The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-23
Three Helpless Women Left
Behind by ReScuers.
TOO WEAK TO SEIZE LINE
Thousands on Shore Watch
Daring Life-sayers.
One by One Eight Men and Three
Exposure, Slide from WreckaEe
and Are Carried 20 safety Through
Prince Henry Personally Aids.


PRINCE Henry Personally Aids.
Hook Of Holland Feb. BY dint Of
courage and dogged perseverance, which
could not have been exceeded by any men
in the world, the Dutch Hfeboat men and
tugmen saved three women and eight
men from the wreck Of the Berlin this
afternoon.
The rescuers worked for nearly thirty
six hours in furious seas, smothering
snowstorms. and intense cold. They were
repeatedly bafffed by waves which threat
ened TO smash their small vessels Ike
cups against the pier or wreck. They
returned again and again whenever "a
change in the tide or a temporary abate-
ment in the force Of the gale caused Il
revival of hope. however slight, that they
might reach the castaways
Prince Henry Takes a Hand.
They were all animated by a spirit
which was put into words by Prince
Henry after he had made his first visit
to the ncighborhood Of the wreck aboard
tug
We viii not give up until we have
saved them. We must get them some
how, said bis royal highness; and not a
man among the crews but had the same
determination. Their heroism was re-
warded
Even now. however their task is not
complete for. there remain on the wreck
TWO or three women. whom fear OF ex-
haustion prevented from using the life
lines by means Of which their companions
were rescued.
Renewed efforts are now being directed
TO save them. and as the gale has
abated and the weather cleared some
what. there is considerable hope Of sue
cess.
Successful Plan Evolved.
After Prince Henry returned from his
first trip on the tug. in company with
the leading lifeboat men, 70 investigate
the position of the wreck an Informal
conference was held 10 discuss the pcssi-
bility Of new methods 1t was at first
proposed that man walk along the
/ pier. held by ropes. and carry q line to
the wreck. The waves. hOWever. were
stiH yards high converting the whole
length Of the pier wall into q mass Of
foam. This scheme being abandoned. all
| the lifeboats and tugs put cut again at
I 1.3o in the afternoon. the veteran life
boatman. Capt Jansen. commanding.
/ Prince Henry was Oh the tug Helvoetluis.
Their object was to get in under the
wreck. Climb the pier and reach the sur
viv0rs from IT,
/ The weather being less furious, there
/ was greater hope Of success than before.
/ but other dangers threatened. SO many
I vessels have been lost of the head of
/ the pier that the bed of the sea is strewn
/ with Wreckage. sUyi- as iron frames
I keels. and masts. and. If any rescuing
vessel was dropped on any of these by
/ sinking in the trough of the sea, her bot
/ tom would surely be ripped out.
story of the Rescue
Fortune and skin combined averted such
disaster. Jansen's lifeboat. President
/ Van Heel. with the Helyoetsluis standing
/ by. reached the neighborhOod of thE
wreck and launched a small boat with a
! picked crew. What followed is thus told
/ by one of these intrepid fellows
/ we put OF. / was at the head of the
/ boat with a coil Of thin rope. TO which a
/ hawser was fixed. When as near as pos
sibIe to the scene the boat was allowed
/ to drift on the pier
The surf was so heavy when we got
/ near that the boat turned round and
/ reached the pier stern end on. So / threw
the coil To the mate at the stern. and as
we approached the next wave he jumped
out and chung to a pillar. The next
wave washed high over. but he held or,
| and each time the water Teceded ne pulled
/ the heavy haWSer nearer, and the line
was fixed.
One by One Slide from Wreck.
The steam tug next anchored and we
were all able to walk along the pier.
breast high in the water. to the base Of
the wreck The first man TO reach it was
/ Rec I came next Rec walked To the
/ lighthouse. past the wreck and found a
broken rope hanging down the side of the
Berlin. He called to the survivors: Let
yourselves slide down. We Will save
YOU.
"One by one. seven men, three women.
and boy Of sixteen came down. These
We're carried. one at time. through the
]
where we shipped them into the small
boat. which changed them to the steamer
! Here 1 want to say word of praise Of
our Prince Henry. He worked as hard
at pulling the boat and hoisting the sur
vivors as any of us. All honor to him
| for man of sympathetic feeling. To-
days work will help to endear him 10 his
/ Dutch people.
Watch Rescue from Shore.
/ The salving operations, after the first
man mounted the pier. could be watched
with glasses from the shore The sur
vivors could be seen following the move
lments Of their rescuers with anxiety
They stood in little grouo in the stern
: of the vessel. Every now and then they
were joined by new figure coming out Of
/ the smoking room. where they had been
/ finding refuge in the awful weather The
Ionlookers. who numbered thousands. great
numbers having come from neighboring
towns. watched with intense interest while
those rescued passed DOVE the rope 30
the point of the pier. where the tus-boat
took them aboard. Then a snowstorm
blotted out everything for tbree-Quarters
OF an hour Afterward il was learned
/ that the work of rescue went Ol steadily,
1 the survivors. one after another, being
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