The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-09
CREW OF POTOMAC
BACK IN NEW YORK
They Dare Perils of Ice After
Abandoning United
States Tug.
VESSEL CAUGHT IN PACK
They Reach Safety After Many
Days OF Frightful
Hardship.
'EssEL CAUGHT IN PACK

New York, March s.-Brfnrin1 tale
OF hardship. suffering and narrow es-
cape from death from cold or starya-
| uon. twenty-eight of Uncle sam s
sa''ors from the naval tug Potomac ro-
ported back to the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Yesterday, after an absence of more
IMAM two months. The men returunI
by train. their vessel having been
abandoned February ii. twelve miles
from the Bay of Isles, off the coast
or Newfoundland.
Commanded by Boatsw:r On NJ. J.
Wilkinson. and with Boatswain L. H.
cutting. Chief Engineer J. C.. Hines
aiN thirty sailors aboard, the Poto->
mac was cruising In Canadian watei.
late in January. when word wa.
brought them that two American fish
ing craft wero tcebound I'm the Bay
or Isles. and their crews in danSer OF
being frozen.
In spite of the bitter weather and
the danger OF putting themselves in
the same plight, the tug started to tn.
rescue.
Fishermen Refused TO lie Rescued.
me trozcn-in fishermen were reach
ed, after 4 voyage through icc-cla;ued
seas. on February ). The Gloucester
men were gratiicd by the efforts OF
their rescuers. but they were snual,
cnsconccd In their fishing schooners.
prepared to pass the rest of tho wlntcl
| refused TO leave the shelter of tho
bay. but advised tho tug to lie up
until better weather.
The bluejackets couldn't sec their
| duty that way. and decided to try to
run back TO their assigned waters
before the constantly falling tempera-
ture made navigation impossible.
The tug, GROWING on all steam, got
Just twelve miles cut into open walS
hen the Prov stuck fast. the hugo
ice cakes damned Oh every sac.
she was immovable and helpless.
For nine days the men watched the
weather and the Ice, and hoped for
breakup. but none came. By that
! time their coal was exhausted, and
though food still remained, they faced
the danger of freezing to death.
| A consultation of all hands resulted
| in an attempt to quit the vessel, TAX
ing as much provisions rs they could
carry. two blankets each and naviga-
! ton Instruments, 30 they would not
lose themselves in the wilderness of
Ice. the men started to walk
| Twelve miles the little party fought
their way through the unaccustomed
cold. stumbling and scrambling over
| the rough. broken Ice field They
camped on the leo one night. though
unable to sleep much, through the ne
cessity for moving about to keep from
| freezing.
4 rive Lett bcNtnu, FrOStbitten.
| The first lap OF the journey brought
them to Lobster Head Lighthouse, at
| the entrance to Bonnie Bay. The keep
er fed and warmed them. But thirty
| three men were too big n strain on the
larder of the little lighthouse and the
party decided to push on. after three
days rest. Five of their number had
| frostbitten feet and were unable to
travel They were left behind.
| The nearest point was Curling a tiny
hshing village on the Bay of Fundy,
near the Canadian border. Thithcr the
party struggled. singing. telling each
other stories and racing OH the way to
keep up their spirits and their blood
circulation After the second day they
became drowsy. but watch was kept
and no man was allowed to sleep more
than few minutes ut a time.
Late on the third day they staggered
into Curling. their shoes gone, uni
! forms tattered and themselves nearly
| all In" There they rested again
| Boatswain Wilkinson reporting to the
| Navy Department the plight of the ves-
! sci and of the crew.
1 TramPed All the Why to Sydney.
American Consul Gould took care OF
the men and saw that they were fitted
| out as we'll as might be. They started
| again. this time for Port aux Basque
! Rested, clad in warmer garments and
provided with food. that leg OF the