Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-11
Life Savers
Unable to Help
STANDING BY THEIR GUNS SAW
PART OF TRAGEDY.
SEVENTEEN MEN PERIsHED
Crews of Three CoaI-Carrying Barges
Lost in Roaring Storm on Cape Cod
Coast-Worst Disaster in Years.

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 a dozen
years occurred today on the treach-
erous sand bars that make off from
the Peaked Hills.
Three Barges With Crews Lost
Standing helplessiy by their guns,
their lifeboats and other beach appa-
ratuS, the life savers of the Race Point
Highhead and Peaked Hills stations
saw part of the tragedy in which
three stout coal carrying barges were
hurled to destruction, all on board,
seventeen men, losing their lives in
the boiling surface. The lost barges
Forest, valued together at $125,000.
With the exception of Captain Brown
of the TreVorton, who belonged in
Lincolnville, Me-, and Captain Hall of
the Pine Forest a Provinctown man,
the drowned sailors We're Philadel-
phians.
Seamen Seen Ciinsing to Wreck.
AS two of the qoarges, the Trevorton
and Corbin, broke UP very quickly, it
is believed that twelve lives were lost
within an hour after the barges broke
away from the tug Lykens. about a.
m, and went on the breakers. Five
other seamen We're sen clinging des-
perately to the Pine Forest until mid
forenoon, when in attempting to reach
shore in their own little boat they
were hurled into the seetl1ing pillows
and disappeared.
The Lykens, of the Reading Coal
company, started from Philadelphia
last week with the Trevorton for
Portland the Corbin for Portsmouth
and the Pine Forest for Marblehead.
Last Fight for Life.
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 tehfr purpose, the little
dory on top of the barges house had
been cut loose and launched. All five
men tumbled in for the last fight for
life. Before they had grasped their
oars big conlber came roaring round
the stern of the barge and rolled over
them. That was the end.
Seen by Life Saving Patrol.
Coming over Nantucket shoals yes
terday the LykenS encountered a
heavy Southwestern, which began haul
ing 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 lett. She finally met the full
force of the gale at the bend in the
arm Of the cape.
The life saving patrol saw her stand
ing offShOre to avoid the Peaked Hill
bars. but darkness blotted her out four
hours before dawn. The gale increas-
ed in fury, and about o'clock the long
tawser astern of the tug parted. The
Lykens was then mile or more to
the westward of Peaked Hill life saw
ing station.
The last watch of the night patrol
was just starting out from the Peak
ed Hill station when he discovered
wreckage in the breakers. The crew
was quickly summoned but it was too
lark to make out anything.
More flotsam came tumbling on the
beach, but there was nothing to iden-
tify it.
No Lifeboat Could Cross the Whiriins
BiIIoWs.
At dawn the form of stranded
barge, with a single mast standing,
could be seen far out In the breakers
on the outer bars, while in the ofhng
hovered tug which afterward proved
to be the Lykens. The life savers
soon realized that no lifeboat pulled
by men could traverse those 800 yards
of cross whirling pillows.
Two men could be made out cling
ing to the. rigging, while three others
were holding on to the house.
It was apparent that the other two
barges had long since broken up.
News Of the wreck was shouted
through the streets of Provincetown
at breakfast time, and hundreds of
people started across the sand dunes
to witness the rescue or its failure.
The Lykens did not dare to run in
close for fear of meeting similar dis
aster, so Captain Hammond hung
round offshore until s o'clock, when
he started for PrOVincetOWN.
About this time two bodies were
discovered in the surf and were drag
ged ashore. A wireless message was
sent to the revenue cutter Gresham in
the hope that she might aid, but she
was too far off to render any assist
ance.
Fourteen Bodies Recovered.
Highland Light, Mass, Jan. 1o.-Up
to midnight the life savers had recov-
cred fourteen bodies from the waters.