The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-21

the following narrative of @ salvage cruise, which began on the afternoon of Sept. 1, on a radio warning from a steamer of the presence in the Gulf of Mexico, near the Keys of a dan gerous obstruction to navigation:
 At daylight the following morning the derelict was sighted, about four miles distant, and upon arrival along side it was somewhat of a surprise to discover that it was the hull of the schooner Oscar G. of Mobile, last re- ported on Aug. 22, southwest of Cape San Antonio, Cuba, it having drifted since that report 255 miles in a north by west direction.
 ''The work of making the hawser fast was rendered extremely difficult on account of the choppy condition of the sea, which continually broke through the waist of the schooner and sometimes over the forecastle. Seaman J. Augustson was washed overheard by one of these seas, but succeeded in maintaining his grip on the schooner's rail and came abroad again on the back roll.
 ""The Tampa was manoeuvered into a position close to the wreck and the end of the 1O-inch hawser passed
 
 m., started with derelict in tow in the direction of Tortugas. The derelict took up a position rather broad-off the port quarter and maintained it with little waving, but allowing only a speed of about to knots"
 Riding Out Hurricane.
 On the evening of Sept. the Tampa received radio warning of an approaching hurricane.
 About p. m. most vivid dis play of lightning was observed in the southeast, and by midnight the wind had increased to strong gale from east to northeast, with accumulating intensity. At a. m. it was blowing a whole. gale with a rapidly falling barometer, and driving rain.
 up to this point the Tampa with tow had been making fairly good weather, heading up to the seas, but bout 5:30 a. m. with the pull of the tow on her quarters, she was unable to hold up and commenced to roll heavily.
 "The hawser was thereupon shifted from the towing pitts of aft and brought in through the bow choosed the engine stopped and the Tampa allowed to ride to the derelict as a sea anchor. She took up a position with wind almost abean, but with the heaviest seas ahead and rode comfortably and easily, using oil through the forward closets.
 During the operation of shifting the hawser, which was performed on- der trying circumstances several heavy seas broke over the quarter and one of them swept Gunner Dar- nou off his feet, threw him against the pitts, and painfully injured his back.
 Delivered to the Owners"
 Between and a. m. the storm reached hurricane force, blowing with velocity estimated at from 90 to 1O4 miles per hour. The seas were enormous and broke heavily. could not see that the oil had any striking ly beneficial effect, and I attribute the case with which the Tampa rode them rather to her own sterling sea- going qualities than from any benefit derived from the use of oil.
 The atmosphere was a white smother of rain and spray and the derelict was swept clean by the seas and submerged more than half the time. About 7:30 the barometer steadied and commenced to rise with almost the same rapidly as it had been falling, and at the wind shift ed to west and slowly moderated. | By noon of the 3rd it was possible to again shift the hawser to the tow ing bitts, and the course resumed for Light. Upon getting an found that the Tampa had been blown about 40 miles to the southward during the night and fore noon."
 The derelict was lowed into Key West harbor and delivered to agents of her owners.