Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-06
Had Gone Adrift After Tank
Steamer Oklahoma Broke
in Halves.
TWENTY-FIVE OF THE CREW
ARE. NOW ACCOUNTED FOR
Stories of Hardship in the Open
Boats-Three Die of
the Cold.

NEW YORK, January 6.-Five Of the
missing twenty-seven Of the crew of the
oil tank steamer Oklahoma, which broke
In two off Sandy Hook early Sunday
were brought into port alive today. They
were picked up In lifeboat Sunday aft
ernoon by the Booth line steamer Greg
ory, after having been adrift in the bit
ter cold for six hours. They are: Jacob
Swanson. oiler; Wilpi Haaht seaman:
Fred Booth. storekeeper: John Kosich.
mess boy. and George Johnson. wiper.
The rescue Of these men and their story
that six of their companions were lost
from the Hfeboat accounts for twenty
two of the Oklahona's crew of thirty
eight. eight having been rescued by the
liner Bavaria and three found dead in a
Hteboat by the revenue cutter Seneca.
Disaster Comes Without Warning.
The five brought in today confirm the
story that the great tank ship parted
:lmidships without warning The weather
vas very stormy. and enormous seas
we're breaking aboard. when, with an
agony of groans and creaks, the vessel
ouck!ed. apparently suspended on two
-,uEe waves at stem and stern. Haaht,
seamen, was on deck at the time. hav-
ing just come on watch. The engines
We're racing and could not be stopped.
All the engine room force and those of
the crew aft who were able, rushed to
the decks. The mess boy, Kosich, had
on only his underwear. Only two boats
got away. The boat which the revenue
cutter Seneca found, contained three
dead and none alive. The other boat
the one in which the five were picked up
contained eleven when 1t got away. Six
were drowned after the craft had repeat
edly capsized. When the five were finally
taken aboard the Gregory their condition
vas pitiable.
In Constant Peril.
I;o,h boats were in extreme peril from
The moment they were lowered over the
sinking ships side The seas smothered
tneIn: the racing screws. which they
barely missed, threatened to smash the
boats to matchwood. AS they drifted
avay-soon to be separated-they saw
Capt. GuIHer and others amidship on the
Oklahoma The five rescued knew moth
'ig OF his fate until they reached New
York.. They were surprised to learn that
he and seven others had been saved by
She Eavs.hia. About 1890 pm the Greg
'7; came in sight They made frantic
Signals and rowed toward her. Eleven
Len were still in the boat at that time.
Nearing the steamer, the boat capsized
Taey succeeded in righting her, and all,
-aa"ly frozen, painfully climbed in again.
: lis happened again and again, and by
re time they got alongside the Gregory
at. were on the verge of collapse. Almost
the Gregory's side the craft again
-ert over. This time six sank, never to
'pDcar again.
Make Fruitless Search.
The Gregory had now lowered a boat,
-'lici, cruised about searching for the
men. None was found. The five surviv-
rs. barely conscious. We're taken on
board and placed in care of The ships
-irgeon- He worked over them heroically
and it was hoped today that all would re-
over. although the suffering they went
through left them weakened and shaken.
The boat was only seven miles from the
=sreck when the five were picked up. The
steamer cruised about for some time
searching for the other boat but no trace
of 1t could be found. As last resort the
gregory steamed close up to the sinking
Oklahoma. but could STE no one aboard
She then made for New -ork and, having
10 wireless equipment. could give no-news
Of the rart she played in the disaster un-
Ill she reached quarantine.
Heroic Work of Rescuers.
10 reacA the lifeboat Chief Officer
Buck, Second Officer Roberts and Third
officer Williams dived into the sea and
came up within rescuing distance of the
Gregory. Roberts and Williams jumped
GrSt and swan 80 yards to the boat
through mountainous seas. They brought
y 70 within twenty-five yards of the
Gregory and then Buck dived, bearing a
lifeline By this time Williams and
Roberts were almost as exhausted as the
surVivors IN the boat 1t had capszed
for the last time and six men were still
c1nging to 1t. The hands of one were
frozen to the gunwale
Buck tore him away and swan with
him to the ladder of the Gregory. which
had been lowered over the side .ut he
did not climb the ladder. He found that
the man he bore was dead and let him
sink into the sea. He then went back
to the other survivors and one by one
brought them to the ladder. where they
were passed up to deck Williams and
Roberts had been In the water nearly
two hours They had been clinging to
the bobbing lifeboat. holding 1t as steady
as possible and assisting the inmates
But Few Names Known.
Of those of the original eleven members
of the boats crew who perished the sur
vivors could supply the names of but four.
They were William Dart first assistant
engine :: - Hannah, third assistant
engineer: Axel Anderson. steward, and
John Sullivan. second cook
The survivors probably owed their lives
TO their remarkable strength and en-
durance. All five were magnificent phys
ical specimens and were able to leave
the ship unassisted- All were foreign
ers. and there was no one to meet them
here except representative of the Cult
Refining Company, their employers Ar
rangements had been made to accommo-
date them at a hospital. but they laughed
at these preparations and started In a