Evening journal., 1915-12-10
SUSPECT A PLOT TO
Wreck RIVER BOAT
HawSerS Thrown Overheard
Put FentOn Beach Line
Steamer in Trouble
500 PASSENGERS
TAKE TO LIFE BOATS

A partially successful attempt to
wreck the steamboat Endeavor of the
Dime Line Steamboat Co.. at Fenton
Beach, was made about $40 o'clock
last evening when more than 500 pas
sengers were on the boat and the
wind blowing a gale from the north
west. Four-inch hawsers are said to
have been purposely thrown into the
water IN such manner that they
would foul the propeller wheels of the
steamer and make the boat helpless.
The scheme worked but by the good
management OF Captain Gather. his
crew and Providence, the Endeavor
poked her nose into the beach and
rt mained upright, while by the aid
OF a lifebOat the passengers were re-
turned TO the Fenton pier.
Il was dark and a heavy sea was
running at the time but not one of
tn passengers was injured. The com
pany's boat Alert and two 'jitney
boats brought the passengers to vii.
mington. The EndeavOr floated at
11.40 o'clock and is on duty today.
When seen this morning by a re
porter of "THE EVENING JOUR
NAL" Samuel E. IIentz, managing
owner who was on the boat at the
time said he was so sure that the toss
ing of the rope was deliberate that
he has offered a reward of 5000 fol-
the arrest a. conviction of the guilty
person. This offer is not only pub
lished in the newspapers but has beer
printed and tackled up on the Other
side of the river as well as on this
side.
Captain Gather says that tn,
ropes were undoubtedly thrown over
board after the Endeavor left the Fen
ton Beach pier. He says he backed
away from the pier and had just go
a little headway on when both engines
stopped. The engineer reported tha
something had caught the propeller
blades and stopped them. There wal
nothing left for him to do but get thu
boat into shore. The wind was blow
ing a gall from the northwest at the
time. When the passengers saw th'
boats bow hit the beach they be
came excited for fear she would cap
size. They were reassured by thu
coolness OF Captain Gather who toll
them that his boat would stand alon
if all the water went out and left he
because she was safely bedded in III
sand He Immediately got out th
lifeboat and got all of the passenger
ashore He then got a stern line tas
to the pier and as soon as the It'd
dropped sufficiently the rope was Gu
from the wheels.
"You really believe that someon
threw the lines overheard with me
licious intentg Captain Gather wa
asked.
1T is the orly way they did ge
over" he said. "and they were hav
sers that we had not used at the pie
The coils of rope we're picked up froi
the dock and thrown over the ra
into the river on each side. Tn
loops OF tho hawsers were found hool
ed over the rail and hooked to tn
cleats in thn deck and the only wa
to get the line overheard without M
hooking the loops was to throw
over the rail which is about thre
feet high. The lines were throw
from each side and we have uh
hooks and witnesses who saw ths
they had not been removed froi
where thes were hooked. Just as W
we're leaving the pier two men wer
seen to 20 out a side door and ru
along to the stern of the boat an
throw something overheard. Nothin
was thought of this by the passenger
until it was found that a dirty trio
had been played. The powdermakei
whose lives were put in jeopardy b
the act vowed vengeance upon thos
who did the deed"
Captain Gather will report the ma
ter to the United States inspector
Philadelphia and the government wi
make a thorough investigation.
Assistant Purser William G. ri
ger just before the boat lest the pie
looked around the stern of the boi
and found everything in good shap
The lines, at that time, We're cole
on the deck.