The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-18
OLD TUGBOAT RULE
SAVES 20 IN CRASH
when She Hits, Get on Deck,
Obeyed by Crew When Sax
Onia Sinks Freehold.
VICTIMS HAVE TO SWIM
Troopship's Propeller stoves
Hold in Escort After
Hawser Parts.

The first law in the life OF a tugboat
man. when she hits get on deck"
saved the lives of q score of men yes
terday when the United States navy tug
Freehold was ripped open and sunk by
propeller Of the Cunard steamship
Saxonia as the steamship was being
warped into her pier.
The tug was once q railroad tug. the
property of the Central Railroad Of
New Jersey. She was taken over by
the navy for the war; did duty as 4
mine sweeper Off the New Jersey coast
all last summer and after the signing
Of the armistice was assigned to harbor
duty. She was on hand at the docking
Of the Saxonia yesterday because the
Saxonia carried troops and the safe
transport and landing OF troops form
part of the navy's business.
Now, although the Freehold is a naval
craft she Is not manned wholly by men
In the naval service. but by the grace
OF the striking harbor men about half
her crew are civilian tugbost men who
have spent most of their lives in the
towboat business. When she went into
navy commission these men instructed
they found themselves "shipmates" that
tug is tug and by her nature spends
most of her time in crowded waters.
They explained also that . tug Is about
80 per cent machinery and other manner
of dead weight. and that II she is stove
she sinks-at once. So they quoted the
ancient rule Of their profession: when
she hits get on deck"
Ancient Rule Quickly Obeyed.
The law was obeyed to the letter yes
terday. The Freehold was alongside the
Saxonia with a heavy tide'running when
the stern of the steamship parted a
hawser holding 1t TO the pier side and
swung against the tug with a crash
The Freehold is of heavy draft and
one of the steamships propellers fouSed
her hull and ripped q great hole in it
The shout went up, IAN hands on
deck"' and all who were below dashed
for the air without conceding the poin,
an instant's discussion. The tug began
to settle then to plunge and In a few
| minutes was all under but her funnel top
She was in command Of Ensign Edwin
]. Jeffries. who. according to ancient
| rule, was the last to go over the side
All his men were swimming In the water
| when he began swimming himself. Some
were able TO catch hold Of pier piles and
hang on, others headed out stream anG
were picked UP and few were hauled
| to the pier head by hawser men.
The fireboat Thomas Hewitt was lyins
| at the next pier. Fred Murray. who wal
| in command Of her. put her out into the
| stream and rescued three men. all who
| were left swimming by the time he wa,
out In the current
All Aboard Probably Saved.
According to officials of the Arm,
Transport Service, the branch or sub
division Of the navy which looks out TO,
the freighting of troops. there were NJ
mon missing last night when count wa,
available Of every person known to hav,
| been aboard the Freehold Down a
Bay Ridge, however, where some OF tn,
men were taken by a tug which picked
| them up and landed them at the nava
barracks there. II was stated that on,
man. Harry Lanahan. machinist's mate
was not accounted for yet However
the likelihood of his not turning up &
small, for another machinist said he hat
seen him being hauled over tho side o
a lighter.
| The officer having the authority I,
| speak said also last night that he did no
believe any OF the men would as much a
catch cold as a result of their wetting
His last reports described all survivor
| as in bed, full Of hot coffee. after havinj
been in and out of n steaming bath witt
plenty OF mustard in 1t.
L