Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-10
FACED ICY DEATH
MEN HAVE FIVE-HOUR BATTLE
WITH WIND AND TIDE.
Thrown on Rocky Island and Rescued
With Great Diff
Guilty.

NEW YORK, January 1O.-Almoet within
rifle fire of the lamp posts Of New York
streets, yet SO far from shelter and aid that
they might have been modern Crusoes,
three men lay freezing on the barren rocks
Of Berrian's Island, in Little He'll Gate yes
terday. When, after five hours upon the
water and wind-swept reef, rescuers finally
came and saved them, the castaways were
half dead from cold and exhaustion. In a
short time all would have persisted of ex-
posture.
The three victims are Edward Kankau-
suer Of 1918 Avenue A, Charles Stretmut-
ter, his neighbor, and George Woerehing of
zoos LIST avenue. Kankausuer bought
thrty-f foot naphtha launch from a man at
10th street and the Harlem river a few
days ago, and yesterday, with his two
friends, he set out from the Morrisania
Yacht Club house on South Brother Is
land in a ten-foot skin to tow his purchase
back.
Desperate Pull Against Wind.
They hitched a hawser to the launch and
with two pairs of oars started the long two
and-a-half-mile pull against wind and tide
to the clubhouse Entering Little He'll Gate
on Lawrence Point, there came a blow Of
sudden wind that reeled both skiff and
launch hard over on their sides and shipped
a lot of water. After that every foot
gained was struggle. The tide swept out
faster, the breeze turned to a half gale and
though they all took turns at the oars and
the bailing can they could make no head
way toward the island.
While still off Lawrence Island the
launch rolled in the trough of the sea- and
the hawser parted with a snap that nearly
capsized the skiff ahead. Promptly the
naphtha boat was hurled against the island
reefs and the three men We're SO exhausted
that they had not strength to pull her off.
Instead they started in their row boat
trying to beat their way to South Brother
Island without their tow. But the wind
and sea kept rising, the little craft took in
more water than they could BAIL and finally
was swept over near the rocks that grid
Berrians deserted island off Mount Morris.
1t was case of swimming ashore
twenty feet of land. Kankausuer the
strongest swimmer and the least exhausted
of the three, got his companions ashore
after terrific struggle. 1t was then IL 80
O'Clock.
Only One Dry Match.
Weak from their battle with the waves
| their clothes drenched and freezing to their
| bodies, the three men up and down the
| little island suffering terribly for two hours
Then Stretmutter found match box in
his coat pocket and the last match proved
dry. With drift wood they kinded a fire
and warmed themselves about it while it
lasted Two Of them removed their coats
HolSteu THEM on Tree branches and waved
for hours before the signal was seen by any
of the many passing tugs.
Finally, when the castaways were nearly
frozen again and about ready to throw
themselves upon the rocks to await death
Capt. Kelgins of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford tug, passing up the East
river footed his whistle to show that he
had seen the signals and would send aid
His tug drew too deeply to approach the
island, but he steamed over to the Port
Morris side and notified the police.
From pier A roundsman and two police
men of the harbor squad started out to the
rescue. They were Roundsman Wittlaufer
| Heaiey, and they went in little police
launch.
Rescuers Lose Oars.
All this time they could see the three
castaways who cried out to them to hurry
or it would be too late. There were no
more matches and only the proximity of the
life savers spurred them in their struggle to
fight off the benumbing cod. The police
hurried, but halfway in from the launch
their oars broke, leaving them helpless.
But with his broken oar for a paddle
Roundsman WHITAKER managed to reach
boathouse near Steinway creek, a mile
| away from the marooned men.
Here new oars were found and the DO
licemen returned again to the rescue.
The three men were almost unconscious.
Arrived at the New York side they were
hurried to Lebanon Hospital, where treat
ment restored them in few hours and
they were finally able to go home.