New Britain herald., 1926-12-20
About 100 Workmen Were on Boat Being Transported From 95th Street Pier to Factory at Edgewa- ter, N. J.
Survivors Suffer From Cold = Ship Reported Passing Without Giving Aid-Death List Likely to Grow.

By the Associated Presa
 New York, Dec. 2O.-Singing at the prospect of employment, 30 men answering the help wanted advertisement of a New Jersey manufacturing plant sank to their deaths in the icy waters of the Hudson river to- day when ice foes crushed the launch transporting them.
 The death list was expected to be increased to almost 40 when the work of police boats with grapplers had been com pleted. Besides the known dead and the missing, "A men were confined in hospitals suffering from submersion.
 Crushed in the Ice
 The launch left the s5th street pier for the Spencer Kellogg < Sons plant at Edgewater, N. J., with about 100 men on board. On 254th street, the Bronx. 1t was caught between great cakes of ice and crushed. Water poured in and within 8 few minutes the boat had sunk.
 Expect Moro Dead All available river craft speeded to the rescue of the men struggling in the icy waters. many of whom were suffering severely from sub- mersion of almost half an hour. Po- lice believe that the death list might be much higher when com- plete check up of those in hospi- tals had been made.
 The first boat to reach the scene was the tug Buffalo. with tho Num- Der One tug of the company own- ing the Buffalo a close second. More than score of almost frozen men were taken on board and rushed to the 12sth street pier where an emergency hospital was established and ambulances had assembled.
 May Be Women Too
 Police attempting to check up on the number of persons who had been on the Linseed King received widely varying reports. Some esti- mates were as low as 40 while sev- eral Of the men taken to hospitals were vigorous in their assertions that there had been at least 15o. Most reports said only men had been on the boat but police inves- tigated unsubstantiated rumors that several women had been among them.
 Reports at Variance
 Several of the survivors reported that before the tugs came to their assistance an oil tanker passed within 200 feet of them. going downstream. and paid no attention to their cries.
 Reports as to the cause of the accident also varied. While most observers blamed the ice entirely others asserted that the launch capsized because it was crowded Hike a subway jam" and that when 1t tipped to one side everyone rushed to the other side in an at- tempt to right It and 1t upset.
 Disregartied shouts
 One man who first of all might possibly have brought aid to the drowning men did not so to their assistance because he thought their screaming was merely . continu- ance of singing they had been do- ing on the pier.
 This man. named Marshall. was In charge of lighter tied up at the pier from which the Linseed King left for the Jersey shore. After the launch left he went into the cabin of his own craft and when he heard the shouts paid no attention.
 "The pier was damned this morning." he said. with young men dancing and singing and gen. erally trying to keep warm. About S6 to 100 men got into the launch, which I wouldn't call a strong craft. AS the launch started out they were still shouting and sing ing.
 There was terrible lot of ice in the river this morning and most of it In large cakes. Tho launch went north to 96th street and then headed for Jersey and went into my cabin. Soon after that l heard crunching sound and thought the launch's propeller must have churned up an ice foe. I heard yelling too but 1 thought 1t was the men still singing and didn't % outside"
 Captains Statement
 According to the captain of the craft, John Rohweider of Jersey City. there were e2 persons aboard the boat. Captain Rohweider was thrown from the lauch and attempt ed to swim to the Jersey shore. He was picked up by . rescue boat and questioned by the EdgsXatss Delies