Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-14
CREW OF DOOMED
j. S. SHIP RESCUED
Men From Cruiser Milwaukee
Brought Through Roaring
Surf in Breeches Buoy.
WRECKED IN RESCUE TASK
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
EIJREKA. Cal, January 13.-Shortly
after 8 o'clock tonight the last member of
the crew of the United States protected
cruiser Milwaukee. which went ashore
on the Samoa beach near here ABOUT
o'clock this morning, had been trans
ferred through a roaring surf In saiety
to the beach by means of oreecnes
buoy and two lifeboats.
On board the Milwaukee when the
current carried her into the surf were
eighteen officers and 421 men. The NIL,
waukee, which draws 22.6 rect. nao
been thrown by the breaker into water
that was but twelve feet deep at low
of twenty degrees Her double bottom
was filled with water and her engine
room flooded 1t was thought she mad
a hole in her hull.
Has Cable to Submarine.
When the Milwaukee was caught by
the current and carried into the break
ers she was pulling on cable at
tached to the stranded submarine H-3.
which went ashore December IA about
hal ia mile from where the Milwaukee
now lies. The monitor Cheyenne and
the navy tug Jroauois. farther on
half mile from where the Milwaukee
and were endeavoring to hold the
cruiser from the. clutches of the surf.
The tidal current and the weight OF
the heavy steel hawser that was tast
to the submarine proved stronger than
the combined power of the three yes
sells and all were being dragged shore
ward when the hawser to the Cheyenne
snapped and left the little 1roquois 70
battle alone with the tide that was
sweeping the Milwaukee into the
breakers.
Cuts Hawser to Save Ship.
Boatswain Frank Bruce. commander
of the Iroquois. held on as long as he
dared and then saved his vessel from
the Milwaukee's fate by cutting the
hawser Lieut.. William F. Newton. in
command of the Milwaukee. tried to
follow Bruce's example and get rid OF
the steel hawser fast to the H-3. which
was dragging him into the breakers.
but it was too late.
For nearly ten hours the crew waited
on the lee side for help from shore.
fog that had enveloped the vessel
since dawn it was seen that all on
board were wearing life preservers:
Lying as she did. it was impossible
boats. but soon life savers OF the coast
guArd service reached the scane from
flisir staties two miiss distant
xfDa aAhots Hsa oeessssass~.
Later q surf boat from the Humboldt
bay station was, hauled across the sands
to the beach near the Milwaukee. The
coast kuardsmen shot line from the
shore to the stranded cruiser. A cable
was stretched and breeches buoy rigsed.
coxsvain T. s. Decker was the first man
to be trolleyed ashore. Lieut.. Harvey q.
4aiaiiu- came next Speaking for Lieut..
Newton, commander Of the Milwaukee. he
said:
but we want haste in getting the men
ashore"
The first surf boat was launched at
2:20 O'Clock. 1t was manned by men
from the Cheyenne and lroquois. which
in the meanwhile had come into the
bay. Six Of the Milwaukee's men were
brought ashore. The second boat
brought back five. BY this time two
men at time were coming ashore In
the breeches buoy and by dusk nearly
wrecked cruiser.
Only One Man Injured.
Only one man suffered injury SO far
as known This was G. B. Roth. the
Wednesday when the Milwaukee's surf
boat capsized. His shoulder was broken
again as he was being brought ashore
today.
Fires have been built on the beach to
attend the lifesavers.
Lieuts. Milton S. Davis and Eric F.
Zemke will make a preliminary survey
of the wreck tomorrow. The Milwau-
kee, they said. recently left the dry
dock. where she received extensive re-
pairs According to navy officers here.
her stranding. as 1t now appears, will
mean a loss of approximately $1,000, 900.
Admiral Caperton In Charge.
Admiral Caperton, commander Of the
Pacific feet, late yesterday was ordered
to take charge of the relief of the
cruiser Milwaukee. He will go on his
flagship San Diego from San Diego,
Cal.
In addition to personally supervising
salvage work on the Milwaukee, Adml-
raj Caperton. acting upon his own
initiative, is expected to appoint i'm
mediateIy a court of inquiry to in
yestigate and fix responsibility for the
accident Upon the findings he will
recommend whether Lieut.. w. r. New
ton, commanding the Milwaukee. shall