New-York tribune., 1910-08-22
ACK|ES ON 10y SAIL
Four of Them Crash Into Barge
with Stolen Launch.
NAVY YARD HOT ON TRAIL
After All Night Revel Afloat Quit
Craft as Boiler Is About
to Explode.

Joy Sails" like Joy rides" sometimes
end I'm trouble. as four jackies at the
Brooklyn navy yard may learn TO their
cost in a day or two Early yesterday
morning they stole out Of the WaIlabout a
steam launch. used by the captain Of the
yard in making inspection trips: crused
Ieisurely up and down the East River and
about the harbor for hours. and then aban-
doned the boat when she seemed IN danger
of being blown up. She was saved by tas
prompt action of a locomotive engineer and
a tugboat captain
At 10 o'clock on Saturday night The launch
was tied up securely alongside the battle
ship Florida A few minutes later George
Lewis. boatswain OF the launch, cheerily
saluted sentry near the place. casually
remarking that 1T was pretty tough that
a fellow had to go way up 20 96th street.
on the other side. after the cap ot the
yard"
Three other fackies whom the sentry
could not identify In the dim light, soon
ioined Lewis. He and his companions
boarded the yacht Lewis saying: Come
on, me hearties! When duty calls we must
obey, eh?'' The Unsuspecting sentry re-
sumed his pacing
Lewis cast off. steamed through the Wall
about Channel and headed up the East
River. An hour later watchmen on the
docks near the Brooklyn end of the bridge
saw the launch scudding swiftly down
toward the harbor-
Crew Appeared "WsbbIy."
Nothing more was seen Of the boat until
early Yesterday morning. when she was
seen stearning UP the river again In a short
time she returned. apparently in trouble, 10
the ewes of Theodore Armstrong. locorno-
tive engineer for the Arbuckles. at Bridge
street and the river.
Whether the boat became unTanageaois
OF the men were in such condition tnat
thev couldn't navigate her Armstrong Tas
unable to tell last night, nor could captain
Van Duzer of the navy yard say, but either
boat OF crew seemed wabbly to the eyes OF
Armstrong and to those Of Captain James
Conway of.the William Smith. an Arbuckls
turboat. who was watching the bright
moonlight playing on the placid river.
The CAPTAIN hailed Armstrong just as ths
launch turned in their direction It zls-
Jagged toward them, finally crasnIns INTO
Z, barge at Bridge street. a part OF the
awning Of the launch, with the IRON rods
s,rnDortfne the canvas, was torn away ana
glass shielo near the engine room OF the
navy boat was broken into pieces
The crash seemed 10 frighten the jackies.
for they scrambled up TO the pier ana ran
aUav. 1t was thought they had 1nlended
to return the launch to the navy SdFu' Ou~
that they had become frightened at seeiha
unusual activity among the sentrleS thefs'
who had learned that Lewis ana MS COM
nanions had not received permission 10 taKe
away the launch or, indeed TO leave Ihs
reservation
Armstrong and Conway. now convinced
that something was wrong ooaIded tii7
launch. What the engineer saw made him
act quickly There was hardly any water
in the boiler. though the fires were burning
brightly. Armstrong and the captain drew
the fires. and after cooling the boiler hIied
/, with water. A few minutes later the
boiler would have exploded Armstrong
then telephoned 10 the navy yard authoi'-
ties.
RinqIeader Gets Away.
| ,-anta5n Van Duzer. who had been awak|
ened at his quarters, at once sent tile - o.
tiac. a navy yard wrecking tug. 10 brldSS
s+rest and CAPTAIN MCGEE, of that boat,
tov-ed the launch INTO WaliaDout Bay
CAPTAIN Van Duzer lost no time IN max
ing a comprehenslve rs-,1r5aJ ~ tfs
ward after leaving the launch but, as lne
Commando said, ''he found. in that Won
derfuI underground way known 10 our H1eh.
that he had been discovered. ana 10
sitinred AS the sentries at the several er-
frances of the yard did not see him trying
to 90 out it was thought that he hac sue
ceed ed in scaling the nigh wall aooll tI7
navy yard. .t,
Captain Van Duzer was OF the opinion
that L,ewis's fellow adventures were on
''Iibertv'' leave, as he had accounted Sat-s-
factoriiv for all the men on duty or ~
quarters in the yard The liberty Hsh
will have to do some explaining when tnelC
leaves expire BY a process of "weedlnS
out" the commander expects TO get the GU
prits He believes that Lewis VIII %
caught to-day if ne stays in the city