The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-03-08
MEN ABANDONED SHIP IN OPEN
BOAT AND DRIFTED SWIFT
LY OUT TO SEA.
FIRST OFFICER IS RESCUED
Captain Murphy Is in Charge of the
Missing Boat and it Is Possible ;hat
They Rave Been Picked up or Res
cued by the Life Savers.

Seaside Park, ~ j., March 7.-Eigh-
teen members OF the crew of the
steamer Charlemagne Tower. Jr.
winch sank near here a. : adrift in the
ocean in an open boat The last seen
OF them they were going out to sea in
a southeasterly direction. The steam
er sank III 80 feet of waite. three-quar-
ters of mile from shore between
Cedar Greek and Forked River Life
Saving station, six miles south of
here.
II. B. Thompson, of Brook IN, first
mate, and three o. the men 1ers of
the crew We're brought ashore.
The revenue cutter Itasca I ached
the scene after the cteamer went
down. The commander of the cutter
was signalled from shore of the pre-
dlcament of the IS men, among WON
is the captain and the Itasca put
sea to search.
There are two big sand bars near
where the steamer sank yesterday and
the life savers were seriously handi-
capped in launching their boats. One
was finally -aunched, but was upset
and the life savers waded ashore.
The captain of the Tower and the
IL men took a long boat 1t was SO
oVeicrowded that they were afraid to
try landing on the first bar and hung
around outside hoping the turbulent
sea would subside. Snow was falling:
1t grew thicker about a. m. today
and the long boat was lost from view.
The weather lightened up again
about $3.50 and there was then no sign
OF the longboat. When last seen the
men were so cold they could not use
the oars and therefore could not con
troll the craft. Unless found by the
revenue cutter Or some steamer it is
feared here all will perish.
1t is possible that the men have
reached an inlet and landed or may
have been picked up by a life saving
crew along the coast. Wire communi-
cation along the coast has been com
pletely Frustrated since last Sundays
storm and communication among the
only accomplished after delay.
The self-bailing life boat of the Bar
negat life saving station has been out
of commission for the last three
weeks awaiting repairs and the men
cannot therefore go in search Of the
helpless longboat.
Thompson, mate of the Tower, aft
er he came ashore with a fragment
of the crew, talked about the shin. He
said the repairs to the machinery at
Hampton Roads Wednesday were has
ty and not we'll done. The engines
went bad again soon after putting to
sea and this condition combined with
heavy seas, due to the storm, result
ed in the wreck. The ship sprang a
leak in bow and stern, he said, and
in the end all the plates were shak-
en- loose. Water poured into the doom
ed vessel as through sieve. The
steam pumps kept her going for
while then with the aid of hand pumps
the crew tried desperately to fight
back the inrushing water, but their
struggle was unavailing and it finally
reached the engines
Capt. Murphy, realizing the danger,
steered the boat toward the coast Fri
day morning. He was signalled by the
Hamilton of the Old Dominion later.
Later, said Thompson, he sent wire
less call for hel9 to the Barnegat
life saving station. The distressed
ship was first sighted off this pla1e
between and 10 O'Clock Friday morn
ing.