Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-02-19
DARING RESCUES
IN Giant Waves
Thirty.threo Persons Saved In
MidOCean Storm.
LAMP FLASHES CALL help.

|
In Raging Sea-Rescuing Boats Care
ly Miss Beng Smashed Despite Oil
Toured Upon the Water.
BY splendid seaInanship and under
the most adverse conditions the
Stea mship Philadelphia rescued Cap
tain Segebarth and the crew Of thirty
two men Of the American Petroleum
rUmpany's tank steamer Chester on
Friday. Feb. 8. in nidatlantic. Theil
vessel WIS left sinking.
On Thursday morning at ! 80. ships
time. Captain Mills, Oh the bridge of
the Philadelphia. telephoned to Jones
the wireless operator. to establish com
municaton with Il vessel off to port.
| Jones threw in his wireless and gave.
several calls. but received no answer
The captain then telephoned to Joue.,
10 come to the bridge. There he saw
that the vessel. which was almost hid
den in the dark. was signaling with
larilis. using the Morse code
signal lamps were brough, to ths.
bridge and Jones soon established coIn-
munication. The Philadelphia asked.
w hat is the matter!" and the answer
came lack in flashes: I'VE are wreck
ed. We are sinking. and our boats an.
useless
DO you want to be taken off," the
Philadelphia asked. and tue answer
came back quickly. Yes. yes. We ar.
sin..ing."
| Captain Mills. with the sea ruiinin::
high and u storm about to break. re-
used to order boats to the rescue. IL,
decided to cali for volunteers.
| Every Man Volunteers.
The officers and crew of the rhila
delphiu were all on deck. and the rl..
tain asked who wanted to go. Ali the
officers and every man came forward
With great difficulty. owing to the
rolling OF the ship. the port ene.Icac..
lifeboat was swung over with Chiei
Officer Candy and six sailors. For .
| time the waves threatened to SMASH
! the boat against the side Of the Phil
| delphia but the vesse! worked for
| ward. and the boat got clear and dis.,l'
pe;red in the mist astern.
Two hours later Chief Officer Cand.
tailed the Philadelphia and by darin;.
work got under the lee of the vessel
| and was hoisted aboard with twenty
two OF the crew OF the sinking Chester
and his boat half full of water.
lie told Captain Mills that there
! were others. including Captain Sege
barth and officers. on the wrecked
ship. and preparations were made t.
send another boat. The men Of the
tirst boat wanted to 80 back. but they
We're too nearly exhausted. and anoth
er boat. with First Officer Lyons and
seven men. was lowered.
! Just AS the boat touched the water
"A wave broke against the side of the
Philadelphia and half filed it. II
seemed fooIhardy to go on. but before
the boat could be recalled 1t had been
lost In the gloom.
The Philadelphia steamed as near to
the Chester as possible. and for a time
| il was thought that the first officer ana
his men were lost. 1t was just before
the dawn. and nothing could be seen
! but the Morse flashes Of the lamp on
the sinking tanker.
Preparations were being made To
send another boat. hut as 1t grew light
er the lifeboat was seen alongside the
+! Chester.
Jump For Life Into Sea.
One by one the remaining men were
seen to go overheard from the Ches
| ter. and as the lifeboat rose IN the
waves It's crew could be seen dragging
them out Of the water.
| Four hours after starting First ON
Ger Lyons returned with the captain,
officers and engineers Of the doomed
tanker. and they were swung on board
without mishap.
| All the officers and crew. thirty-three
In number. were saved. Captain Sege-
barth reported that they had encoun.
! tered very heavy weather and that two
days before the bridge and chart room
had been swept overheard and the
boats smashed. The vessels steering
gear was carried away. and for forty
eight hours she had been helpless. The
Philadelphia was the first vessel sight.
ed. and the Chester. carrying no wire.
less. was unable to call for help. Cap
tain Segebarth said he had almost CIV
en- up hope Of rescue. as his vessel was
on the northern route. which is used
by few ships ut this time of year. The
Philadelphia was on that route in the
hopes of avoiding the weather that
was reported on the southern route.
Before quitting his ship Captain
Segebarth set the wreck afire. She
carried 1.S5OOO0 gallons Of OIL While
standing by the Philadelphia poured
oil on the waves.