Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-15
FIFTEEN VOLATORS NABBED IN FTRST
4 OF GOVERNMENT RIVER PA troll
Many Lannch-0 Owners Sum-
mOned to Appear Before Col.
lectOr as Result.
OFFICIALS WILL ENFORCE
UNCLE SANS LIGHT LAW
Vigorous Campaign Is Opened
Against Unsafe Navigation and
Prosecutions Will Follow.


cutter. Heave to-" was the hail thar
brought up fifteen launches last night,
homeward bound up Newark bay with
out the proper lights as prescribed by
Uncle Sans new national ordinance.
The converted half-rater Thelms
served as the government cutter, ann
besides her crew, carried two Of the
local customs house men-Chief Deputy
Collector Frederick S. Freed and In
spector of Customs Theodore G..
Burgher.
Her trip last night was the first
ever made by a government customs
cutter in the local waters, and marked
the beginning of a vigorous campaign
against the practise on the part of
launch owners of leaving their lights at
home, and trusting their lives to luck.
Copies Of the laws just passed can be
secured by addressing the customs
house, Newark.
Uncle Sam has ordered his local off,
GERS to get a boat and enforce the laws.
Each of the ten boats found guilty or
inadequate lights last night stand in
danger of libel proceedings" which is
the nautical way Of saying they're like
Iy to be fined. The full penalty for
each offense is 800. The owners will
be summoned to appear before the COL
lector.
The Thelma started out at $40 p. m.
last night from the city dock She Is
flfty-four feet over all, twelve and one
half feet beam, and has in her the fast
est engine on the Passaic, a three-cylin-
der Lamb of 1S-horsepower. and
enough kick in her to SEND the Thelms
twelve miles an hour. Last night She
rugged up with a searchlight.
First Offender Caught.
BY the time the cutter had passed
Balbach's dusk was beginning to settle
over the waters. A few hundred yards
ahead was a launch, hailing, as was
later found. from Bayonne.
"She's got her stern light too low,
and no forward lights at all" said In
spector Burgher.
Full speed ahead was a matter Of a
second, and to catch up to the Bayonne
recalcitrant required but a minute.
where's your lights?" queried Chief
Deputy Freed. Don't you know that
all boats over twenty-six feet In length
have to carry a high light aft to show
all around, a red and green light on her
sides for port and ~starboard, and "a
stem Hght?"
"A1i right. captain" came the hall
back. well be home before night, and
we'll get the proper lights tomorrow
go ahead then" said Freed. But
don't let us catch you again or We'll
pinch you at sight"
The Thelma had proceeded only a few
rods more, when q big. h~ish-cabined
launch, was deserted coming up the
river with another launch in tow, and
not q light showing. She proved to be
the Khaliff, and was let go with a
warning.
Several other boats were stopped on
the way down, but the most exciting
chase of the evening came in the middle
of Newark bay, a little way above the
''jackknife'' cantilever bridge. Far off
on the starboard. hardly a blur against
the dull gray of the moon-lit waters, a
low lying shadow sped along, betrayed
by the buzz of 8 fast-moving, high
powered engine. Never a light did she
carry except the froth at her stem.
Has Exciting Chase.
The chase was on in a minute. The
searchlight was called into play and
finally, as the Thelma began to eat up
the intervening space, picked up the
form of a t~hirty-foot boat, all the oc-
cupants crouched about the engine
amidships. 1t was some time before
Chief Freed could make himself heard
above the sputter of the motors.
"Heave to" was his command. and
shortly the launch "hove.
After the usual parley of questions 1t
was disclosed that the boat was the
Minnie b.. hailing from Rutherford,
with her n whose name sounded
like Fl. M. Heftly, in command.
The men were notified to appear be-
fore the customs officer at the Newark
customs house when they receive the
legal notice.
| Among the other boats ,held up and
found lightless enough to warrant sum-
moning the owners were the Iris, hall
ing from Kearnyi the Olga X, from
Newark; the\Ben, from Jersey City Gin
this case the New York customs house
will be notihed); the launch Ripple,
from Kearny; the launch Cora. from
Newark; the Little jack" from New
ark; the Mabel. one of the fastest boats
caught, hailing from the Passaie River
Yacht Club Cher only trouble was that
the lights were fixed wrongly; the
Three Brothers. hailing from Brooklyn,
and the Elsie M, from Newark.
The Thelma reached port a few min
utes before midnight. Just when the
next trip will be made is a matter OF
dark silence and secrecy, but when it is
made it is safe to say that the light
law violators will not escape.
The crew of the Thelma consisted of
Leslie Kitchell, master; Leslie Kitchell,
ir engineer. L0uis Gailbraith pilot,
and J. S. Osborne. first mate.