Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1915-04-05
VICTIMS OF THE
STORM NEAR LEWES
One Was About to be Saved
When Struck by a Piece
of Wreckage.
RECOVER TWO BODIES
One Barge Broke Loose From
Tow, and Another Had to be
Cut Of to Save the Rest.
Special Correspond ence OF Every Evening

Special Corresponds ence OF Every Evening
Lewes, April with the dying out
of the wind late last night and the calm
ing down of the seas, it was learned that
two more lives were lost during the severe
northeast and northwest storm of Satur-
day, making a total of 10 lives lost on
the Capes here. These two men were also
members of the two ill-fated barges, Nos.
6 and 8, owned by the Consolidation Coal
Co. of Baltimore, Md, which went to
pieces on the Hens and Chickens Shoals
near Cape Henlopen, early Saturday
morning.
Captain Svendsen of the tug Cumber-
land, which had the three barges in tow
from Baltimore to Boston loaded with
coal, came to Lewes and told his part of
the story. He stated that it was about 3
o'clock Saturday morning when he first
struck the storm and he was then near
Fenwick's Island lightship. About 8
O'Clock he noticed breakers through the
thick snow and Immediately hauled the
tug out to sea. The stern barge, which
was No 9, parted her hawser about this
time and was driven onto the shoals.
Captain Svendsen said the captain of the
barge must have anchored as soon as he saw
he was adrift, but the storm was too severe
and his barge was slowly dragged onto
the shoals and broken to pieces.
Barge No. 8, which was ahead of No.
o, also started to swing about at this time
and was dragging towards the shoals,
taking the first barge, No. %, and the tug
along with ter As all were in danger the
captains ordered the hawser cut, setting
| No 6 adrift. She soon went to pieces on
the shoals, while the tug and other barge
proceeded TO the Breakwater, where they
arrived about O. clock. Captain Svendsen
used all means in his power to save the
two barges but was powerless in such a
sea and wind.
Later the bodies of Captain johnson
of Barge No 9, Dempsey Jarvis of Ports
mouth, Va, and Carl J. Larson Of Gothen-
burg, Sweden, came ashore. The bodies
were brought to Lewes by William T.
| Atkins, undertaken, who made the trip in
an open wagon from Lewes to the Hem
lopen Life Saving Station, a distance of
more than 10 miles, through a binding
snowstorm. The bodies Of Captain john
son and Larson had life preservers on
when found. but Jarvis was on piece OF
the wreckage Jarvis WIS but l5 feet from
the shore and was talking 20 lifesavers
when huge wave carrying with it a large
piece Of wreckage. struck him on the head
killing him instantly.
No other serious casualties have been
reported at sea up to this time, although
no trace could be found of one Of the
Staples tugs. which had three barges in
| tow. The es are now anchored off
i the Point OF ,.apes ..f.-..
Lifesavers along the coast experienced
one of the hardest days they have had in
many years During Saturday they were
forced at all times to walk three abreast
in order 20 keep from being blown into
the surf, which was running high The
cold was. also intense and the men fire.
quently were forced to use extra means
to keep warm.
MUCH DAMAGE IN LEwEs.
The damage about town was also severe,
the electric light plant being out of COM
mission last night. Many of the stores
used lamps and lanterns. but the ma
jority of them closed up. Telegraph and
telephone poles are strewn on every
street in town and the town has a large
force of men at work repairing the damage
Fishermen suffered extensively, at the
pounds many of the nets being torn tc
pieces and the poles being torn up and
washed upon the beach. No serious
damage has been reported at the Cape
Henlopen lighthouse or RehobOth Beach,
which is probably accounted for by the
brief duration of the storm.