New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-13
RIDES LOG IN HELL GATE
Raftsman's Attempt to Shoot
Current a Partial Success.
HIS CRAFT STOOD ON END
Then It Owed Beneath a Dredge,
but Chase Regained Mount
as 1t Rose Again.

Driving a twenty-foot log through Hell
Gate is different from shooting the rapids
Of the Penobscot or the Piscataquis River,
as Edward A Chase, a raftsman from
Maine found out yesterday. He undertook
10 drive log from Scaly Rock, on the As
toria shore. through Hell Gate 10 the foot
Of East s6th street, Manhattan, and mar
rowly escaped losing his life, for his log
was sucked under one of the big govern
ment dredges anchored in midstream off
Flood Rock A warning shout from J. NJ.
Finch Of the Hell Gate division of the
United States Volunteer Lifesaving Corps.
enabled Chase TO save himself by leapng
from the log into the dory which followed
him He said afterward that in the fifty
thousand miles or more he had covered in
logging this was his closest call
Wearing pair Of spiked logging shoes
and carrying an eight-foot pike pole, or
pick as he termed il, Chase was escort
ed in a dory containing J. NJ. Finch, DR.,
J. NJ. Severino and Lieutenant A s. SIEVE
rino sr1 followed by launch containing
John Nil and others from the lifesavers'
headquarters at the foot of Wardell street
Astoria, TO Scaly Rock, where they found
& log twenty feet long and about sixteen
inches in diameter. The log was towed
out in the stream and the start made
of Pot Cove, Astoria, the intention being
TO have the currents take the log directly
through the swirling e6dies of the Gate
The start was delayed until about $50
o'clock to give the outgoing tide a chance
TO gain force, and then. with crowds
watching from both the Astoria and Man
haitian shores. Chase sprang to his log,
which was cast loose from the boat Bal
ancing himself on one end of the log he
= - 81, CT
rent that darts along at from four to five
miles hour, suddenly halts, and turns
hack. or resolves itself into unexpected
whirlpools and then begins all over again.
anchored in the centre of the channel of
Hell Gate are several government dredges
which are tearing out the reef at Flood
Rock. To pass through the centre of Hell
Gate, where she waters are most turbulent,
and at the same time avoid the govern
nlent dredges. Chase and his escorts sought
10 head toward the Astoria shore but their
efforts were ir vain. In the battle Chases
pike pole broke, and he was being swept
along toward the anchored dredges, when
the dory containing Finch got alongside
the log, and Finch shouted TO Chase TO leap
for his life. Chase landed safely in the
boat. A moment later his log was stand
ing upright in a whirlpool, and then Il
darted beneath the dredge- AS the boats
got around the lower end of the dredge the
log came 10 the surface. was caught, and
once again Chase boarded it, trusting TO his
skill 10 carry him TO his journeys end
Aside from the wash OF passing boat
OF the 92d street ferry, the danger was
over, and he fiOated peacefully TO his des-
tination. Chase may make another Try. He
said he had considerable difficulty in bal
ancing himself on the log provided yester-
day. as one side Of it had been cut fiat
which upset his balance every time il rolled
around and the fat side came uppermost-