The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-10-03
Warship's Cutter Founders in
Hudson River
$50 THROWN INTO WATER
4 Boat from the Battleship New Hamp-
shire Taking Liberty Party Aboard
Upsets OF Landing at 157th
Street.

New York, Oct. By an acciden;
which none Of the survivors could salts
factorily explain, cutter belonging to
the United States battleship New Hamp-
shire, and which was bringing liberty
party from the landing at the foot Of
One Hundred and Tifty-sixth street to
the vessel. anchored in the North river
off that point, foundered in the stream
when but little more than half way on
her journey Saturday evening.
All of the occupants of the launch
were thrown into the water and, al
though the battleships anchored in the
vicinity turned on their searchlights and
hurried their boats to the rescue, TWEEN
ty-nine men and perhaps more were
drowned
The cutter, one Of the pulling boats Of
the battleship, was in tow of a steam
cutter at the time, and, according to all
reports, was being towed against a
strong wind and sea by very short
hawser
One hundred and fifty sailors were
thrown struggling into the water when
the barge capsized They were liberty
party returning to the New Hampshire,
after day on shore, and had crowded
onto the barge at the dock at the foot
of One Hundred and Fifty-seyenth street.
The barge was about 40 feet long and
eight feet wide and was being towed
by one of the battleships steam cutters
by hawser about "a feet long,
There was high wind at the time,
which kicked up quite heavy sea in
the Hudsoni in addition the tide was
running strong and the swells from sew
eral large river steamboats, caused the
boat to pitch dangerously
It was remarked as the boats put out
that the barge was overloaded, but the
men were eager to get back aboard ship
and paid no attention to the warnings.
They crowded up into the bow OF the
barge, which, owing tS the great weight
and shortness Of the tow line, poked its
nose into every big wave. When the
boats were about $50 feet off shore, a
Dig sea came aboard and one Of the cool
er of the sailors shouted; Every man
that can swim, jump overheard" Sew
eral sailors Immediately plunged into
the river, but the others huddled mp in
the bow and the narrow barge went over,
throwing shrieking, struggling mass
into the water
On board the New Hampshire, quar-
ters had just been sounded, and the
men, standing in four lines on the quar-
terdeck, saw the accident, although in
the gathering darkness no one knew
just what had occurred
Officers aboard the Louisiana saw It
at the same time, and two of the big
searchlights Of that vessel were brought
10 bear and boats Immediately sent to
the spot.
All day yesterday, police boats dotted
the cove in the river about West 18TH
street, where the crews were graphing
for bodies. But not one body was re-
covered.
Old river men said they were not sur
prised, for when the accident occurred,
they declared, the tide was running up
stream like mill race, with brisk
wind out of the southwest pushing it
along at even faster clip. This would
take the bodies far beyond the scene
Of the disaster, and probably it will be
several days before any are found.
Along the water front in the vicinity
of the accident, crowds gathered, rushing
hither and thither seeking information
Many women were among them, their
eyes red from weeping, or anxiety de-
picted on their faces.
They wore looking for news Of rela-
tives or friends who had been on shore
leave and should have reported back
on the New Hampshire Saturday even
ing
On board the flagship Louisiana, Rear
Admiral Vreeland convened a court Of
inquiry, to determine the exact cause Of
the accident and place the responsibility.
A number Of the men who were on the
Inflated barge told their stories. A re-
port Of the findings Of the court viii
be forwarded to the navy department
to-day.
Various versions Of how the accident
occurred were in circulation yesterday
The generally accepted one was that
the barge was towed into the heavy
swells Of a passing steamboat, one Of
which broke over the side and swamped
it.