The Washington herald., 1910-10-03
MILDLY Fights to Aid sailors.

1 We're lots gone. men MT. NHtNdiiri
( went 'nutty.
MILDLY Fights to Aid sailors.
/ 4 don't know anything about medi-
\ cine, and l don't know what the doctors
would call 1t. but I'd say that Mr..
/ Chevalier went plumb 'nutty' He yelled
/ Let me go back there. LET me go back
/ there II took three men 20 hold him
IN the boat and all the time he was
/ thrashing around and yelling that he
/ wanted 70 get back and get the drowned
| men. When the steamer started for the
/ Louisiana in the path Of the searehlight,
] could see the men fighting with Mr.
1 Chevalier, and ! could hear him yelling.
After il was all over Louisiana
/ steamer took the waterIOgged New
Hampshire sailing launch in tow and
brought it around 10 the Louisianas
gangway. There it was tied up, and I
understand they bailed it out later"
Sailor McMaine was asked if he knew
what had caused the New Hampshires
sailing launch TO go under by the bow.
That's what they asked me before the
court Of Inquiry" he replied, and l told
them how l thought it happened. You
see, when we left the wharf the wind and
the tide caught the sailing launch and
dragged il up river out of course with
the steamer. Stewart. the cOxswain.
must have thrown the tiller over hard
to bring the boat back behind the steam
er again. and, what with the painter
giving a sdewise jerk on the bow Of the
sailing launch and the suddeness of the
turn, the bow was naturally pulled right
under. The sailing launch did not cap
size It just filled by the bow and sank
level with the waters edge"
Stewards version Of the accident DIFF
fered from McMaine's. The coxswain Of
the sailing launch said that the fatality
had been caused by overlooking.
Boat Was OvercrOwded.
1.-THE men were all in a hurry to get
back 10 the ship" he said to-day, and
when the launch drew alongside the
up near the bow. None was standing up
for that don't go, but they were awfully
thick in the bow. II was such a short
distance TO the New Hampshire and such
still water that none of US had the least
idea of trouble. So far as l could see
there were no real waves only a choppy
little cut that was coming up the river.
There were no steamers passing to give
us their wash.
About 200 yards from the shore l saw
the steamer go over the top OF a fair
sized wave. and the towing painter paid
off some slack as the steamer was going
down In the trough. Just as tho sail
ing launch bow began TO top the wave,
the slack on the painter snapped I'D taut, |
and tho bow was just naturally pulled
away under That was all there was TO
a little minute, and 1t was pulling US
under all the time like fellow pulling |
? tight shoe on his foot
THE river came right up to the mid |
die OF the sailing launch before any
body could even holleT; then before IT /
settled most of the men jumped and !
others were pushed out in the rush. 1 |
was picked up by the Louisiana's steam |
er after I had been in the river about ten |
minutes"
The court of inquiry was called early
this morning by Rear Admiral Schroeder.
commander Of the Atlantic squadron, 10 /
sit aboard the Louisiana. the flagship |
of Rear Admiral Vreeland Rear AmiraI /
Vreeland's command includes the Louisi- /
ana, Kansas. and New Hampshire. which |
lie in the river, and South Carolina, in /
dock at the Brooklyn Nevy Yard. Ac- 1
cording to navy procedure, no officer of /
the New Hampshire. the ship Involved, |,
was asked TO sit as member OF the /
court.
Capt A. G. WinterhaIter. of the Louisi- |.
ana, ranking captain OF the second divi-