Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-07
Captain and Men of Foundered
Vessel Adrift in an
Open Boat.
FOUR MEMBERS OF CREW
ARE BROUGHT TO SHORE
Revenue Cutter Searching for Miss
ing 0nes-Steamer Charlemagne
Tower, Jr., Goes Down.


Eighteen members of the crew of 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 south
easterly direction. The steamer sank
in fifty feet of water three-quarters
Of mile from Shore between Cedar
creek and Forked river hve-saving sta
tons, six miles south OF here
The Tower was owned by the Southern
Transportation Company. It is said
this was tho first trip Of tho steamer
in six years. and that the crew was
new to tho officers. She carried cargo
of coal and was bound from Norfolk
to Boston.
II. B. Thompson of Brooklyn, irsi
mate, and three of the members of the
crew were brought ashore. The revenue
cutter Itasca reached the scene after
the steamer went down. The predica-
ment of the eighteen men. among whom
is the captain. was signaled from shore
to the commander Of the cutter. and
tho Itasca put to sea to search for the
missing men.
Life-Savers Handicapped.
There are two big sandbars near the
spot where the steamer went to the bot
tom yesterday and the life-sayers were
seriously handicapped in launching their
boats. One was finally launched, but was
upset and the life-savers waded ashore.
The captain of the Tower and the sew
enteen men took a longboat. 1t was so
oyercrowded that they were AFRAID 10
try landing on the first bar ana hung
around outside. hoping the tureuient seq
would subside Snow was falling. winch
grew thicker about o'clock this morn
ing and the longboat was lost from view.
The weather lightened up again aoout
Z: 30 and then there was no sign OK the
lonRboat When last seen the men were
80 cold they could not use the oars and
therefore colu.d not control the craft
Unless found by the revenue cutters or
some steamer it is believed here All VIII
perish.
reached an inlet and landed. or may
have been picked up by a lfe-savns
crew along the coast
Wire Service Frustrated.
Wire service along the coast has been
completely Frustrated since last sun
davis great storm. and communication
among the life-saving stations Is DIM
cult, and accomplished only after delay.
The self-bailing lifeboat of the Bar
negat life-saving station has been OUT
OF commission for the last three weeks,
awaiting repairs. and the men csnho..
therefore, go In search OF the heipiess
The captain is Harold Murphy. Ac.
cordipg to the crew he edged IN toward
shore because he dld not care TO FISK
going on the bar and have the poet
pound to pieces. All hands were order
ed 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 personal enects
ashore
today at Barnegat Inlet.
The members of the crew were vir-
tually strangers to one announcer. pc,
ing known only as Mike" charlie.
named Neaves, and his home is In
Boston.
Thompson, mate of the Tower. after
he came ashore with fragment OF the
crew, talked about the snip. He SAID
the repairs to the machinery at Hamp-
ton roads Wednesday were hasty ana
not well done. The engines went bad
again soon after putting 10 sea. ana
this condition. combined with heavy
seas due to the storm. resulted in the
wreck. The ship sprang leaks In bow
and stern, he said, and in the end all
the plates were shaken loose. Water
poured into the doomed vessel as
through a sieve. The steam PUMPS IMP,
the aid of hand pumps the crew tried
desperately to fight back the fnrushfng
water, but their struggle was unavail-
ing and it finally reached the engines
Captains Futile Efforts.
Capt. Murphy, realizing the danger,
steered the boat toward the coast Fri
day morning. He was signaled by the
Hamilton of the Old Dominion line.
Later, said Thompson. he sent a wire
less call for help to the Barnegat life
saving station.
The distressed ship was first sighted
off this place between and 10 O'CLOCK
Friday morning.
This section was hard hit by Sum
days storm.
Peter Martin, a coast patrolman. got
lost Sunday night while on duty. He
took refuge In a deserted summer hotel.
He forced entrance and then burned
furniture to keep himself alive
Rescue party of five nearly died looking
for him, thinking he was freezing to
death in the snow.