New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-03
Heaviest Surf in Twenty
Years Makes Necessary
Order to Cast Off.
LIFESAVERS SEE BOATS
BADLY BATTERED
Many Ocean Liners Are Delayed
but Wireless Tells They
Are on the Way.

The most serious feature Of the blizzard
which attacked this port during the last
two DAYS was the casting adrift OF eight
coal laden barges eff Fire Island yester-
dav by tugs that had them in tow
Each barge had on board four men and
about 700 tons Of steam coal. valued at
50 80 a ton.
The tug Edgar F. Luckenbach. with two
barges: the John Scully, with two; the
Waltham. with three, and the Coastwise'
with one. were caught in an on-shore gale
in the forenoon when ten miles south OF
the Fire Island beach. All were bound
from Newport News and Norfolk with
coal for New England ports
According to the lifesavers the surf
kicked I'D by the gale was the biggest
that has rolled up on the beach in twenty
wears. and no lifeboat could be launched
through IT, Because of this and the ter
rifle pounding the barges were receiving,
the lives of the men on the barges were
i'm great peril.
When the tugboat masters realized that
they could not hold on TO their coal-laden
tows they signalled for the bargemen to
cast adrift and anchor. When this was
done the tugs put out TO sea and stood
off about ten miles from shore. II was
feared that the barges would drag anchor
and be dashed to pieces on the shoals
Vandenberg scully, of the Sculy Towing
COMPANY. owner of one Of the tugs, tele-
phoned TO all the lifesavlng stations In
the neighborhood OF Fire Island and asked
for information concerning the barges.
Tho lifesavers reported that they could
sec the barges some eight miles off shore
and that they were being badly battered
by the seas. Unless tho weather mod
Grated IT was feared the barges would
founder
Each of the barges is worth $4,000
The AInnetonka. OF the Atlantic Trans
port Line. the American liner Philadel-
phla. the Greek steamship Animal, the
Austrian liner Kaiser Franz Josef / and
tho Hamburg American liner Cincinnati
came 10 port and landed their passengers.
These steamships We're from two TO three
days late. which is Il brief detention COM
pared with the performances OF inbound
steamships that arrived here two weeks
ago. ali Of them from three TO five day
late.
The Berlin. of the North German Lloyd
Line. bound from Genoa TO New YORK.
reported yesterday at noon as being 80
miles east of Sandy Hook, and will prob
ably dock Wednesday afternoon.
The Kaiser Wilhelm ii, of the same
line. westbound from Bremen. was 200
miles east Of the Hook at noon and VIII
dock an Wednesday morning, a day be-
hind schedule The Red Star liner kroon-
land. due yesterday, will not make port
before Wednesday morning, being 600
miles east Of the Hook at noon yesterday.
Wireless reports from the Anchor liner
Caledonia, due yesterday. indicate that
she will dock this afternoon, having been
$50 miles east of this port at noon.
The fcrryboat Whitehall. with fifty pas
sengers and eight trucks, was caught in
the ice. end, unable to move her paddle
wheels. was carried by the tide out of
her course. After manPuvering for two
hours she WAS towed TO her slip by a tug.
The ice which had congested in the
slip on the north side of the pier at the
end Of West 10th street forced the tug
Bradley against the bulkhead and
crushed her until she turned over and
sank. She was built in 1910 and was
Is feet long.