Evening star., 1914-05-03
Revenue Cutter Service

While pleasant spring weather is with
us here in Washington. up on the north
Atlantic ocean where the revenue cut
ters Seneca and Miami are alternating III
patro!ing the routes used by the Dig
transatlantic steamships. in order to
ascertain and warn them of the location
of dangerous ice. ii is still winter with
all its disagreeabie features. Ice is
plentiful heavy SHOWS are frequent ard
the minute the air becomes the least
warm thick fogs arise that make navl-
CATION difficult and dangerous. 1t is
the mariner whose duty requires MN 10
navigate his ship through the foss ana
ice of the north Atlantic that appre-
ciates the work for humanity beng Done
by the vessels of the Treasury fleet ana
the warnings they send out by radio re-
garding the ice fields are awaited Will
much anxiety. When the message flash-
ed to them tells them there Is no ice 70
fear the steamship master can ie. ms
vessel go at her best speed with every
feeling of safety. Ice is hard to locate
and often is not seen until so close
aboard that avoiding it is nerve-trSihs
task. The cutter Seneca on Easter sun
dav a few days after the second ami
versary of the sinking OF the Titanic,
was within a few miles of where the
vessel went down and photographs OF
ice conditions there were MADE at that
time by members of the crew Of the YES
sci and sent to Chief {. A.
McAllster, who has headquarters at the
Treasury. Conditions along the lane or
transatlantic travel are shown IN the
pictures and the need of the patrol Serv-
ice and its value are demonstrated. 1t
will be the middle of summer before the
cutters are Withdrawn from the ice
patrol service.
Though there may be no necessity for
| ft,o Of cutters
blockading fleet in the event of war with
Mexico, those in charge of the service. 90
not propose TO be caught unprepared
should the call come for the cutters. The
vessels are being docked to clean ana
paint bottoms and they are being put in
trim for war duty. The cutter Seminole
has just come out of the dry docks at the
Charleston, S. c.. navy yard, the Gresham
has just been unlocked at Boston ana
the Onondaga has completed cleaning and
painting at Norfolk. The cutter Win
dom is at New Orleans in a dry dock.
the Yamacraw will dock at Charleston
this week and the Algonquin is out OF
the water at Bermuda for cleaning ana
painting. The cleaning of the cutters al
lows them to make their best speed on
small coal consumption and makes them
much more available for blcckadlnS selV-
ice Should the call come for the cut
tiers. it is stated, they could be made
ready and on their way TO Mexican
waters in twenty-four hours
But for the prompt service rendered by
the cutter Mohawk to the Austrian
steamship Federico that vessel Wouid
probably have been badly damaged If not
lost on the shoals off Harvey Cedars,
New jersey coast, on which the snip
struck earl, in the week. Fortunately
the weather remained calm and as soon
as the news of the plight of the ship was
sent the Mohawk, all speed was made to
the scene of the stranding. The cutter
worked for two DAYS on the vessel, and
Friday afternoon she succeeded In getting
her atoat The Federico was taken INTO
safe harbor
Reports received from the commanding
officers of the cutters Penrose. at Pensa-
cola Fla, the Woodbury. on the Maine
coast and Snohomish at Port Angeles.
Wash tell of assistance given vessels In
distress in the past week. The Penrose
was called to the aid of the steam water
boat Allie r., ashore on Santa Rosa
Island Pensacola bay. The vessel was
floated and towed to Pensacola. Disabled
machinery allowed the Maine Coast
Steamship Company steamer Mohawk to
go ashore near Cape Porpoise on the
Maine coast The vessel was bound from
Portland to Boston with freight and pas
senrers \ hurry call brought the Wood
bury to the aid of the disabled vessel and
she was noated and taken into harbor al
Portland
out on the north Pacific coast motor
boats make a specially Of breaking down
where there is danger of their being car
ried out on the Pacific. The cutter Sno-
homish found the power boats Clari and
the T. II. Hinton in trouble in the vicin-
ity of Port Angeles. The latter vessel