Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-06
FIVE OF |LL-FATED
STEAMERS CREW
REACH PORT ALIVE
Survivors of Oklahoma Nearly
Dead When Picked Up
by Liner.
SIX LOST AS LIFEBOAT
CAPSIZED WITH AID NEAR
Little Craft Overturned Time
and Again-TotaI Death
List Is Twenty-Five.


NEW YORK, Jan. 6.-Five Of the
missing twenty-seven of the crew OF
the oil tank steamer Oklahoma which
broke in two off Sandy Hook early
Sunday were brought into port alive
today. Iney We're picked up in a life-
boat Sunday afternoon by the Booth
line steamer Gregory. after having
been adrfft in the bitter cold for six
hours. They are:
Jacob Swanson, eiler; Will Haaht,
seaman; Fred Booth. storekeeper;
John kosieh, mess hoy. and George
Johnson. wiper
The rescue Of these I'VE men and
their story that six of their com
panions were lost from the lifeboat
accounts for twenty-five of the Okla
homa's crew Of thirty-eight. eight
having been rescued by the liner
Bavaria and three found dead in a
hfeboat by the revenue cutter Seneca.
ship Broke in Two suddenly.
The FIVE brought in TODAY conf1rn,
ihe story that the great tank shin
parted amidships without warming.
The weather was very stormy and
enormous seas were breaking aboard.
wnen, with an agony of groans and
creaks, the vessel buckled, apparent-
" on two huge waves at stem and
stern.
Haai1t, seaman, was on deck at the
time, having just come on watch.
The engines were racing and could
not be stopped. All the engine room
force and those of the crew aft who
we're able rushed to the decks. The
mess boy. Kosich, had on only his
underwear
ror-
crammed full. This was presumably
the boat in which the revenue cutter
seneca found three dead and none
awe The other boat-the one in
which the five were picked up-con-
tanned eleven when it got away. SIX
were drowned after the craft had re-
peatedly capsized. When the five
were finally taken aboard the Greg.
ory their condition was pltiable.
Boats Nearly Caught in screws.
Both boats were in extreme peril
rom the moment they were lowered
over the sinking ships side The seas
smotnered them, the racing ecrewS.
which they barely missed. Threatened
20 smash the boats to match wood
As they drifted away5soan Il, 81
'Tserrz-a -atezf=-fl1ey saw caBtain Cft1nter
ana others afnidships on the OKLA
homa. The five rescued knew nothing
of his fate until they reached New
York. and were surprised to learn that
he and seven Others had been saved
by the Bavaria
About 1870 p. m. the Gregory hove
in sight They made frantic signals
! and rowed toward her. Eleven men
were still in the boat at that time.
| Nearing the steamer the boat capsized
and all were thrown into the icy
water. They succeeded in righting
her and all. nearly frozen, painfully
climbed in again. This happened
again and again and by the time they
got alongside the Gregory all were on
the verge of collapse. Almost at the
Gregorys side the craft again went
over. This time six sank. never 10
appear again.
Survivors Barely Conscious.
The Gregory had now lowered a
boat. which cruised about. searching
/ for the lost. None were found. The
/ five survivors. barely conscious. wers
/ taken on board and placed in care OF
the ships surgeon He worked over
them hereically and il was hoped to-
day that all would recover, although
/ the suffering they went through left
them weakened and shaken.
/ The boat was only seven miles from
| the wreck when the five were picked
up. The steamer cruised about for
some time searching for the other
boat but no trace of it could be
/ found.
/ AS last resort, the Gregory
steamed close upfto the sinking Okla
homa. but could see no one aboard.
/ She then made for New York. and.
having no wireless equipment, could
/ give no news of the part she played
| in the disaster until she reached
/ quarantine.
To reach the lifeboat Chief officer
Buck. second Officer Roberts and
Third officer Williams dived into the
sea and brought it within rescuing
distance of the Gregory Roberts
and Williams jumped first and swan
I $50 wards to the boat through moun-
4 famous seas. They brought 1t to
within twenty-five yards of the
! GREGORY, and then Buck dived. bear
ing a lifeline BY this time Williams
and Roberts were almost as ex-
| hausted as the survivors in the boat.
It was capsized for the last time. and
six men were still clinging to IT, The
hands of one were frozen to the gum
vale.
Man Rescuer Bore Dead.
Buck tore him away and swan with
him to the ladder Of the Gregory
which had been lowered over the side
But he did not climb the ladder. He
found that the man he bore was dead
and let him sink into the sea.
He then went back TO the other sur
vivors, and one by one brought them
to the ladder, where they were passed
up to deck Williams and Roberts
had been in the water nearly two
hours. They had been clinging to the
bobbing lifeboat, holding it as steady
as possible and assisting the inmates.
of those of the original eleven mem
bers of the boats crew who perisheu
the survivors could supply the names
of but four. They were William Dart,
first assistant engineer; Hannah, third
assistant engineer; Axel Anderson.
steward, and John Sullivan, second
cook.
The survivors probably owed their
lives to their remarkable strength ana
endurance. All five were magniricent
physical specimens and were able to
leave the ship unassisted All were
foreigners and there was no one to
meet them here. except represents I
tive of the Gulf Refining Company,
their employers. Arrangements had
been made TO accommodate them at a
hospital, but they laughed at these
preparations and started in a grouu
down the street leading TO the nearest
/ f,laps af r-afrezhmeuf.