The Washington times., 1928-03-10
lcontlnned lron. FIrsI Page.l

Nysts4ttl<ts,@ -1est1s = = - - -
and several times were close to
death Is the little boats were tossed
back on the beach.
Finally, Capt. a carberxy and
five men of the Sycamore Station
succeeded III getting underway with
their 36sfoot power boat. With the
captain were PatroImen Joseph
George, Wllliarn mills, Isaac HAM
rnond Manuel Iubral and William
silva They put of to the side
Of the Robert III Lee
The y. s. S. Bushnell and the
coast guard cutter Ilscarora,
heavily ice-coated. were the first
rescue craft to reach the vicinity
Of the wrecked steamship. Goth
ships were in communication with
the Robert r. Lee.
Tore HoIe In Hull
The innperilled passengers emerged
from night Of anxiety. The
Robert r. Lee. III swinging leeward.
from her course IN the gaIs in an
effort to reach the Cape Cod Canal.
tore u hole beneath the waterline
4 and began taking water last. The
graphic story Of her peril was told
lin the .pitl1y sentences Of radio
lgraT1s. From the shore she could
tbe seen but family through the
driving snow.
The first message stressed the
Eaneed of Immediate assistance, but
STATED: No panic aboard. :
Still pounding badly. Getting
worse. Snap out Of it" Were
lamong the messages shot from the
lantenna Of the radio Of the liner.
Cannot launch Iifeboats We are
on reef and water too shallow; went
back message to the Tuscarora.
Then began to come the reassuring
panic Later, 1--WE are living com
fortable now; no immediate danger;
hope We can transfer passengers
after dawn"
Seas Too Heavy
Il a message from the u. s. s. Bush
men said: Standing BY until morn
ling; win make no attempt to take
off passengers except IN extreme
emergency; seas too heavy for us
to approach close.
The lightning and heating appar.
atus OF the Robert e. Lee was out
Of commission. but the running Of
the emergency gasoline engine made
possible intermittent operation Of
the lighting apparatus. Off and on.
during the night and before dawn
today lights flashed aboard the
stranded liner. remained for q time
and then all was darkness.
Following in the wake of the
heavy rescue ships from Province
town came the life saving boat OF
the Wood End Coastguard station
near Provincetown. In the lee Of
the protecting arm Of Cape Cod
the coast guardsmen were able to
launch their craft. They carried 4
breeches buoy to the scene. If the
gale holds II was planned to place
the brooches buoy on the largest
or the rescue ships, shoot line
to the Robert u. Lee and transfer
the passengers by this aerial route.
with Capt. Manuel Oracle Of sile
Wood End Station went q crew 81
seven men.
When the Robert e. Lee put out
Of Boston at p. m. yesterday, Cow
eminent storm warnings were dis
played but the wind was running
only about 81 miles an hour, ac-
companied by . thick wet snow and
q rough sea. Two hours later the
liner crashed on the Mary Ann
Rocks.
Al coastguard beach patrol on
Manomet Point saw the lights OF
the ship close In. He fired warn
ing signal and then = second. But
the warning came too late, for the
Robert II. Lee was hard ana fast
almost az the mercy Of the sea.
Then came the radio calls Of distress
and the answers from all naval and
coast guard crafts IN the vicinity
as they fought their way to her
side
Pulling up near the Robert r
Lee was dangerous task az shoal
water was al about, although OF
the shoals the water Il twenty u
thirty feet deep.
Several times the 4yadio operator