The evening world., 1913-08-12
WAlKS0N TOWL|NE
|NF|GHT AGAINST
DEATH IN OCEAN
Thomas Ballet Has a Dance
on a Swaying Cable
at Sea.
HIS MOTOR IS WRECKED
Dragged Down by Tug and
His Cries for Help Are Un-
heard or Not Needed.
HIS MOTOR IS WRECKED

To have swunG between sky and
water by gripping hands and feet on
the saxGing. buckinE length Of . tow
fine. far beyond the range Of an APP
peaiins call and with no help In sight
was the experience last night Of
Thomas Baiilei. an importer, with
offices In the Coffee Exchange.
Baiilei went to Tottenviils early last
evening. intending to drive his 3%-foot
motor boat from the dock Of the Bent
ley Yacht Club over to the Atlantic
Yacht Club at SeaGate. He sent
message to his wife. who was at the lat
ter club. that he would be there at .
| o'clock.
Leaving Tottenvilie at ESQ. at about
9 o'clock . drop Of water got In his
magnetic and stopped his engine. Know
ing that tho tide would carry him out
OF his course during the interim OF
repairing. no threw out his hfty-foot
anchor rope and swung At the end
Of II.
| While he was thus engaged. he saw
tho three perpendicular white lights Of
a tug. approaching In tow. Ballet had
his lights showing and did not fear
being run down. What happened there
after IL best told In Baillcfs own wovds.
In his home at No. ia South Ninth
street. Brooklyn. where he lay with one
strained ankle In splints and his hands
swathed in bandaGes. he related his
subsequent adventures.
THE tugboat. which afterward
learned belonged to the Dubois Towing
Company. gave mo plenty Of leeway."
said Baiilsl. THE FIRST scow and tho
second scow inflow also passed the safe
ly. but the THIRD scow was not properly
held by . lead brace. Instead II swuns
wildly by only one rope TO tho star board
bits. when II started to pass me the
tide swung its bow overhanx squarely
onto me and my boat was caught In the
lap Of the heavy bow.
After I Ieaiixed my dangerous situa.
ton I tried to jump from my launch to
the towline overhead. Ny bost Was
buckinG and rocking. shipping water a,
! ,ery lurch Of the propellinx SOW; I,
was q most unsteady foothold. Each
time that tried to leap up the blum,
oyerhanx Of the scow would catch me
Il
that bounding. ever tautinS. over loosen
Ing towiine was my only hops.
"Ths third time ] ieapsd one Of my
ankles, which was broken recently and
had Just begun 20 get strong enough
10 bear my weight under ordinary cir
cumstances. gave away and I was IN
torture think tho pain and the
fright made me lose my reason tenn,
porarily. know that was In q
swoon for long time and was only
awakened by the water In my Launch
creeping up my legs.
Then Of q sudden my senses 70
turned. sharpensd by the very presenc,
Of death. I tried one more leap ant
made Il somehow. My hands CLOSED
around the line and. hand over hand.
began to make my way to the higl
poop Of the scow.
Il never saw my launch again.
think II must have filled the moment
left Il.
II finally managed to get near tn
bow by clinging with my crossed ankle
a. well ~ my hantls. like = sloth on
tree limb. When ! got TO the bow II va
20 slippery did not dare to trust m
hold there. 30 I swung my body bsc
and forth like q pendulum several time
and finally launched myself like q sac
Of four up to the bow.
There I lay In stupor until n,
searchhght Of n tug aroused me- |
was. ! thnk. q Harbor Supervisors tug
Though I begged and pleaded to b.
Z taken OF when the captain OF that tut
n saw me. he would not risk running In /,
= get me. Instead. he ran ahead and toll,
Z the skipper Of the towing tug. Afte
: an uncomfortable time that tug man
aged to get mo on. and was lande,
: Da~,