New-York tribune., 1908-01-07
FIGHT SEA TEN DAYS.
TARS WRECKED.
HarUard CresC Rescued from Fish
ing Schooner off NaUesink.

ing OcHOOneT UT NUUeSHh.
Four seasoned tars, all from Harvard, landed
yesterday after ten full days battle with the
brny deep in a two-masted fishing schooner.
Many tales have been told by college students,
on cold winter evenings before blazing fire,
when exams just far enough off to be
comfortable. But none will ever compare with
the deep-sea yarns these four will spin when
distance is sufficient to lend enchantment. They
may say il great sport from start to fin
ish, with terrible but exciting incidents here
and there But Skipper Nick genuine Cape
Cod fisherman, didn't talk that way himself
yesterday.
Their boat was the Fame, a stanch two
master belonging to the Cape Cod fleet of the
Eastern Fishing Company. Boston, And
famous voyage she had, too. Her regular crew
was all quarantined at Halifax, one of them
down with the smallpox and the four embryo
shipbuilders, students of the Lawrence Sclen-
tifc School, Harvard, desired some real deep
sea sailing. So with Raymond Bracket Har-
ward graduate, John Alden. for some time an
apprentice at the Boston establishment OF
Crownnshield. the yacht designer; Langdon
Alden, his brother; Harold Davidson and Brad
ford Babcock volunteered as an emergency crew
to help Captain Nickerson bring the Fame to
Boston.
mate, and Cptain 'Nick's" fty-eght odd years
helped bring up the average age of the party.
The fun began the first day out of Halifax.
1T was a seventy-nlile gale, as sure as I'm
living" asserted the old tar yesterday, when the
Fame, or, rather, what left of her. was
tied up in the East River back of Fulton
Market. None of them fellows knew what a
real good sized sea was, and when they tried to
reef the mainsail that day it one too many.
A good hard job. anyway, for six old sailors,
and there was only five of them"
The valiant "undergrads couldn't do 1t, and
when the began to wash over the deck
below rather than have them swept overheard
by the giant combers, while the little Fame,
with all sails set, scudded before the roaring
gale
Game? They game every inch of them,
and. did a dern sight more'n I expected they
could But they'd never been there before" de-
clared the captain yesterday.
For twenty -four hours the Fame raced toward
the open sea. Then the wind abated, and the
Bostonians were just beginning to try their
legs again, when southeasterly gale of almost
equal force struck them. The last day of the
old year passed with the gale still raging Then
the year ushered in with a rush and
roar That day was well its course, and
spare oil for light and food running low the
crew were wearying of remembering the good
times they had had on land in the real ordinary
life they had led long, long years before when
the combers began TO get smaller and the wind
to blow little less like a seventy mile gale
Then Captain Nick, tired and worn out by
! his long watch at the Wheel took his bearings
and count of his stock. The blasts of the
wind had torn the mainsa to pieces the four
foresail stays had given way, and the jib was
in ribbons. Further than that his little boat
had travelled, as he reckoned it, two hundred
and fifty miles beyond the Gulf Stream. Barne-
gat. he decided was his nearest port So with
a Jumbo" and foresafl only all he had left he
| headed for Barnegat New Years.
Sunday morning the observation man at the
Navesink Highlands sighted two-masted
schooner anchored in false channel off the
Highlands and flying signal for assistance.
The revenue cutter Mohawk was telegraph
for, and proceeded down the coast.
Can you hold out till morning" sgnalIed
Captain Reed of the Mohawk late Sunday
evening
we can," signaed back Captain Nickerson
When the Mohawk took the boat in tow next
morning, her captain found the worn out but
plucky crew of the Fame had eaten the last
mouthful Of food left board for breakfast
and that just enough oatmeal to keep
them alive. When they began to tug at their
cable, it wouldn't come. The harder they ex-
erted their muscles the less it seemed inclined
to come aboard again With New York almost
in sight, food, warmth and plenty to smoke
what was the use of tugging at wet cable !?
Out came an axe, and the Fame's anchor is
still lying at the bottom of the sea off the
Highlands of Navesnk
When the weather beaten boat was tied up
in the East River, the Fulton street ferry,
the college boys made dash for shore. All
had dress suit cases, two glasses, but the
clothes of the party were not creased in per-
feet university style. Only square meal kept
them from taking the first express for Boston.