The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-08
Captain and Sixteen Men of
Steamer Charlemagne Tow
er, Jr., Picked Up OFF
Coast of New Jersey.
SHIP FOUNDERS
DURING BLIZZARD
Sailors Barely Have Time to
Take to Boats and Nearly
Perish From Exposure
While Drifting.

NORFOLK, Va, March Rescued
from their drifting longboat by, the
merest chance, the captain and sixteen
members Of the crew of the American
steamer Charlemagne Tower, Jr, which
foundered off the Jersey coast yester-
day morning, were picked up by the
steamer Bayport late yesterday after
noon and brought to Newport News to-
day. All were suffering intensely from
exposure that had made them almost
helpless to navigate their boat. Four
were on the verge of death.
The escape of the Towers survivors
was narrow one.
Off Barnegat they hoisted light
that was barely visible through q blind
ing snowstorm and gathering darkness.
They were sighted by Captain Bema-
ger Of the Bayport just as the whale
back was passing the small boat.
The Bayport put about and discov-
cred the half frozen and snow-covered
men huddled in their frail craft. They
were numb from cold. In order to
make room for all in the boat some Of
the men were forced to lie in the bot
tom. The few who suffered most So
verely were Quartermaster John Dow.
ling. Steward Cecil Green and Fireman
Webb and MessmaD Ralph Holmes.
They finally were restored and landed
with the others this afternoon.
List of Survivors.
The survivors picked up by the Bay
port are:
Captain H. G. Simmons, Chief Engi-
neer II. A. WILDER, Second Mate II.
Neaves, Third Maize @. P. Whitney,
First Assistant Engineer II. Albin, Sec
ond Assistant Engineer w. Dobare,
Quartermasters John Bowling and c.
Boehson, NJ. Dickson, W. Walla, Louis
Edwards, Bert Albiu, Ed Ellifon, Cecil
Green, Ralph Holmes, M. Hendricksen
and W. Webb,
Captain Simmons did not know of
the rescue Of First Officer Thompson,
ono fireman and two seamen until his
arrival in port, as when last seen those
men were struggling in the surf, their
small boat having been swamped.
The larger boat put toward the open
sea, fearing a similar fate. Unable TO
mako headway in tho rough sea, which
poured water into their little craft al
most as fast as it could be bailed out
the men decided to drift and depend
on being picked up.
Ready to Give Up.
They huddled together 80 benumbed
and watersoaked that they scarcely
cared toward the last what their fate
might be. It was clock and snow
ing hard when they saw the lights of
the Bayport, and they set off q torch.
Had this not been seen, Captain Sim
mons said he and his mon could not
have survived many more hours.
In explaining tho laundering Of the
Charlemagne Tower, Jr., Captain Sim
mons said that hor bottom seams open
ed and about a. .m. Friday water
poured in at such rnte that two hours
later tho ship was filled to her upper
| time to get off in tho only two small
| boats the steamer carried before she
| plunged to the bottom
First Mate Thompson and three men
| took to the small boat, and were picked
up q few hours later. The Charlie
magne, Tower, .Jr,, was owned by the
| Southern Steamship company, and with
the exception Of one trip to Whining
| ton, N. c., had been out OF commission
| for six years, it was said
She sailed from Norfolk on March d
with coal for Boston. Having engine
trouble, she put back into Hampton
Roads, but passed out to sea later the
same day.