The New York herald., 1921-11-15
II Foot ROwboat in Which
Duck Shooters Went Out
Found Bottom Up.
WORE BIG RUBBER BOOTS
One of the Men Said to Have
Had a NOn-Sinkablc
Suit.

The forty-five foot fishing boat
Elsie X. was towed into Canarsie late
yesterday afternoon by the open
launch Matilda after she had drifted
all Sunday night near the Ambrose
Channel lightship. with seven members
of the Fairview Fishing Club Of
Ridgewood on board besides the three
members OF her own crew. No trace
has been found, however, of the three
brothers-in-iaw WHO left the dock at
Bayside Place, Hammels, Queens, to
go cunning. for ducks in an open row.
boat twelve feet long with a Kicker"
for auxiliary power. Their boat was
found Sunday afternoon upside down
in Jamaica Bay, and it is believed that
the three men have been drowned.
They are August Hill, Jr.,fof III Bush
wick avenue; Pearsall Creighton of
175 Sheridan avenue, both of Brooklyn,
and Walter Drcws Of Springfield,
Queens. eH' - s..-E
AS soon as, the passengers, and the
crew Of the Elsie X. had been landed
they declared, particularly william Hes
semer of ia Ainslie street, Brooklyn,
that several liners and a Government
boat had passed them and had paid no
attention to their signals OF distress, al
though they flew their flag at half mast,
kept their fog horn going constantly and
waved torches and hallooed throughout
the night
"The crews Of the Ambrose Light
ship and the Scotland Lightship,
toward which we drifted eventually"
said Hessemer, "paid no attention to
us either. They must have been able
to see us. They could have wire
lessed our position to New York and
some one could have come for us
sooner
The Elsie X. which is owned by Adam
Hessemer and commanded by Capt. John
Bevis, left Stables Diamond Pier at
Canarsie about o'clock Sunday MORN
ing, carrying the seven members Of the
Fairview club. They began fishing in
the Ambrose Channel near the Light
ship. and had such good luck that they
soon filled their boat with cod. whiting.
ling and hake. Toward nightfall several
other fishing boats signalled that they
were going In. but the Elsie X remained
for an hour or so after them.
Engine HopelessIy Stalled.
But when Capt. Bevis finally decided
to take his boat back to Canarsie,. he,
found that the engine. two cylinder
Is horsepower machine, would not work,
an exhaust valve having broken on one
of the cylinders. The crew and the
fishermen worked on the motor for some
time, and when they realized that II
could not be made to run they began.
signalling for help. They got out their
flag and hoisted 1t at hafrmast. instead
of flying 1t upside down..
William Hessemer said that an Eagle
boat, apparently watching for whiskey
runners, was lying some distance away
at this time. but so close that he could
see the fishing poles that the men on her
deck were using. This craft. Hessemer
said. paid no attention to the halfmasted
flag, and also paid no attention when
the Elsie X began blowing her foghorn.
When dusk fell. Hessemer and his
brother rigged up a torch Of cotton
maste and waved 1t to, and fro, but the
Government boat paid no attention to
that either. = ~-f
Hcssemer said that shortly after dusk
q large liner came along and passed them
without needing their signals. The Gov
ernment boat fell In behind the liner and
proceeded with her toward New York.
The Elsie X, continued to drift In the
direction of the lightship. and all
through the night her crew and the fish,
ermen kept up blowing of the foghorr
and the waving of the torch. but with no
response. The men on the. boat were
not uncomfortable, as they got into the
Elsie's cabin and made coffee and had
plenty of food. The ocean was rough,
but not sufficiently SO to bother them.
Polite, but wouldn't Help.
Early yesterday morning the crew OF
the Elsie X. hoisted sail TO the boats
ancient bowsprit and masts. The boat
was beginning to make headway back TO
New York when the Matilda, one OF
several boats which had put out to look
for her, came along. Hessemcr said
that after they had hoistod their sail
large liner passed them. The Elsie's
men waved and shouted. and their greet
ings were answered by uniformed men !,
on tho liner, but the big boat did no.
stop.
The Matilda brought the Elsie X. to
her dock. None OF the men aboard her
were any the worse for their expert
ence
Henry seibert, who found the up
turned boat WnlcH 11hi, Cieis"evh sAiu
Drews had taken out Of Hammels and
towcd IL to Meadowmere Park. said that
on Sunday morning therc we're a heavy
sea and a strong wind In Jamaica Bay.
He believes that he boat may have filled
with water and swanped, throwing the
three men into the water. An of them
wore heavy rubber boous. which probably
impeded their swimming. The police
have been Informed that on previous
hunting trips Hill wore "non-sinkable
suit" and IL he had this on this time 1t
may have kept him afloat for some time I
II Is not believed. however. that he could
have kept alive until now.
Hill Is the son OF William Hill. piano
manufacturer of 1866 Myrtle avenue.
Brooklyn. and Is In the music business
with Creighton. Hill Is 25 years old,
~reHaton is 81 and Drcws is 80. Drews
has three children.