Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-14
Rescue Work of Crew Is Con-
Quoted Under Great Difficult
ties, but So Far Only One
Man Is Seriously Injured,
ORIGINAL COST S4,OO0,0OO;
100000 MORE IS ADDED
United States Now Stands to
Lose 100000 Through
Efforts of Milwaukee to
Salvage Submarine,

tsr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wrRr
Vallejo, Cal, Jan. 13.-The United
States cruiser Milwaukee. costing ap-
proXimatciy $4,000 900, will be a total
loss unless she is floated Immediately,
her commander, Lieut.. w. +. Newton.
wireicssed Commandant +. NJ. Ben
nett, of the Mare Island navy ward to-
day. Officers said there was no pos
sibility of floating her.
About Half Crew Ashore.
As darkness closed down tonight
about half of the crew of the cruiser
I had been transferred through roar
ing surf in safety to the beach, by
means of a breeches buoy and two
| lifeboats. On board the Milwaukee
when the current carried her into the
surf were eighteen officers and All
men.
Navy officers here expressed the
belief tonight that the cruiser would
be total loss, The Milwaukee, which
draws 22.G feet, had been thrown by
the breakers into water that was but
twelve feet deep at low tide and the
derelict was keeled over at an angle
of 90 degrees. Her double bottom was
filled with water and her engine room
flooded 1t was generally believed she
had "a hole in her hull.
Carried Into Breakers.
When the Milwaukee was caught by
the current and carried into the
breakers she was pulling on a Gable
attached to the stranded submarine
H-3, which went ashore December IA,
about half mile from where the Mil
waukee now lies. The monitor Chey-
enne and the navy tug Iroquois, far
ther off shore, both had lines to 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 fast
to the submarine proved stronger than
the combined power of the two ves-
sells and all were being dragged shore
ward when the hawser leading to the
Cheyenne snapped and left the little
Iroquois to battle alone with the tide
that was sweeping the Milwaukee into
the breakers.
IrOquOis Is Saved.
Boatswain Frank Bruce, command
er 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 S. 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.
The hawser, half a mile long and
weighing twenty-four tons, could not
be slipped in moment and before the
order to let go could be carried out
the Milwaukee had been gripped by
the first line of breakers and was hit
ting the bottom.
Crew in Critical Position.
For nearly ten hours the crew wait
ed on the lee side for help from shore
When the sun broke through the fog
that had enveloped the vessel since
dawn it was seen that all on board
were wearing life preservers.
Lying as she did, at an angle of
nearly 20 degrees, it was impossible to
launch any Of the cruisers own boats
but soon life savers of the coast guard
service reached the scene from their
station two miles distant.
Later a surf boat from the Hum
boldt bay station was hauled across
the sands to the beach, near the Mil
waukee.
Difficult Rescue Work.
Tho rpoct pua r1s Sbnt line
from the shore to the stranded cruis-
er, cable was stretched, and a
breeches buoy rigged. Coxswain 7.
S. Decker was the first man to be
trolleyed ashore in the breeches buoy.
AS the Milwaukee rolled Decker was
immersed in the breakers and then,
the cable tightening, he was snapped
thirty feet into the air. He landed
safely, however.
Lieut.. Harvey S. Haislip, who was
in charge of the cutter which cap
sized in the surf on Wednesday, came
next. Speaking for Lieutenant New
ton, commander of the Milwaukee, he
said
Everyone on board is safe and well
hut we want haste in getting the men
ashore"
The first surf boat was launched at
2,2O o'clock. 1t was manned by men |
from the Cheyenne and 1roquois,
which in the meanwhile had come in
to the bay. Six of the Milwaukee's |
men were brought ashore safely. The |
second boat brought back five. By |
this time two men at time were COM
ing ashore in the breeches buoy and |
by dusk nearly 200 men were on the
beach from the wrecked cruiser.
Only one man suffered injury so
far as known. This was G.. r. Roth |