Evening journal., 1914-03-05
5 ON BARGE
FACE DEATH
Captain, Wife. Two Children
And Mate Helpless in
Storm
MEN SPEND 36
HOURS AT THE PUMP

little fire and food. no water and sur
CRISFIELD Md. March 5-With
rounded by breaking waves. which
quickly froze as the spray dashed
over the deck Of the two vessels. two
men, a woman and two little children
suffered untold hardships on barge
in the Chesapeake Bay. on Tangicr
Island. Monday and Tuesday. The
story Of their plight and their subse-
quent rescue after all hope Of help
mad been abandoned was brought to
Crsheld today by Capt Asa Virgins.
of Tangier Island.
A tug towing three barges loaded
with guano from Baltimore to Norfolk
encountered the storm OF the mouth
OF the Potomac river Sunday after
noon. The gale and heavy sea put
such a strain on the hauser that the
rear barge broke away from the other
vessels The crew Of the tug either
did not notice the parting Of the haw-
ser or the storm was too severe 10
permit the tug TO so back and pick
up the barge. and in a short while
tho steam craft and the remaining
two barEes were lost to view.
Swept Across Ray.
Tho captain of the barge thus set
adrift threw out the anchor and at
tempted 10 hold the barge in the
mouth Of the Potomac. but the vessel
vas swept across Chesapeake BAY.
heing near Tangler beach about mid
night Sunday.
Those aboard, including the captain
and his wife; the mate and the cap
tain's two sons. aged 4 and years.
were in a sorry plight with scarcely
any fuel and food supply almost eX-
hausted. The barge had sprung a
leak near the rudder and was flling
fast. while the high waves beat over
the craft with great force. The wo-
man and two children huddled TO
gether in the house cabin. while the
captain and the mate took turns at
the pump In an attempt to keep the
barge ahoat. Hope of rescue or OF
saving the vessel was given up. and
Wien the gray streaks OF morning be.
gan to appear in the East the little
group gathered in the housed part
Of the barge and united in prayer
Islanders Helpless.
Daylight showed Tangier Island
about a mile away. and distress sig
nails we're displayed BY this time
the barge was ice-coated, from two
10 three feet OF ice covering the deck
and the sides The residents OF the
island saw the craft. but the con-
tinuous gale and the heavy ice made
IL impossible TO render assistance.
All day the people on the island
watched for an opportunity TO go to
the assistance OF those on the barge.
women Offering up eupplicatlons for
the safety of the FIVE persons in dire
peril. Through Monday night the two
men kept steadily at the pumps, and
although nearly exhausted from eXer-
tion, cold and hunger Tuesday morn
ing found the barge still above water.
Again distress signals were raised
The line OF people on the island
could be plainly seen from the deck
but the bay was still too rough to
attempt rescue.
About o'clock Tuesday afternoon
the people on the barge gave up their
fight and lost all hope of being res
cued. There was only one life pre-
server abroad and father and mother
necessity Of deciding upon which OF
the little tots 10 fasten the con-
trivance. After much agltated delib-
Grafton the mother decided TO give
the two children an equal chance for
life. and lashing the two boys to-
gether she tied the life preserver
about them both.
Gasoline Boat TO Rescue.
About o'clock a party OF men
launched a small gasoline vessel
owned by the fishing firm Of Brad
shaw G. Parks and started for the
barge. After a desperate battle with
the ice and the heavy sea. they reach
ed the imperiled craft and took off
all hands. Mother and her children
we're weeping as the gasoline launch
drew near the barge and the two men
also broke down and cried when help
came.
All Of the party had suffered
severely and are now being cared
for at the home of Captain Andrew
NJ. Parks. They are from Camden,