The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-06
FAINT HOPE
FOR SAILORS
Eight or Ten Men From the
Oklahoma May Have Els
capped Death in
Small Boat.

limited Press Leased Wire service.1
NEW YORK, Jan 6-With the
liner Bavaria Of the Hamburg-Amer-
ican line nearing Boston today with
eight survivors from thu wreck of the
oil tank steamer Oklahoma, wireless
messages were being sent out from
here urging all incoming vessels to
watch for small boat from the ILL
fated vessel, which may be adrift with
eight or ten men.
The Oklahoma broke in two about
sixty miles off Sandy Hook. Captain
Gunter and seven of the crew were
rescued by the Bavaria after half
dozen vessels had stood by the wreck
ed ship throughout Sunday night.
Those rescued were the only ones
found on the Oklahoma and the only
hope that all of the remaining thirty
two members of the crew did not
perish, RES in a wireless message
sent by Captain Graalfs, of the Bava-
ria last night.
According to statements made,
soms men saved a boat from the sunk
en- part Of the Oklahoma and with
from eight to ten men was seen. The
whereabouts of it is unknown, Captain
Graalfs' message said.
A message from Captain Wild of
the revenue cutter Seneca today ap-
parently blasted all hopes that the
men who took to the life boat might
still be alive. Wild's message said:
AT p. M, picked up one of tbs
Okahoma's boats with three bodies in
it, but have seen nothing of the
steamer"
The nature of the accident which
befell the Oklahoma is still to be ex-
plainsd. Shipping here are inclined
to believe that the tank steamer was
"llogged" by the sea or caught on the
crests of two mountainous waves.
Five More Picked Up.
NEW YORK, Jan. Give more
survivors of the oil tank Oklahoma
were brought into port by the Booth
liner Gregory, making total Of thir-
teen saved from the foundered vessel
and reducing the estimated loss of
life to twenty seven.
The five men were Fred Booth,
store-keeper: John Kossich, mess boy;
George Johnson, wiper; Jacob Swan
sen, oiler and Wilt Haaht, seaman.
They were picked up late Sunday,
south of Sandy Hook after they had
been in an open boat for six hours.
The five survivors picked UP by the
open boat. They were picked up about
two O'Clock Sunday afternoon. When
the Oklahoma broke in two, they said,
every one rushed on deck and aided in
getting out two boats from the after
part of the ship. Both boats got safe
ly away. Describing the scene Sea-
man Haaht said that great seas were
breaking aboard the ship which was
straining in every plate when sudden
ly a gigantic comber caught her as she
bridged two other giant waves and
with great crash, the tanker buckled
and broke square in two. All the en-
gine crew, unable to stop the racing
screws, dashed for the deck and leaped
into boat which was in davits on the
port side.
The other boat, too, got away, but it
was soon lost sight of among the
mountainous seas. In the boat from
which the survivors came were eleven
men when she left the ships side.
They did not know how many escaped
in the other boat, save that it was full
to the gunwales.
When the Gregory hove in sight the
eleven men in the boat from which
live finally We're saved, pulled as best
they could through the huge seas.
Once nearing the Gregory, the small
boat capsized, but soon was righted
again with all accounted for. This
occurred again as the little craft
neared the Gregory's side and exhaust,
ed by cold and struggle, only five were
hauled aboard, while six others went
down.
Immediately the five were rescued,
the Gregory got out another boat and
cruised around for some time in an eff.
fort to find trace of the six men who
had vanished. They were without
success and ultimately had to return
to their ship for fear of wrecking
themselves among the giant rollers
With her own boat returned, the
Gregory steamed about for some time
searching for trace of the other boat
which put off from the Oklahoma,
but could not find a trace. Finally
she went to the Oklahoma hulk but
no living man remained on the wreck
Meantime DR.. Kirby on the Gregory
was working with all his skill on the
five waits of the sea, every one of
whom was in grave condition from
shock
Being without wireless equipment
the Gregory was unable to report the
rescue but made all speed for port.