrIsht Yesterday
Tugs Go Down and steer Her In.

Tugs 60 Down and steer Her In.
There isn't a man jack Of the crew Of the
Morgan Line steamship FL Vale who will
live long enough to forget the things that
nave happened to that vessel since she
sailed from Galveston for this port on
September "a. She came 80 near to the port
Of missing ships that they will all probably
hold a thanksgiving service at the first
opportunity.
The usual run from Galveston to New
York Is six days. IL has been six and twenty
| since FL Vale sailed and pretty nearly ali
that time she has had rough weather. She
finally got within hailIng distance Of port,
only to meet with backsets that kept her
still longer away.
lowed here from New Orleans by Il
Dorado-or at least almost here, for Fl
Dorado was compelled 10 let her go
of Seabright yesterday-the steamer fin
ished her long voyage in tow OF a couple OF
wrecking tugs. She had aboard a cargo
Of general merchandise, valued at $500 900,
but she lay all yesterday at anchor OF the
JefBfY COlbL DeCAuSt FL DOAoNN "1o ASs
able to get her into port.
FL Vale had scarcely cleared the bar
at Galveston on September "a when she
ran into a tropical hurricane and the seas
were 40 big that nearly every one that came
along made a clean breach OF the decks.
The screw was Out Of water much OF the
time and a particularly big sea on the 2Sth
| smashed the rudder. Capt. Patten managed
to get a couple Of spars over the side to act
as a jury rudder and with this makeshift
kept the ships head to the wind and sea
until the following day, when the Norwe-
gian steamship Gotthard came along and
towed her to Port Eads, where she arrived
on October 1. II was not possible to make
permanent repairs at New Orleans and so
the line decided to send the steamer here
in tow to go into drydock after she had
discharged her cargo.
The job OF towing was given to the steam
ship FL Dorado Of The same line. and the
two vessels left Port Eads on October IL.
Two eight inch hawsers were run from
the towing ship to Ell Vale and made fast
to a bride arrangement at the bow.
The vessels had scarcely passed out OF
the mouth Of the Mississippi River when
along came a cyclone. But they had started
and there was no turning back. All through
the Gulf of Mexico and around Florida
they fought their way through head seas
as big a. any the ships officers had ever
seen. In the Atlantic matters we're worse
if anything, and there Wasn't a minute
that the decks were not wet from stem TO
stern. The further up the coast the YES
sells got the worse the weather seemed. until
Capt. Prescott Of FL Dorado thought at
times tina he would never get his tow to port.
Every one felt relieved when Hatteras
was rounded, but the worst was yet to come.
1t came of Barnegat light late OF Saturday
afternoon. The hawsers parted and FL allie
was once more at the mercy Of the seas.
Getting a line to a ship at sea il no easy
job at any time. and in rough weather after
dark has settled down it is work TO make
the perspiration stand out on a shippers
forehead.
A small boat could not live in such a sea.
and getting near enough to pass a small
line from one vessel to the other was danger
Gus FL Vale attached a line to a float,
threw the float overheard and then when
she had drifted down the wind the other
boat went 10 windward of her and picked
up the float. By means of the line a hawser
and then a second awser were passed.
The Job took several hours and then the
vessels started again for this port.
Shortly after daybreak yesterday morn
ing the hawsers parted again. When the
tow was of Seabright Fl Vale anchored,
and after Capt. Prescott OF FL Dorado
had made several fruitless attempts in the
|. northeaster to pass another line signals
were made for tugs, and the William f.
| Chapman went down. in the afternoon FL
Vale started for New York, with the tug
astern acting as a rudder. She anchored
of the Scotland lightship for the night.
She has been towed 100 miles.