New-York tribune., 1907-09-02
MILITIA CREW ADRlET.
RESCUED JUST IN TINE.
S'rteen Picked Up off HOOK Help
less an Storm.

Battling for their lives in the darkness against
half gale that combined with a strong ebb
tide. sweeping them swiftly to sea
through the South Channel off Sandy HOOK, SIX
teen members of the ID Division. First Battalion
Naval Militia of New Jersey. were rescued on
Saturday night by Captain George B. G1bb or
the tug c. n. Kimpland, of the Beard Dredging
Company.
Captain Gibb was returning from trip to the
dumping ground off Sandy Hook Lightship The
two mudscows he had taken there loaded had
been dumped and being towed back on the
end of a 2ND-fathom hawser. II was blowing
hard from the rorthward and the kimpand was
making slow progress she dived into the head
seas in the South Channel.
At about 1870. away off 10 port about six hum
dred feet. Captain Glib heard what sounded like
screams coming from object bobbnS up ana
down il The trough OF the sea and from Whlch
something burning was being waved
Slowing his boat and sheering her 50 as to
make q lee he had the tugs dory lowered and
sent his mate. Murphy. and deckhand to ma
out what was the trouble. In few minutes
they came back and reported helpless crew of
sixteen men in a navy cutter drifting 10 sea
Quickly hauling in his hawser and whistling
for his scows to anchor, Captain Glib manohu-
| vred the tug so to bring her to windwaTd OF
the cutter Twelve OF the sixteen men were
'''''
four others managed to pass line to the tug
and they were safe on board.
With their boat towing astern and the scows
in tow. Captain Glib brought the castaways up
through the Narrows, and when off Clifton.
Staten Island. > a. m yesterday they got in
their cutter and landed at that place. apparent
" none the worse for their experience They
thanked the KmpIand's skipper for saving
them and gave him three cheers as they showed
off from the tugs side.
The young naval militiamen. whose ages
ranged from eighteen TO twenty-sx years and
who are said to be members of some Of the
best families OF Newark. y. J.. told Captain
GLIB on the way up TO Clifton that they had
left the United States ship Portsmouth-the
headquarters OF the New Jersey naval militia
at 18th street Hoboken. on Saturday afternoon
bound for the army reservation on Sandy Hook
They had previously obtained from Colonel Har-
ris. the commandant at Fort Hancock, permis-
sion to camp there for two days.
Under sail the boat made good progress down
the North River. with the ebb tide helping her
After passing through the Narrows the water
grew rougher every minute. and the crew soon
found themselves in the Swash Channel-in-
stead of the Main Ship Channel which is tho
best course-and stln Gar from their destna-
ton when darkness set in. The South Channel
is an extension OF the swash Channel leading
10 Scotland Lghtship.
When they tried to haul the cutter on the
wind In the stin breeze to weather the point
of Sandy Hook the boat having no centreboard
to hold her up was blown bodily 10 leeward.
Then they lowered the sails and tried the oars.
with no better result, the seas breaking over
the boat and putting out her lights
Finally. after two hours Of baiing and shout
ing 70 every vessel they saw. Of the men
ha no frfw
soaking it in kerosene. set 1re 10 II and used
II for a torch II luckily attracted Captain
Gibbs attention
Lieutenant Commander Davenport. who IS in
command OF the United States steamship Ports
mouth when told Of the episode yesterday. said
that the ten-oared cutter belonging 10 the ship
fully equipped with tents and blankets. had left
the ship at about O'Clock IN the afternoon
for the reservation on Sandy Hook. There were
some sixteen men. he thought. belonging to the
Second Division which is stationed at Newark
The officer in charge Of the party was Lieu
tenant a II LozIer. who. with Ensign T. NJ
Smith was In a naphtha hunting launch that
accomnanted the cutter. How they got sepa-
rated in the night he could not explain. He
thought the men had probably become seasick
and lost their bearings in the dark and the
heavy sea He said the launch had probably
continued on TO Sandy Hook, as he had re-
ceIved no report of any trouble.
II was learned last night that Lieutenant
Iozier arrived at Fort Hancock on Saturday
night He reported there to Colonel Harris at
most beadouarters at 8 o'clock According to
this he and Ensign Smith did not accompany
the cutter containing the missing crew all the
wav to Sandy Hook. but left them TO do their
own navigating.
CAPTAIN Patterson. Of the hvesavlng station
at Sandy Hook, said last night that ne met In n
restaurant at Highland Beach yesterday after
80 coma Of the New York naval militiamen
from the United States ship Granite state who
were camping near by. They said that they
had had a rough experience on Saturday night
Their boat ran ashore on Nortons Point and
three Of their men were knocked, or 1ell' over
hoard but were rescued without dlfhcuity.
They were unable to say what became OF the
New Jersey contingent.
CHILD STOLEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.