New-York tribune., 1908-06-24
TAMMANy FOR JOHNSON THREE DIE IN HOLD
ALL OTERCOME By GAS.
Had Just Raised the III. M. Uhtney
Sank IN He'll Gate.

Death followed triumphant achievement with
terrible swiftness for three men yesterday, when
they were smothered in the hold of the steam
ship H NJ. Whitney. of the Metropolitan outside
line to Boston, which they had helped to raise
only few hours before after a month Of hard
work in the raging currents of He'll Gate.
One diver, went down into the hold to see
if a patch he had put on the wrecked bottom
from the outside was holding we'll He died. it
is supposed, the poisonous gases rose about
him. and two more, going after him to see why
he did not return, met the same fate
It was not until three lay dead in the
fetid hold. suffocated by the gases that the
cargo of hides beer and perhaps half a hun
dred other things gave off, that glimmering Of
reason seemed TO come TO those in charge OF
the work Then the needless sacrifice of more
lives was prevented. Some one took charge, and
men equipped with divers helmets rescued two
more men who had gone down for their COM
rades and brought up the bodies Of the dead.
Augustus Bjorklund the diver who
brought about the fatal ending of the days
work No one knows just why he went down
into the hold, warned he had been to be-
ware of the poisonous gases that always accu-
mulate when a vessel has lain long in the
water but the officials of the Merritt Chapman
Wrecking Company suppose that he wanted to
see his work from inside.
ney were vague later While the men were
going down and dying no one seemed to know
anything There was no panic, there was no ex-
citement. Michael Nenue one of the wrecktng
crew apparently followed Bjorkund to see If
anything was wrong, and died as he reached the
bottom of the hold. falling unconscious from the
ladder he descended. Then Herman Fabricus
went down. and he. too, died almost at once
John Hanson was the next man TO go down,
with a ropo and some caution this time, for It
was beginning TO be realized that something was
a-liss. Hanson came back alive, but uncon-
scious Captain Kiblin having realized that
disaster had come upon the ship. divers went
down and they saved Hanson's life. bringing up
the bodies of the three dead men besides.
That account of the tragedy is much as
couId he cleaned with any certainty yesterday.
II was hard enough to get aboard the Whitney
q, all and no one there seemed to know much.
Tho cnroner's office made q brief investigation
Yesterday afternoon. and the bodies were re-
moved TO an undertaking establishment in West
oath street The police found out little more
than the casual spectators who thronged the
pier.
The II NJ Whitney went aground in Hell
c.o+e On Middle Four Reef just month ago
Yesterday and in the early morning she was
hoated after long and hard efforts II had
b4en a hard job and those who had accom-
rftshed il we're more than happy The ship had
been brought down 10 East 1929 street, and
about all the work that vas being done was
to keep the pumps working The lighters with
the huge derrcks lay alongside, and when the
tragedy occurred many of the men in charge of
the work were at luncheon.
None of the men who died had orders to go
down into the hold This was dwelt on with
much emphasis by the officials Of the wrecking
company Captain Kiblin. who was in charge
of the work. was arrested and taken to the
Harlem court, where Magistrate Herman re-
fused 10 do more than remand him to the coro-
ner Apparently no one in charge Of the work
could have foreseen the accident and one
could be held responsible.