The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-09
IMPERILED MEN
ALL RESCUED

Norfolk. Va, March 9.-Nearly dead
IN a binding snoWstorm at sea, seven
teen men, a part of the crew OF the
steamer Charlemagne Tower, jr., which
went down on Barnegat, N. j., were
landed at this port late Saturday by
the whaleback steamer Bayport, which
rescued them.
The men had spent seven hours in a
twenty-foot boat, with hardly room
enough to sit down. They lost of their
belongings, and the clothing they wore
was soaked and frozen to their sides.
Capt. H. c.. Simmons, who COM
manded the Tower, declared he and
his crew owe their lives to the vigil
ance of the outlook on the steamship
Bayport. which came to their assist
ance after other steamers had passed
them without seing them.
He declared the Old Dominion
steamer Hamilton answered his signal
Of distress, but did not send assistance.
1.-THE Tower began to leak. early
Friday" he said. THE weather was
bad and there was a high sea on. 1t
took water rapidly and began to leak
all over.
Ship Began to Break in Two.
"Water poured in its stern and bow,
and pretty soon it began to break in
two. 1t doubled up in the middle and
IiICN we AAC" IL "dS L1ii0 ~ lSdNS II.
We managed to launch two lifeboats.
Seventeen of us piled in one boat and
four men launched two-lifeboats.
"The latter managed to reach shore,
but the seas were so high and our little
boat was so overloaded that there was
no chance for US. We made the at
tempt n the sea broke completely
over is. -.
"Then we drifted back to deep wat
| or md yxrnitn1 II 1xro g I n n NJ UNrilo-p
when we got in the boats and we were
seven hours at the mercy of the worst
gale I ever experienced.
1T was showing hard and we could
not see a breat distance. We were al
most directly in the path of passing
steamers n we saw several go by.
None appeared to see us, however, UNI
til the Hamilton hove in sight on the
way to New York.
1--WE were on the lifeboats then, but
the Tower had not sunk. 1t was sink
ing fast and was only a short distance
away I do not say that the Hamil-
ton saw us in the lifeboats, but they
saw the signals OF distress from the
Tower and, sent us no assistance.
1.-THE Hamilton displayed some sig
nails that I vas unable to distinguish.
If I had been commanding a vessel and
saw another ship display such signals
as we displayed I would have sent
~lifeboats to that vessel.
%Um AZ Mercy of Gale.
"Our signals read, we are sinking.
Send US assistance
I'VE drifted around at the mercy Of
the gale with the seas breaking over
US. Seventeen men were huddled in a
little a and hardly had room to bail
out the water that fell in the craft
|every time a big sea broke over it.
We tied a coat to an oar and dis
played it as a signal Of distress. We
saw several vessels at a distance, but
not one came toward is. AS it grew.
dark we had given up hope OF being
~lrescued. The men were nearly frozen
and exhausted from their battle
against the storm to keep af1oat.
w lighted torches about 5 }. I'd.
and we saw lights on other ships not
far away They went by, however,
When we had almost given up hope we
saw the light Of a vessel coming our
direction. We lighted several torches
and there was an answering light on
, the vessel coming to us. We knew we
had been seen. and u men seemed to
take on new life and strength.
They pulled as they never pulled
before. We went toward the light and
) very soon we made out the outlines ot
a ship. It was a whaleback and we
read its nanle Bayport,' on it's bow.
:. I'VE were hauled on board, given
warm clothing and the crew even
turned over their hunks to us. Capt.
il. Beranger was in command of the
II Bayport, and a. drawer or better never
set foot on a ship. IL there were mora
like him there would be fewer stories
i Of suffering at sea-" Nj