Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-15
FEARS RELATIVES NET
DEATH ON LARCHMONT
Continued from page l.)


move to get into his boat until he had
given orders ta his men to lower all
boats and clear away the RATS While
his boat was in the water it was fas-
tened TO the ship by Il rope in the run
ming gear that had become caught,
and this was cut by Boatswain An
drew Tobeson. who saw that with the
ship settling rapidly the boat and its
occupants would be caught in the
whirlpool and sucked beneath the sur
face. The captains boat was on the
windward side, and he said he called
to the passengers to jump into his
boat, which would hold about twenty
two people in all, but the electric lights
had been eXtinguished in the collision,
and in the darkness and confusion no
one needed his summons. Everybody
was on the leeward side of the ship,
and lie ordered his men TO row around
there, he claims, but the gale balked
this plan, and as the boat was driven
away from the stricken steamer MS
men had to give up their task and
crouch down in the bottom of the boat
out of the way of the piercing wind.
The statement made by Fred Hierg-
sell, an eighteen-year-old lad OF Brook
Iyn. one of the survivors, has been cor
roborated. Hiergsell alleged that the
passengers were left to shift for them
selves, that the ships crew crowded
the boats without attempting to pro-
vide for the passengers and that Cap
tain Mcvay was the first to desert the
foundering vessel.
The statement of young Hiergsell
created a sensation in view of the fact
that ten of the nineteen survivors. We're
employees ON the ship.
The boys story is corroborated by
Louis McFarlane, negro member OF
the crew, who says he found Captain
McVay already in the first lifeboat, to
which his regular emergency duty as
signed him as oarsman in case of mis-
hap. The negro declares that his com
mander appeared frantic. ordering the
crew to make haste to get away. After
being launched the lifeboat remained
dangling from the davit tackle, he says,
the captain shouting excitedly to those
on the sinking steamer until Boatswain
Tobeson cut the ropes with an ak.
Taking into reckoning the further
fact that only two women of all those
on the boat are among the living today
additional color is lent to the accounts
of the horror given by the few surviv-
ing passengers and the in piled charges
of cowardice on the part of the crew.
Add to this the significant fact that not
a single child got off the sinking ship,
and the case against Captain McVay
and his men is declared to be even
more convincing.
One survivor, Miss Sadie Galub of
SO Leverett street, Boston, still re-
mains on Block island, where she is
being cared for at the home of George
Milliken. She has stated that when
she begged either Captain McVay or
Purser Young to take her in their
boat they pushed her back, and the
lifeboat left the Larchmont with only
six in it, although it would have held
twenty more. When the steamer went
down she found herself on piece Of
wreckage and remained on it until
picked up ten hours later by the crew
of the fishing schooner Elsie. Miss
Galub was very emphatic in her
charge against Captain McVay and the
officers of the Larchmont
Miss Galub remained unconscious
for long time after being brought
ashore.
Twenty three more bodies were re-
ceived here today. The little schooner
Theresa recovered the body of me-
gro. evidently a waiter Over the
head and incasing one arm was life
preserver whla the other arm was
free. As the body was landed on the
dock the lapel of the coat fell back
disclosing n wound in the throat whicl
had the appearance of having beel
made by knife
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