The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-15
Thomas w. Lawson, the
Largest Sailing Vessel
Lost With 1!5of Grew
HEROIC RESCUE 4
OF HER CAPTAIN
After Clinging to Rocks Fifteen
Fours, Captain Dow and En-
gineer Rowe Are Saved BY iys
Daring and Endurance
Of Frederick
Hicks.

1llShcs
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HtfGHTowN, sc1LrY IsLANDS
December 14.--After, successfully rid.
Ing out "a succession OF gales which
she encountered all the way across thu
Atlantic, In which she lost all her lise-
boats. the American seven-masted
schooner Thomas w. Lawson was cam
sized in Broad Sound, Scilly Island,
where the captain sought shelter from
the fierce storm raging along the coast
last night. OF the crew of eighteen.
Including Pilot Hicks, who boarded the
vessel from n e-savers boat during
the night, only three were rescued.
These are Captain G. w. Dow. OF Mef-
rose. Mass; Edward u. Rowe. the engi-s
neer. Of Wiscasset, Me-, and George
Allen, of Branford, England.
story of Inst Voyage.
The schooner lett philadelphia No.
vembep 18th for London with q cargo
or oil. She had q hard battle with the
seas all the way across. and when She
[entered the Broad Sound her captain,
knowing the dangers OF the coast,
threw out his anchors. Later. in an
swer to his signals Of distress. the
life-savers put out two lifeboats and
u
gerous position off Gunners Rock.
The seas were running high and thu
gale was increasing, and the lifesayeraI
found that their efforts at rescue weras
useless. One OF the boats returned for
a tug. and the other was compelled to,
put back to shore because OF the ex-
haustlon of the men. During their
absence the Thomas w. Lawson turned.
turtle. Allen. ono OF the rescued men,
is not expected to live, while Captain
Dow Is suffering from a fractured arm.
His rescue was effected only through
the superhuman efforts of the lifa-
savers and the gullantry of Frederick
Hicks. the son OF pilot Hicks. who ac-,
icoInpanied them on their second tripS frss
tae nope OF fiiidfEts dis ST
| HeroIsm OF Youns I..cks.
Late this afternoon. after n & long
search. Captain Dow and Engineer
Rowe were seen alive on the Helwether
rocks. to which they had chung for ilp-
wards OF fifteen hours, the tremendous
waves preventing their making land-
ing.
Young Hicks plunged into the boil-
ing seas and swan ashore. Carrying
lifeline by means of which he a,isj
the captain hauled back to the bout
the engineer. who was practically un-
injured. After assisting Captain Dow.
Hicks was able to reach the boat
unalded. but the effort exhausted him
and the doctors ordered him to remain
quiet Tonight 455ff. .ss
Captain Dow told the life-savers
that when he found his vessel wa :
doomed he. the engineer and the pilot
dashed themselves to the mlzzen rig-
cling. When the masts fell, the captain
and the engineer managed to get
clear. They jumped to the deck. but
were washed overheard. being carried
by the currents to the rocks where.
they We're found. Pilot Hicks. however,.
seemed to be entangled In the rigging.
History of Dig Schooner.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE Thomas w.
Lawson, which was wrecked In Broad
sound last night. was the largest schoon-
err and the only seven-tnaster afloat.
When launched at Quincy. Mass.
seven or eight years ago. the.
La wson had a divided following.
BY many she was looked upon MS
the beginning of almost new era in
American shipbuildinE. BY others shes
was regarded as monumental error
doomed to Certain failure. Time proved
THAI neither OF these prophecies was Coz
rect. No other seven-master has been
Luilt and the Lawson has continued
through her whole life to be In a class
by herself but she was by no means a
failure from a financial point Of view.
Her tremendous carrying capacity result
ed III making her most profitable invests
ment for her owners. AT the time of the
accident which ended her career she was
under charter which brought her owners
a return Of $4,000 a year. She was valued
at ss600O0. The Lawson was designed ~
3. r. Crowninshield. of Boston, was hu,st
Gy the Fore River Shipbuilding Company
AMI Il little later came into the possession
of the Coustwise transportation Conn
pany 1t was the transportation companya
wnich chartered tho Lawson to the Sum
Oil Company for a period OF five years.
She WAS in the oil company's service on
the present voyage. which began S
Philadelphia on November 10.
Dimensions of Craft,
The Thomas w. Lawson So was N 43s.
feet In length and the great
boom of the aftermost sail mud the
spike steer bowsprlt, SIS feet long, lna,le
tip. With a beam of fifty feet and q
depth of "a feet s inches. she had a cargo
ca pacitys of 5000 tons. Her displacement
when loaded was HOO tons. the load
drausht being 26 l-2 feet;
She was lighted by electricity. steersl
were raised and lowered by power futT
nished by half a dozen stationary en-s
slnes M
she was commanded by Captain Geo. 81
w Dow, Of Melrose, Mass and carried
crew Of eighteen men She was mt
insuted, i&9 "a K n u;
II Is a peculiar coincidence that ire
big seven-master went to her end 'sst
Friday. the 18th day, inasmuch MS that
was the title OF book written by
Thomas w. Lawson.
Well Known Mt Newport News. I.
The New York writer Is mistaken ii,
saying that the Lawson Is the only
5seven.nlaster, There Is one other cn-
gagged In the trade on the Great Lakes
but sha is not SO large as the Lawsors.'
nor nearly so famous. The Lawson has
been for years a frequent visitor IL,
Newport News, and until year . Esf
was engaged An the coastwise Seoak
Etatiic from that port, II was mt the
Newport News yard that the gigantic
lschnnuar IyaS conYarted from q y cnnEl