The sun., 1908-01-27
LINERS PICK UP BARGEMEN
aAN GIOI INNI BRINGS IN THE
MIT.iNZ.ASS CREW.


Men Of the Fail RIVer-The Grafton OT
the same storm Disrupted Tow and the
rug Concord Not Heard From Het.
Can't II. W. Morse Of the coal laden four
nlasted schooner barge Matanzas, his crew
of four men and his fox terrier Fido ar
rived Yesterday at this port aboard the
Italian steamship San Giovanni, having
loft his vessel in sinking condition about
,ighty-one miles east Of the Hook after a
tough and gallant effort to salve her in
the cyclone that rOared OF the coast on
Friday. The Matanzas was the leading
barge Of a tow Of three. the others being
the Fall River and the Grafton. all strung
along 225 fathOms apart, on stout hawsers
astern Of the ocean tug Concord. which
left Philadelphia on Tuesday for Fall River
and Boston.
OF Point Judith on Friday night the gale.
from northeast and permeated with snow.
stalled the tug and her barges, all Of which
were under bare poles. il being impossible
to set or carry canvas, and they began
straining at the tow lines. The pounding
# the seas started the seams Of the Ma
tanzas forward and the water began to
pour into her hold. The steam pumps.
run by the donkey engine between decks
forward. were set going and for a time
kept the leak from gaining. The gale rose
to hurricane force and the hawser between
the tug and the Matanzas snapped. Capt.
Morse let go his port anchor. but it dragged
and he dropped the other bower This
held him. The shippers OF the barges
astern being warned Of the trouble ahead
hy whistles from the Matanzas cut their
hawsers 80 the barges might not drift to-
hnr ha mia aA In h.
ness. All the barges set red lanterns in
their fore rigging. Capt. Morse saw the
light Of the Fall River and the Grafton a
few minutes only before they disappeared
To leeward.
The gale showed no symptoms of going
down and the Matanzas's metallic liieboat
was provisioned and made ready for launch
ing fEom the port davits. Meanwhile the
steering gear OF the Matanzas was carried
away and her rudder broken. The anchor
cables held in all this tumult. The seas
Combed, making a clear beach over the
large, and all hands sought shelter in the
after house. Before the invading water
put out the fire under tie donkey engine
boiler the men took turns in lodging crests
along the reeling decks TO enter the engine
room and get pals of hot water from the
boiler, the seas having smashed the fresh
water casks.
On Saturday at sunrise a clear weather
gale from north-northwest had succeeded
he murky riot of the hight before. There
was no sign of a sail on any horizon and the
water in the barge was gradually rising to
"A point where the weight of her ?, 100 tons
of coal would send her to the bottom thirty
two fathoms below. The cabin was full Of
water and all the fresh provisions had been
destroyed. The skipper's son, who was the
cook. removed the canned stun TO the deck
house. There all hands STAYED in the heaV-
lest part of the blow. eating their meals
standing. the crazy swaying Of the boat
preventing the use Of the table.
Late on Saturday morning the skipper
saw a steamship, apparently liner, heading
10 the eastward and about five miles OF
In the night, after the sea had died down a
hit but was still dangerous the lights OF
a big passenger carrier were sighted too
far away for men aboard her 70 note the
red lantern and the fare light OF the barge
Everybody stood watch, no man getting
more than few hours sleep in two days
The skipper began to think OF risking lower
ing his lifeboat, when at / 30 o clock yester-
day morning the lights of the San Giovanni
hove in view. A big bunch Of waste soaked
In petroleum had been fastened 10 a long
iron rod. The waste was lit. making glare
that might have been seen ten miles Two
men waved this giant torch over the barge's
stern. The San Giovanni saw the flare
readily and bore down on the distressed
sailors.
Nobody aboard the San Giovanni spoke
good English and none Of the men Of the
MRtanzas understood Italian, 30 for a few
minutes there was an International COM
phcation. IL was Strengthened out by
Capt. Morse indicating by signs that he
wanted to abandon his ship, which was
sinking. Capt Bianchi understood, and
going to leeward Of the barge he stopped
and waited for the Yank ee skipper and his
men to launch their lifeboat and drop down
TO him. The lifeboat was on the port or
windward side OF the barge and il required
careful and clever seamanship to lower it
without smashing it. Julio Fernandez,
ordinary seaman, took care OF the ships
cat as he climbed the sea ladder of the San
Giovanni The cat leaped from his arms
when he was half way up and was lost
The skipper himself took charge Of the
dog, which was saved. Before abandoning
the barge Capt. Morse set in place her port
and starboard lights so that in case she
should stay ahOat until daylight she would
not be a menace to navigation.
Capt. Morse said he believed the Fall
River and the Grafton, which are smaller
than the Matanzas and not so stanch.
we're lost, He is mistaken about the Fall
River. wireless message from the big
turbine Cunarder Mauretania which sailed
hence for Queenstown and Liverpool on
saturday morning. said that she had picked
up Capt. John Taylor and the crew Of the
Fall River of Montauk Point on Saturday
afternoon. Nothing has been heard from
the Grafton or the Concord. IL is likely that
the tug rode out the gale and then went
cruising for her lost tow. II il the custom
of ocean tugs to keep out until their coal
supply is almost exhausted before giving
mp the search for barges they lose in stress
Tugs and barges belong to the Staples
Coal Company Of Taunton, Mass.