New-York tribune., 1909-02-28

could hold the water IN check The Mohawk
vas being towed stern foremost across the
channel into Little He'll Gate IN the direction OF
the Manhattan shore 10 escape as much as pos
sibe the dangerous currents
The Mohawk yesterday morning lay over on a
list to the starboard that seemed to portend
disaster. Her bow was lifted several feet higher
than her stern. Low water at Hell Gate was
due at 1919 O'Clock An hour or more before
that however, the tide would have foated out
enough TO cause the cutter to capsize. To pre-
vent this the Merritt-C Chapman wrecklnE lighter
Console held the cutter up with two huge wires.
officers and men were flung their faces on
the decks Of the Mohawk ike tenpins hit by a
bowling ball. The starboard gunwales hit the
water. Then her flight stopped. Then followed
the slow work of straining the slings bit by bit
until the vessel they lashed was worked TO a
more even keel
Every effort was then bent to releasing the
Mohawk on the next high tide. High water was
due at l:os D m. There were several govern
rnent vessels lending assistance; the revenue
cutter Manhattan of the anchorage service IN
command OF Captain James Bradley; the light
house tenders Larkspur and Gardenia. and the
navy yard tug Powhatan. which placed large
suction pump aboard the Mohawk. Hawsers
were strung out from the Mohawk's stern, and
the lighthouse tenders and the tug strained at
her the waters again began TO rise. Mean
while the Console worked the liftIrg power that
lay IN her slngs. Further and further to star
board the Mohawk kept listing as the water
went out. Toward o'clock the situation began
70 look perilous The men of the Console had
been working like beavers with the crew Of the
Mohawk in tightening the cutter Of her coal
Finally the first sling was passed through the
large fast port anidships. out through the fast
port directly opposite and up into place on the
lighter. Barey had it been strung when the
Mohawk took big lurch 10 starboard. A few
minutes later the second wire was in place
Il was little too soon. Not twenty minutes
elapsed when the buoyancy dropped out from
below the rock caught cutter. art1 she fell.
Finally the Mohawk slipped off with a mighty
.plash Her stern must have hit bottom. II is
thought. and with a terrific jolt for examination
in the drydOck later showed that every rivet Of
the brass plate below the rudder post had been
shaken out OF her At that moment most Of the
men Of the Mohawk were stationed at her
pumps. Her engine room force was at the en-
gines.
Within ten minutes after the Mohawk had
noated It was found that she had taken in forty
two inches Of water. At that rate It would be
necessary to beach her in the Harlem Her
pumps. however, quickly began gaining on the
water That got it down TO a thirty-inch level,
then further still. and II was decided she could
b. got into drydooI5 and the journey thither
was begun
The water was getting into her through two
rents The first was the keel. few feet aft
Of the cutwater It had been made when she
struck the rock, and was a nasty break The
force Of the impact was shown by the fact that
the shoe stem was broken apart Another break
was under No. tank. which is below the main