New-York tribune., 1910-10-03

: TOR BODIES IN RIVER.
n Press Association.)
, forward their weight carried the DOW
down considerably, but before L couiu
give an order a wave struck US head on
and we shipped some water. When the
men forward saw the water rushlhs IN
they scrambled aft in hurry. and in
the dark and confusion some or those
standing were jostled overheard HOW
many | don't know. Things happened
so quickly that it all seems TO me now
like d nightmare.
The Launch Goes Under.
Before the sound of the splashes Of
the first men who fell overheard had
died away, and before any one had time
to do anything for them, we shipped
another bunch of water, and then the
bow just seemed 10 dive slowly under,
and in less than a second the gunwales
were even with the water, then under
1t, and all of the crew was floundering
around in the river.
1T was pitch dark out there. I never
expect to be able to forget the scene
that followed our swamping. Every
body was in the water Many of them
couldn't swim a stroke, and, to make it
worse, they were all piled at first on top
of one another. Those who couldn't
swim were grabbing at those who could
and yelling for help.
Those of my shipmates who could
swim were trying to get clear OF the
mass of struggling arms and legs and
bodies, so they could take their bearings
before trying to save themselves or any
of their shipmates. 1t was terrible
What did you do yOurself?'
Well [ figured it out this way: ! said
to myself sailing launch is the most
seaworthy of all the small boats In the
navy, and she wasn't built to sink in
little runnin sea in the North River;
consequently, if she wasn't going to sink
she must come up again. So l grabbed
hold of the tiller with both hands and
hung on to it, Everything was so con-
fused that 1 don't know how far under
water the launch went, but 1 must have
been some ffustered, for | went down
with her with my mouth open and
shipped lot of water / haG no use
for.
Came Up with the Boat.
when the launch came up | opened
my eyes. and around the boat there were
q Lot of the men making for her and try
ing to get u grip. Others were SWIM
ming for the launch, and l could hear
the calls of still others of my shipmates
as they were carried upstream by the
tide One man was swimming out
strong and singing out as he went, Stay
with 1t. mate; I'll have you in a minute.
Then one of them reached over and
gra abbed at me. [ don't know clearly
what happened after that
Il remember somebody grabbed me
while | was still splitting out water, and
then the next thing 1 can remember L
was overheard myself. ] must have
been struck on the head. or else l hit
something when | went overheard, FOR
the next thing | recall is coming to on
board the Louisiana They tell me that
Nidshipman Chevalier Ieaped overheard
from the steamer and towed me in, but
| don't know anything about that
"But that man Chevalier-take 1t from
me. he is the man with the nerve. why,
they tell me he kept on pulling them IN
until they lost count Of the number and
until he was so all in that he didn't know
what he was doing; and when they
wouldn't let him go overheard again ne
wanted to clean out the crowd"
"All 1 got TO say" said Stewart finally
"is that | was in charge of that launch,
being coxswain, and that L am mighty
sorry so many of my shipmates are
drowned or missing. l won't ever for
get that night and ! don't guess any
one else along will. l am feeling all
right myself to-day, except that l got a
bad pain in my stomach and a cold
Stewart has the rating of coxswain.
He has been in the service FOR SIX years
and half, and comes from Buffalo. His
record is good. and he represents the
best type of the intelligent. clean cut en-
listed men of the navy to-day His
efficiency has also won him the coveted
place of captain of the aft 1-inch gun on
the port side of the gun deck.
Pathetic is the story of the drowning
OF Dutch" Karl, rated painter, VINO
is among the missing, and it Is believed
undoubtedly lost his life on Saturday
night. Although only an enlisted man.
| and a FAINTER at that. he died hero's 5
death, and In doing so frightened the
pages of the navy's records. AS John
! Hay says, He knowed his duty. and he
went for il thar and tn an
| Karl was in the division commanded by
| Ensign Jabez Lowell. He had particu-
| lar fondness for making trips ashore
either In the steamers or in other of the
battIeship's small boats. lie was not