The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-10-14
ENSIGN DROWNED BESIDE SHIP
A. II. Butler of the Rhode Island
Pitched From PASSENGER Launch.

Andes HALEY Butler, Y. 5. ". an en-
sign attached TO the battleship Rhode
Island since last July. was returning to
his ship in a shore launch at o'clock
yesterday morning accompanied by En-
sign Paul Speicher of the Rhode Island
and Ensign Frank -. Manock Of the
Virginia. and was just about to step
from the gunwale Of the launch onto the
starboard gangway of the Rhode Island
off West 141th street. when a sharp roll
Of the launch threw him into the water.
He was drowned
Ensign Manock, who had been at
tending the officers smoker at the
Hotel Astor with Ensigns Butler and
SpeiCher, and therefore. like his two
friends. was in uniform. dived into the
black ebb tide to save Butler, while
Speicher threw life preservers to both
and then jumped 10 the wheel Of the
launch TO swing the boat out so that
they might he picked up But the swift
TIDE had carried Butler away so quickly
that he could not I've saved and 1t was
only by hard work that Mr.. Manock
was safely pulled aboard again. Up TO
n late hour last night the body of the
drowned ensign had not been found
Tho three young officers after a night
ashore had gone to the West 15Sth
street landing and had engaged Will
lam Nj. Heating of lit West Fifty sixth
street 10 take them to their ships in his
gasolcne launch, the Helen ID. Aboard
the launch also were about dozen
hucjackcts.
.As the Helen D. swung around of the
starboard ganSway of the Rhode Island
and was nOsinG her way against the
tide to the ships side Butler and
Speicher stepped TO the rail OF the
launch. Butler in the lead. They were
to step aboard and the launch was then
10 proceed south to the Virginia with
MaEoCk.
Ensign Butler suddenly splashed into
the river between the launch and the
ships GanGway. keatlng, the owner and
operator of the launch, jeried off his
coat and shoes while others aboard
We're throwing out life prescrvers and
yelling ENCOURAGEMENT 10 the struggling
man. Manock dived in.
The tide caught Manock. who Is a
strong swimmer and was getting the
better of him when wave slapped him
back against the side Of the launch
The sailors aboard the little boat
reached and grabbed Manock and de-
spite his protests pulled him back.
Already the electric scmaphore signals
were telling the fleet that a man was
overheard. Immediately the white glare
Of the searchliChts of mile OF battle
ships to the south began to flash back
and forth across the waves and electric
bunch lights aboard the Nebraska, Nir.
ginia, New Hampshire. Vermont. Kan.
sas, Louisiana, South Carolina ant
Michigan We're flashed on the waters
in the hope that all this flood Of light
in the coming dawn would CLINT on tho
gold adornments of the young ensign,
uniform If he We're still struggling OF
the surface Of the cbb tide runnina
south. But from the time he had fra
splashed beneath The surface OF Tho
river he was not seen again.
After n fruilless search to the sout,
Of the Rhode Island the Helen d. pro
ceeded to the Virginia with Ensigr
Manock. He was we'll enough las
niKht to come ashore again.
The harhor police aided the sailor,
Yesterday after daylight in trying /,
find the body and were still on tn,
lookout for It last night. 4 story ais,
reached the police that a sailor haC
been drowned al the same time from
lsui4Ii' '"l d@ no oilCIdi report '
n sailor being lost was received aboart
the flagship Connecticut It is supposed
that the drowning of Ensign Butler hat
caused the rumor.
Ensign Butler was appointed to tn
Naval Academy from Louisiana on Jul,
g 1907, and was graduated from An
napolis with the class of 1911. He the,
served on the army cruiser Washngt gtoi
and in July last was transferred I,
the Rhode Island