Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-07
EIGHTEEN ADR|FT
IN OPEN BOAT AS
STEAMSHIP SINKS
Disappear After Charlemagne
Tower Goes Down Off Jer-
sey Coast.
LIFESAVERS BRING
FOUR OF CREW TO SHORE
Missing Men When Last Seen
Were Too Cold TO Use
Oars.

SEASIDE PARK, March -
Eighteen members of the crew u
the steamer Charlemagne Tower jr
which sank near here, are adrift on
the ocean in an open boat. The last
seen of them they were going out to
sea in a southeasterly direction. The
steamer sank in fifty feet of water
three-uuarters of mile from shore
between Cedar Creek and Forl2ed
River Life Saving stations, six miles
south of here.
H. b. Thompson, of Brooklyn first
mate, and three of the members of
the crew were brought ashore.f
The revenue cutter Itasca reached
the scene after the steamer went
down. The commander of the cutter
was signalled from shore of the pre-
dicament of the eighteen men, among
whom is the captain and the Itasca
put to sea to search for the missing
men.
Iifesavcrs Boat Upset.
There are two big sandbars near
the spot where the steamer went to
the bottom yesterday, and the life
savers were seriously handicapped III
launching their boats. One was final
ly launched but was upset and the
life-savers waded ashore.
The captain of the Tower and the
seventeen men took a long boat. 1t
was so overcrow6ed that they were
afraid to try landing on the first bar.
and hung around outside, hoping the
turbulent sea would subside. Snow
was falling; it grew thicker about 3
a. m. today and the long boat was
lost from view
The weather ligbtened up again
about 4:S0 and there was then no
sign of the long boat. When last
seen the men were so cold they could
not use the oars, and therefore could
not control the craft Unless found
by the revenue cutters or some
steamer it is believed here all will
perish.
1t Is possible that the men have
reached an inlet and landed or may
have been picked UP by a lifessaving
crew along the coast. Wire com
| munication along the coast has been
! completely prostrated since last Sun
! days great storm, and communities.
| tion among the life-saving stations
! is difficult, and only accomplished
after delay.
Lifeboat Out of Commission.
The self bailing lifeboat of the Bar
negat life-saving station has been out
of commission for the last throe
weeks, awaiting repairs, and the men
cannot therefore go in search of tho
helpless long boat.
The Tower was owned by the South
ern Transportation Company, with
which Charles w. Morse, of New
York, is identified. It is said this was
the first trip of the steamer in six
years. and that the crew was new to
the officers.
The captain is Harold Symons Ac-
| cording to the crew. he edged Il
| toward shore because he did not care
| TO risk going on the bar and have the
| boat pound to pieces All hands were
ordered into the boats an hour before
| the steamer sank. There were only
three boats on the ship, and one was
used for the clothes and other per
sonal effects of the crew. This boat
came ashore today at Barnegat inlet.
The members of the crew were yir-
| tually strangers to one another, they
being known to each other only as
mike" Charlie etc. The second
mate of the Tower is named Neaves
and his home is in Boston.