Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
SURGEON AMONG DEAD
WASHED FROM LIFEBOAT
Captain and Four Others Battle
for Hours With Sea.
THRILLING RESCUE OF WOMAN
Captains Wife and Child Saved by
Boatswain's Heroism - Sur
Vivors Landed at Rock
port, Mass.

cargo of anchors on board the naval tug
Nezinscot. Capt. Ned Evans proved too
great burden as she rolled down the
coast from Portsmouth to Boston before
northerly gale early today. and after
the seas had flooded the engine room the
tug rolled over and sank off Cape Ann.
Four of the crew lost their lives. while
nine others. including the captains wife
and boy. reached land after hard strug-
gle. Those lost were Charles +. Trotter.
acting assistant surgeon; G. l.. Taylor,
ordinary seaman; c. T. White, negro.
ships cook. trst-class and L. r. Ed
wards. negro, seaman. Capt Evans and
Machinist's Mate 4. Belfric were taken
from an oak grating by life-saving
crew after they had been in the water
nearly five hours, and had seen DIR. Tt OF
ter washed off into the sea. Chief Boat
svain's Mate F. r. Bitter struggled an
hour with Mrs. Evans and the boy on
narrow plank. The others managed to
gain the ships boat after the sinking OF
the tug. and righting her. hauled Bitter.
Mrs Evans and the boy on board and
then rowed ashore
The second officer. the captains wife
ard little boy and four OF the
crew landed at Lanesville. and reported
that Capt. Evans. tie surgeon, the en-
9incer and several seamen were drifting
out TO sea before the gale on the life
Tart- Half an hour later a dozen tish-
ing boats put out from here as well as
the life saving crews from Straitsmouth
and Gloucester. to rescue the men adrft.
The Nezinecot left Portsmouth at am.
chains and searchlights for the bat
tleship Missouri. The tug was boat
Of low freeboard and her cargo brought
her down until her decks were nearly
6wash. She was manned by five officers
and a crew OF about ten men. Capt.
Evans. who was in command. halls from
Quincy, Mass, and has been in charge
OF many battleships for the Fore River
Shipbuilding Company during their trials
on the New England coast.
Plunged Under the Waves.
The westerly gale was blowing when the
Nezinscot left Portsmouth. SO Capt Evans
hugged the shore as far as Ipswich. Then
he headed across for Cape Ann. AS the
tug went off shore she met rising seas
and began to roll. Off Halibut point a
big sea bore the little boat over until
the water flooded her engine room and
she became helpless. Capt Evans ordered
the single boat carried to be lowered, and
put in Il the second officer and the cap
tain's wife and little boy.
Scarcely had the boat touched the water
when the Nezinscot lurched and plunged
under the waves. The captain, surgeon,
eng. nee and three or four of the crew
managed to haul themselves aboard n
life raft. Then II was found that three
of the tugs men had gone down.
Blown Out to Sea-
a. the Nezinscot's boat was beng
rowed toward the shore the life raft was
driven seaward by the gale. The boat
landed at Lanesvlie at 7:5O am. and the
second officer immediate notified two
life-saving stat ons and nearby fisher
men of the plight Of those on the life
raft. The comnandant at Portsmouth
also was informed of the accident and
ordered that tne tug Nj. Mitchell Dav
leave al once in search OF the Seznscot's
raft.
Capt Evans and Engineer Belfrio were
picked up by the Delivers Neck life saw
ing crew and landed here at 1l:.O m.
DIR. Trotter was washed on the grating
and drowned. The men were picked up
Inside Of Ipswich bay about four miles
on shore
Saved by Boatman's Bravery.
,s
was an act of peculiar heroism. When
the tugboat turned turtle Capt. Evans,
who was standing near his wife and
child. was thrown far away from them
Amid the din he called out TO Boatsw va n
Bitter 10 save his wife and child, aud
Bitter called back that he would II pos
siole. The boatswain was near the pair
in the water and, Selling them. succeed
cd in grasping the rudder head and pull
ing himself on the bottom of the craft.
There he clung until the machinery
crashed through the huh and the tug
sank
For two hours in the heavy wind and
sea he struggled at arms length with
In pair. Finally one of the men of the
raft discovered the GfebCat floating bot
Ceeded in rightinS and bailing Ii out The
oars were dashed und rneath the thwarts
and In short time Bitter and the woman
and her son were rescued, with all the
ott er survivors
After a long row the party succeeded In
landing at Lanesvilla, on the no.ther y
side of the caps. where they were cared
for. as they were comp etely exhausted.
The caps .zing Of the naval tug Nezncot
of Rockpnrt. Mass. occur ed about $40
o'clock this morning. according TO le-
graphic report TO the Navy Department
from Admiral Moore. the commandant of
the Portsmouth. n. H.. navy yard.
Acting Assistant Surgeon Trctter OF the
navy who was drowned. entered the na-
val service las: April and was on duty at
The naval hospital at Portsmouth. y. IL.
His home was Franklin. n. G.
The three men who were drowned were
hired as civilians and the department has
no record OF them.