The sun., 1919-03-29
TUGS RESCUE "a
ADRIFT IN GALE
Five Barges With Families
Aboard Are Swept From
Moorings to Sea.
NAVY CRAFT GIVE CHASE
Woman and 4 Children Saved
by Lifeline-Bark Ashore
Ships Damaged.
NAVY CRAFT GIVE CHASE

Twenty-four persons, fourteen Of
them children under fifteen years,
were rescued by the crews of three
naval tugs from f1ve barges as they
drifted before the nor'wester yester-
day evening ten miles southeast Of
Sandy Hook, lightship.
The rescued were the captains Of the
lived aboard the craft. three OF which
belonged to the Pennsylvania Railroad
and the others to the New York Cen
trail and Jersey Central railroads.
The barges. loaded with chalk. were
alongside a steamer at Brady's pier,
Stapleton, Staten Island, and broke
from their moorinss in the seventy
ave mile gale yesterday afternoon.
They drifted rapidly down the lower
bay, and II their distress signals were
seen through the snow no boat dared
to go to their assistance in the wind
and sea which swept the lower bay
with no liberation for anything but
the stanchest craft and the keenest
seamanship.
Passing close TO Sandy Hook Light
ship. the signals were noticed but the
crew OF the lightship, with only light
boat, was unable to give assistance. The
predicament OF the barges was reported
by wireless to the naval authorities here
and three tugs, the Aurora. the Sea-
bright and the wissossing, under conf
mand OF Lieut.. Harry Denyse, were or
dered from st Georges to the assistance
OF the drifting feet.
Making good time before the gale the
little fotilla passed the lightship and
set a course before the wind toward tho
open sea.
Darkness was setting in when the Ave
barees were sighted, and after some ma
n9uvring lines were passed TO the three
Pennsylvania Railroad craft and to the
New York Central barge. Greater diff
iculty was experienced in making a line
fast TO the Jersey Central barge, but
Lieut.. Denyse altered the course OF the
Aurora until the drifting barge lay close
under the lee OF his tug
A lifeline was passed aboard and the
captains wife and the four children were
| brought TO the deck OF the tug. Finally
the barge captain lesped to the tugs
deck and the barge was left drifting
toward the southeast.
The three tugs and the other barges
made their way back to the anchora gs
at st. Georges without incident.
| The Norwegian bark Yola, which ar.
rived yesterday from Philadelphia anc
anchored at Quarantine, dragged hel
anchors in the gale and drifted until
she grounded OF the foot of Ninety fiftf
str eet. Brooklyn.
The fve masted bark Socony waI
dr.xsk on the rocks In the afternoon
from her anchorage in the Narrows, OF
| Ninetieth street, South Brooklyn. He
anchor failed to hold in the high gale
| and she went aground about 400 fee
from the Brooklyn shore. only a few
| blocks from the Crescent Club. Effort
| to move her had not been successful III
| to a late hour last night.
| -Four barses belonging to the Merritt
Wrecking Company broke away from
their moorings off Stapleton and driftet
out into the bay. where they fouied two
steamers. damaging them above tn,
water line. The bsrges were picked u,
yesterday evening In Gravesend Bay b,
the tug Rescue and towed back L
| Stapleton.
Damage due to the storm at the powe,
house of the Staten Island Rapid Transi
Company resulted in a complete shut
down Of the plant for an hour in III,
afternoon. Street car service was tiec
up and electric lights were cut of durinf
the suspension.