New-York tribune., 1909-11-10
SHIPS HIT AND SINK
CREWS OF BOTH YES
SELS DROUNED.
Captain Firth Has on Last
pOyagf Before Retirement
T5cO Filipino .SurTirOrs.

Two vessels we're 1osr with their crews IN
hours of Monday morning The schooner
Merrill 9. Hart sank Immediately. with hvs
men. The barkentine John s. Bennett kept
snoat for half an hour and went down a
few minutes before a third vessel. the
schooner William Jones. could bring her
aid. Six men were lost in the Bennett
Two Filipino sailors are the only survivors
The Bennett was one Of the best known
sailing vessels in the Ncrth Atlantic shs
had often sailed in the South American
trade and had made voyages TO the Gold
Coast Of Africa. Jonas Z. Firth. her cap
tain. was on his last voyage. 10 settle down
with his wife and children in Liverpool,
y. s. He had been Master of several YES
sells. and had never been in a wreck
According 20 the confused story OF the
Filipinos the Bennett was steering east.
with a light southerly wind and clear
weather. Faleria. one OF the Filipinos. and
AUBREY Geldert. the second mate. were TO-
gether at the wheel. and Ross. Hutt. a sea-
man, was the lookout. Suddenly they saw
a schooner, a four-master the two men
thought, coming about almost under their
bcvs.
The Bennett was deep with her lading
of coal and drove straight into the strsn-
ger Her headgesr carried away. her top
mssts went. and when she drifted away
she was leaking badly. Captain Firth
drove all hands TO the pumps. sparing
only cns man 10 mind the wheel. The
schooner sank before their eyes. Here
the story of the two men is not clear
The captain begged them not TO leave him.
they sa.. and they stayed with the ship.
SANK WITH AID NEAR
Captain Bullock Of the William Jones
sighted the Bennett. broken and wallov-
ing in the water, as he came through
Block Island Sound AS he went past h.
heard the captain call 70 him
stand by us. We are sinking"
He had only time 10 shout that he would
stand BY before the schooner had swept
out Of hearing. He came about at once
and sent back boat. The two Filipinos
were found elinging to a broken dory. All
the rest OF the Bennett's men had been
drawn down with the sinking barkentine
Two of the drowned men were saved
from the schooner W. S. Fielding. which
was caught i'm the West Indian hurricane
and wrecked off the coast OF Cuba three
weeks ago. They we're Aubrey Geldert
the second mate. and Ross Hutt. an abl.
Stduldu re otuer ueaC or rhe Bennett
were Jonas z. Firth. captain. Claude Had
lev, second mate; Daniel Stoutley. cook
ali of Liverpool, n. &. and an unknown
Filipino. Those Lost with the Hart were
Charles g. Boyles. captain. OF Tenants
Harbor. Me; Charles Rurlill. cook OF
Swans Island. Ne. Alfred A. Braun and
AdOlph Anderson. seamen. Swedss. and Al
fred Teri, a Finn.
SHIPS WERE WELL KNOWN.
The John s. Bennett cleared iron, New
York for Halifax on Friday. laden with
coal. and was TO rent there for a South
American voyage. She was owned by A
W. Hendry & Son. Of Liverpool. n S. and
was valued with the cargo az s1T.So0. part
~ insured
The schooner Merrill q. Hart was bound
from Thon,aston. Ne. for New York. with
a cargo OF stone. She had been in service
along the coast for forty-three years Her
rreckags washed up on the shore of Block
Island yesterday gave the first information
as 20 her identity.
The collision took place about four miles
north OF Block Island. and the two vessels
sank within a few miles OF where the Joy
Line steamer Larchmont was sunk I'm a
collision. with the loss Of ISL lives. IN Feb.
rUarv. 1907.