New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-16
Fourteen Men and Women
Saved by Quick Work After
Explosion OFF Ocean
Parkway.
PATROLMAN'S HORSE HELPS
Lacking Boat, Lifesavers and
Police Plunge Into Water
All Saved Hurry Off, Leav-
ing Caretaker to Explain
70 Absent Owner.

hundreds OF people strolling along
Ocean Parkway witnessed an exciting
race for life yesterday when the thirty
foot auxiliary sloop Sprite caught fire
from the explosion of her gasolene
tank. Dashing under full sail for the
shore. with flames streaming in her
wake and licking greedily at the sail.
the boat capsiZed in ten feet of water.
but all the fourteen men and women
aboard escaped through the quick
work OF a life guard a detective and
a mounted patrolman.
The yacht. which is owned by Louis
Hams. of Parish. Oswego County, y.
Y. had been moored off the Gravesend
Bay Yacht Club near Ulmer Park, and
was in charge of Larry Paulson.
Yesterdays fine breezes were too
much for the caretaker. and he and a
friend, who gave his name as George
Emmons. decided TO take n party of
friends to Rockaway Point In spite
of the choppy seas, the boat. under sail
and aided by her gasolene engine, was
bowling along at several knots speed
when, as, she was passing Ocean Park
way. a puff Of smoke. followed by a
loud explosion and sheet Of fame,
shot from the gasolene tank.
The engine at once became useless
and for a moment all on board feared
that the bottom had been ripped out Of
the boat by the explosion. and that she
was going down. Women and men ran
about the narrow space, frantically
screaming and wringing their hands,
making no effort to extinguish the
flames
Paulson, who was at the tiller. was
the only navigator aboard. and his
friends were either too frightened or
too helpless to go TO his aid. The sal
walton OF the fourteen depended on
their reaching shore. and the flames
which sucked at the sail threatened
every moment 10 deprive them OF their
only motive power
BY this time crowd had collected
along the parkway and watched with
anxious eyes the progress OF the sloop.
The flames were then attacking the
woodwork. and for every foot the sloop
gained toward safety the fire incrca sed.
A hundred feet from shore the sloop
suddenly carecned and threw all II her
fourteen passengers into the sea.
Few Of the men could swim and none
Of the women. and to the crowd on
shore il looked as though several more
lives would be added TO the seasons
toll Of fatalities about Coney Island.
Detective Tackowski. and Mounted
Patrolman Cody, OF the Concy Island
station. together with Albert Shean.
Iifeguard. rushed down TO the waters
edge and sought vainly for a boat.
Seeing none was availa BILE. the detec-
tive and the lifeguard plunged into the
water. and Cody spurrcd his horse after
them. once among the struggling peo-
pie who were cliugjng To the overturned
craft, the rescuers each seized woman
and started for the shore. Several
men. at Cody's command, clung TO his
stirrup feathers and were dragged
ashore by the horse. Returning again
and again, they rescued all OF the four
teen and then devoted their efforts to
putting out the fire on the Sprite.
Her position in The water, the choppy
seas and the efforts Of the three men
soon extinguished the blaze, and by the
time several divisions of the Coney
Island Fire Department. under Bat
TALON Chief Rogers, had arrived on
the scene the flames were eXtinguished.
All who had been aboard the SprIte
gave fictitious names TO the police and
hurried away.