Evening journal., 1915-04-05
TEN MEN lose LIVES
AS BARCES CO down
Broke Adrift Off HenIopen
During Sixty-Mile Gale
on Saturday
LIFESAVERS UNABLE
TO GET BOAT STARTED

John T.. hernan, assistant secretary
OF the Maritime Exchange, of Phila-
delphia, reached this city last night.
on his way home after thrilling ex-
perience at the Delaware Breakwater
during the storm Of Friday night and
Saturday. He told OF the death Of 10
men and the wrecklng OF two barges
during the terrific gale.
The bodies OF three OF the lost we're
flung up on the shore of the break
water yesterday afternoon. The ten
were drowned almost under the eyes
of the lifesayers from the Cape Hen
/ lopen station and the coast guards
along the breakwater. These men
ashore were helpless to do anything,
for 10 send boat out In the swirllng
seas was an impossibiiity. Mr.. Herman
said the wind blew with a steady
| velocity Of SO miles an hour all Of
Friday night and Saturday, and for
q period on Friday night more than
20 miles an hour were registered.
Mr. Herman went down 10 the Della
ware Hrealtwater on Friday TO make
an inspection. When the storm came
up on that night and continued
through the next day he was unable 70
get across the three miles OF open
water 20 the shore. The sea was
running like the rapids at Niagara
and no boatmhn would tempt fate by
crossing Even yesterday. after the
storm had subsided, the sea was 30
high that Il was late in the afternoon
before he could get boatman 10
bring him 20 the mainland so he could
take a train and return 10 HIS home.
"Feii lives lost and two barges lnden
with coal wrecked. was the toll exacted
by the storm that ragged of the Delaware
iBreakwater during the northeast hurri-
cane that set in Friday night" Mr. ker-
nan said. This gale was accompanied
with binding sheets OF snow and rain,
that made matters worse. The two
barges that went 10 pieces OF the break.
water were the property Of the Nonsoli.
datiUn Coal Company, Of Baltimore
They were in tow Of the tug Cumber.
land and bound for Boston. The Aim.
herlnnd had three barges, but saved one
The two lost were Nos q and o. Tn,
one saved WAS No. 23. Captain Sven
son, in command OF the tug. told m,
there we're five men on each barge
Three bodies had come ashore WHEN
left there yesterday afternoon. They
were identified as Captain John johnson
Of baltimore, who commanded Barge No
3 o; Carl Larsen, Of Gothcnbnrp, Swelcn
2 and Dempsey Jarvis, who WAS known 4
come from North Carolina. On the bod
e OF Jarvis were found 800 and a patheti
| card which was inscribed:
~'lf | am found sick, please send m
y 20 the hospital. ii am found dea,
e please bury me and say nothing abou
e it,
"Ihc denth OF these men was tragi,
e The life-saving crew from Cape Hcnlopc
q aud other men had 70 stand by on th
1 shore helpless to save them and see III
4 men drowned IN the raging sea- On
brave fellow swan with almost auperhu
y man effort, and for time il looked %
! il he surely would roach the shore. n
! got within few hundred feet OF th
beach, then threw up his hands in dcs
pair and went down.
THE barges and tug got caught IN
the full force of the blow when of
the Hen and Chickens Shoal. Captain
: Swenson says he ran for the Break
\ water, looking for place Of safety
. While doing so the hawser attached
10 barge No. 23 and extending L
+, barge No. 9 parted. Barge No. % wal
nearest the tug. This was at
l o'clock ON Saturday morning. Captain
u Swenson made a brave effort TO re
{. cover The lost barges, but Il Was al
y jnpOssibility. He finally was force.
, 10 run OFF shore in order 10 save hi
= tug and the other barge. The barge
y literally were smashed 20 bits. tn
e shore being strewn with the wreck
r age"
+ Mr. Herman said the newly installe'
u wireless station at tho breakwate
picked uD several calls for help from
the sea. One was an s. o. S. call; bu
as the station is in incomplete shape
Q it could not be ascertained where th
e calls came from.
e The bodies of the three seamen las
u night we're sont to an under
c takers establishment at Lcwes. Del
J, Mr.. Herman explained that the new
h Of the drowning Of the men had no
j reached Philadelphia earlier becaus
n the wind had torn down the wire
a to the breakwater and put all telegraph
r and telephone instruments out OF bust
e ress.
S "1he force Of the wind and waves
IS Mr.. Herman said. "was plainly evdcr
II llNN llt idllN'i III MUifi liit Mlffkhl
OF the bargcs came ashore. Large PLANK
= and timbcrs were ground and spin
tered, as ii by an explosion. Cred
!. should be given 10 Captain Swenson Il
j. the brave attempt he made to save u
n 10 men. Several times the captain ra
n his tug close 10 the two drifting barg'
J.; and twice thrown line partc
- Finally the wind drove the tug Witt
e toward the shore. and, realizing thi
d his tug, crew and that of the 9th,
i barge were in peril. the captin ,stcer'
II a course for the open sea TO avoid di
y aster.
)" Captain Swenson told me he pass,
T. uut Of the Chesapeake Capcs In mi
:; weather There was no evidence wha
y ever Of storm The wind was blown
r from the southwest and gradually yeerl
k. TO the east. Then Il blew from q
s northeast and a gale eame down nf'
ID the tug and her tnws before the m'
Is realized. lie said the velocity of d
wind increased from mild breeze to