New-York tribune., 1911-01-11
SEVENTEEN MEN DROWN
Three Barges and Their Crews
Lost Off Cape Cod.
DESPERATE FIGHT FOR LIFE
Lifesavers, Unable to Go to the
Rescue, Watch Sailors Perish
in the Breakers.

Highland Light. Mass, Jan. 1O-The
worst disaster that the life guards OF
the storm lashed coast Of grim Cape Cod
have seen in more than dozen years
occurred to-day on the treacherous sand
bars that make off from the Peaked
Hills. Standing helplessly by their
guns. their lifeboats and other beach
apparatus. the lifesavers of the Race
Point, High Head and Peaked Hills sta
tions saw part OF the tragedy in which
three stout, coal carrying barges were
hurled TO destruction. all on board, sew
enteen men. losing their lives in the
boiling surf The lost barges were the
Treverton, the Corbn and the Pine For
est. valued together at S125,OOO With
the exception of Captain F. l. Brown, of
the Treverton, who belonged in Lin
colnville, Me, and Captain NJ. w. Hall
of the Pine Forest, Provincetown man,
the drowned sailors were PhiIadelphians.
Captain f. c. Smith commanded the
Corbn.
AS two Of the barges. the Treverton
and the Corbin. broke up very quickly, 1t
is believed that twelve lives were lost
within an hour after the barges broke
away from the tug Lykens, about j
a. m, and went into the breakers. Five
other seamen were seen clinging desper-
ately To the Pine Forest until morning.
when, in attempting to reach shore IN
their own little boat. they were also
hurled into the billows and disappeared.
The tug Lykens. of the Reading Coal
Company. started from Philadelphia last
week with the Treverton for Portland,
the Corbin for Portsmouth and the Pine
Forest for Marblehead.
Struggling to Round the Cape.
Coming over Nantucket Shoals yester-
day the Lykens encountered heavy
southwester. which began hauling into
the northwest as she rounded Monomoy
Point and headed down the cape.
The Lykens with her tow was off
Nausett late in the evening. and could
be seen in the moonlight from the shore
as she was hugging the cape for lee.
She finally met the full force Of the gale
al the bend in the arm Of the cape.
The lifesaving patrol saw her standing
off shore to avoid the Peaked Hill bars
but darkness blotted her out four hours
before dawn. The gale increased in
fury, and about 3 o'clock the long haw-
ser astern Of the tug parted. The
Lykens was then a mile or more to the
westward of Peaked Hill lfesaving sta
tion.
The last watch of the night patrol was
just starting out from the Peaked Hill
station when he discovered wreckage in
the breakers. The crew was quickly
summoned, but il was too dark TO make
out anything.
Sailors in the Rigging.
At dawn a stranded barge, with a
single mast standing. could be seen far
out, in the breakers on the outer bar,
while in the off1ng lowered a tug, which
afterward proved to be the Lykens. The
lifesavers soon realized that no lifeboat
pulled by men could traverse those eight
hundred yards of cross whirling pillows.
Two men COulO De maze out, CIlnSlng
to the rigging. while three others were
holding on to the house. It was ap-
parent that the other two bnrges had
long since broken up.
The Lykens did not dare 10 run i'm
close. for fear Of meeting similar dis
aster, so Captain Hammond hung around
off shore until o'clock, when he started
for Provncetown. About this time two
bodies were discovered in the surf, and
were dragged ashore
Shortly before 10 o'clock the men Of
the Pine Forest were seen TO gather in
a little group. Before those on the
beach realized their purpose, the little
dory on top Of the barge's house had
been cut loose and launched All five
men tumbled in for the last fight for
life. Before they had grasped their oars
a big comber came roaring around the
stern Of the barge and rolled over them.
That was the end.