Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06
REVENUE CUTTERS GET
FEW CALtSHOR HELP
Opening of Winter Cruising Season
Is Not an Especially
Busy Time.
Vessels Have Responded Promptly
Whenever Appeals Have
Reached Them.

Though the vessels OF the revenue
cutter service have been under winter
cruising orders for nearly a week. the
weather on the coast has been paelHe
and there have been no calls Tor ana
from vessels needing help. Fogs have
been general on the coast. and IRIS
has kept the cutters from cruising con-
tinuously, and has kept most oil the
coasting fleet lying at anchor or IN
harbor out OF danger of strandinS or
collision. so that the cutters have had
no opportunity to start rescue work
1t may be a month or more before their
aid is needed, but before the winter
is over they will have many calls
from vessels in trouble in places that
will try the courage and skill OF the
men on the cutters to effect the res
cue of distressed mariners and to save
their vessels
The only assistance report received
comes from the cutter Acushnet- on
the Woods Hole. Mass. station. ana
tells of services rendered before the
beginning of the cruising season. The
schooner Thomas w. White was found
ashore on L'Hommedicu shoal. on the
Massachusetts coast, and, while the
in a dangerous position on shoai
lump. Several efforts were made by
the cutter to free the vessel from the
shoal, and it was finally accomplished
The schooner was able after being
floated to continue her voyage with
out further aid. The Acushnet also in
the past week destroyed dangerous
wrechage about five miles southwest
ward OF Point Judith, r. I.
Aid for Wreck Survivors,
A report received at the department
from the commanding officer of the
little cutter Golden Gate at San Fran
cisco tells Of the part played by tho
vessel in aiding the survivors of the
wreck Of the steamship Hanalei near
the entrance to San Francisco harbor
about ten days ago. Receiving radio
message from the cutter McCulloch
that she had aboard survivors OF the
wreck that needed medical aid, the
officers Of the Golden Gate notified the
marine hospital service and through
the service obtained doctors and nurses,
pital service vessel. which was more
suitable for the duty, and sent to meet
the incoming McCulioch with the sur
vivors aboard.
In heavy gale which swept the great
lakes November II and did much dam
Marvin. belonging to the Hines Lumber
Company of Chicago, disappeared. Re
Gently as the cutter Mackinac was
hunting for reported dangerous wreck
age in the vicinity of the st. Marys
river, Mich, she came across portions
of the hull of the Marvin. 1t is sup-
posed she was hammered to pieces in
the storm and her crew lost. The Mar
win was vessel of 6lo tons and was
built at Toledo in 1851.
. Floating Mine Harmless.
During what was known as the ad-
vanced base maneuvers of the Marine
Corps at Culebra Island in the past
summer, several dummy mines, used in
the drills. went astray. Recently the
commanding officer. of the cutter AL
gonQuin at San Juan, Porto Rico. re-
ceived a message that a torpedo, sup
posed to be one sent out by the fight
ing nations of Europe. had stranded on
the Porto Rican coast. The Algonquin
went TO the point designated and found
the mine, which was soon ascertained
to be harmless and one OF those lost
by the Marine Corps in the past sum-
mer.
hull repairs and to clean and paint, the
cutter pamlico has arrived at Norfolk
from Newbern, n. c., via Elizabeth
City.
will require but a short time,
the cutter will be launched and
will return to the inland waters of
North Carolina for winter cruising
duty. Though the Pamlico cruises on
landlocked waters, Pamlico sound is a
big island sea on which sight of land
can be lost and which is described as
being an extremely rough body OF wa
ter in time of storms on account OF its
shoalness. During the. winter months
there are many calls upon the Pamlico
to aid stranded schooners bringing
lumber to this city or Baltimore or go
ing to North Carolina ports after lum-
Der cargoeS
A thorough examination is being
made Of null and machinery of the old
cutter Bear. at San Francisco, to de-
termfne what Is necessary to put her
in order for efficient service with the
fleet on the Pacific. When It is deter
mined exactly what is to be done to
the Bear, she will be taken to the
Mare Island navy yard and the naval
mechanics will take her in charge 10
return her to service in the spring
ready for cruising among the ice fields
on the northern coast of Alaska. The
Bear was formerly British whaling
shin built for service in ice and in
this duty. she has proven most H:"1 T.
visiting settlements in Alaska north
of the Arctic circle
of the revenue cutter service III the
Treasury Department from the COM
manding officers of the cutters from
EastDort. Me, to Savannah. Ga. tell Of
foeev conditions all along the coast
So thick has the fog been since last
Monday that shipping is tied up In the
harbors, the masters OF vessels being
unwilling to 20 70 sea. when they can
see nothing, and risk accident. the
fog Is not confined to the Atlantic. but
up on the great lakes heaVy fog mas
also prevailed for several days anu
shipping remains tied up in port
Third Officer "on job"
To Third Lieut.. F. W. Brown of the
cutter Woodbury.. the report of his
commanding officer states. is due the
credit OF having procured a tug to go
to the aid of the men on the wrecked
schooner Fannie and Fay. when the
Woodbury. was undergoing repairs to
her boilers and could not respond to
the request for aid. In recognition of
Lieut.. Browns forethought and skill
in meeting a difficult situation he has
been sent a letter of commentator by
the Secretary of the Treasury. under
whose control come the officers and
ships of the revenue cutter service.
First Lieut.. B. II. Camden. command
ing the cutter Window, at Baltimore,
from the Galveston station: First Lieut..
of Engineers w. c. Myers. First Lieut..
10