The Washington herald., 1908-01-07

New York. Jan. 6.-With little food, and
but few gallons Of water left and after
being Iashed about for eight days at the
mercy of gales. the two-masted fishing
schooner Fame. of Boston, manned by
Can't. Joshua Nickerson, OF Orleans,
Mass, and a crew composed of five Har-
ward students, who had enlisted to get
some real experience at sea, was dis
covered in distress in close proximity TO
the beach early this morning by the life
savers OF Naveslnk Highlands.
Her sails were gone. and the vessel. be
ing unable 10 beat against the northwest
gale was bearing for the coast. a tele-
phone message was sent to the revenue
cutter Mohawk. at quarantine, which
went 10 the Fame's assistance. and, after
standing by all night. towed her into
quarantine at daylight
The tug Reliance brought her TO a safe
berth in the East River back of the Full
ton Market, and the Fame had barely
been made fast when four Of the five
college men appeared at the gangway.
suit cases in hand. and appearing pretty
badly tousled They asked where they
could get a train for Boston.
started for Home.
Then they started in the direction Of
the subway Those in the party were
John Alden. Langdon Alden, Harold
Davidson, and Bradford BabcOck.
Raymond o. Brackett said TO be the
only graduate student. and who acted as
mate on the trip, remained behind with
Capt. Nickerson. and accompanied the
ship when a vessel started to tow it TO
Boston late this afternoon. The men said
that they were all taking practice work
along with their university courses in
the ship works Of ". ". Crowinshield,
Boston, when they got the opportunity
10 man the Fame.
The fishing vessel Is owned by the East
ern Fishing Company of Boston. and
put into Halifax shortly after Christmas
with the captain and crew down with
smallpox. Quarantine officers removed
the crew and disinfected the ship.
Thought Cruise "A Lark.
Capt Nickerson and the college boys,
VINO. previous 10 this. had had no expert
enee at sea except aboard yachts and
private craft, were sent TO Halifax to
bring the Fame to Boston. Ordinarily
the crew of the vessel numbered twenty
five men. but signs were fair and the
skeleton company felt perfectly conf
dent. Capt Nickerson is ffty-eight years
old, and one of the most experienced
shippers along the New England coast.
lie put his crew, whose ages average
about nineteen, through their PAGES and
had every sail set at midnight, Decem-
ber %, one night out of Halifax, when the
atmosphere freshened up and a seventy
mile northeasterly gale struck the craft.
All hands were turned out in a hurry.
but the crew was not husky enough to
Ieet the mainsail. and she was picked up
by the terrific blow and driven 10 sea at
an alarming clip. Capt. Nickerson clung
10 the wheel. and. finding that his men
were not able TO cope with the situation.
and fearing that the heavy sea might
wash some Of them overheard, ordered
them 10 go below. where they huddled
until daylight
MaInsaiI Carried OF.
They peeped out just in time to see the
inainsail carried away. Previous 70 that
the jibs had gone. and an hour later
there was not an inch of canvas intact
except the foresaI The little vessel was
hove to throughout the S0th and Slst and
New Years Day There wasn't enough
oil left TO fill the lamps, and everything
was darkness inside and out. To make
matters worse. the food supply began
TO run low.
The schooner was driven 80 miles across
the Gulf Stream. When the gales finally
abated, early on the morning of January
:, the Fame found herself go miles north
by northeast off Barnegat and bearing
north by northwest She managed TO
keep TO the direction of the Jersey shore,
but Capt. Nickerson was far from com
Portable and ran an American flag to the
main peak, as an appeal for assistance TO
any paGseT-by. Highlands were reached
at o'clock this morning. and when the
Mohawk came alongside. several hours
later in choppy sea, and asked the fish
ing skipper if he could last until morn
ing. or wanted them 10 make an attennpt
10 take the crew of, Capt. Nickerson
shouted through his megaphone ont of
the darkness:
We've got no food and no sails hut
think We can last until daylight"
Saved at Last.
Capt. 3. L. Reid. Of the revenue cutter
was not taking any chances and for that
reason stood by. With the first streaks
Of dawn Reid and his crew were bustIing
about with preparations TO take the Fame
TO port. Through the gray mist could be
discerned the outlines of the life-saving
crew at Navesink, patroling the beach
with their boat and keeping an eye on
the Fame. The lifesavers had not slept,
either
AS the revenue cutter and the Fame
came together, it looked. owing TO the
swell as if there would be difficulty max
ing the two fast This was accomplished
after an hours work The Mohawk of
Quarantine turned over her charge TO the
tug
Capt. Nickerson and Mate Braekett were
reticent and would not talk much about
the cruise. Capt. Nickerson said that the
crew had behaved splendidly and was
found hacking in number only.