Evening star., 1945-11-11
BY Harry Lever.


thunder and driving rain sent them
frantically scurrying for shelter,
But it was already too late. -Four OF
the boats capsized and men wallowed
he1plessly in the storm-lashed water
as they clung desperately to their
overturned craft
A Harbor police powerboat manned
by lone policeman. which had been
chugging nearby on patrol duty, en-
gagged in rescue work unaided, for the
men in the one sailboat which re-
manned upright were having great diff
hculty controlling their craft and were
unable to help the policeman.
Valuable Time Lost
Meanwhile, spectator on the dis
tant Virginia shore saw what had hap
pened and raced for telephone to
notify Harbor police at Seventh street
and Maine avenue S.W., in Washing
ton. Many valuable minutes passed
before two more patrol boats arrived
on the scene in response to the call.
All hands in the water were rescued but
one. Just before the arrival OF the ad-
ditionaI rescue vessels sailboat skipper
lost his grip on his overturned craft and
drowned.
1t. Otha r. Sanders, commanding
the Harbor precinct, emphasized that
this was not hypothetical water acci-
dent,-for as many as II sailboats have
capsized at one time in a storm. And
he pointed out that each time some
thing like this happens it discloses
serious deficiencies in the present police
equipment.
He explained how precious minutes
could have been saved if the patrol boat
originally on the scene could have
transmitted message for help to head
quarters Immediately instead of having
it come by telephone from a spectator
on far shore. But the patrol boat
did not have sending set, only
receiver.
More Speed Needed
Equally precious minutes could have
been gained if the responding vessels
were capable of at least 20 miles an
hour instead of about miles an hour
WHICH Is now CIlc1T average Top SpSGQ,
the lieutenant ruefully conceded.
And If sufficient men were avail
able to my command" he remarked,
there might have been two or even
three policemen manning the boat
which was on patrol. Six hands are
better than two when it comes to haul
Ing exhausted men from stormy waters"
1t. Sanders is reticent policeman SO
he didn't come right out and say he
needed so many new boats, so many
radio sending and receiving sets and so
many more men. Instead, he stressed
how the tragedy could probably have
been averted if the Harbor police had
what they now ask for in new equipment
and additional personnel.
Whatever they need they want in a
hurry Establishment of municipal
yacht basins and other postwar water
front improvements will bring additional
hundreds Of small boats to District
waters by early next summer. The
Harbor police fear that because of in
adequate or antiquated equipment and
lack of nanpoWer they may be seriously
handicapped in coping with proper
tionate increase in boating accidents
and possible drownings which will in
evitably accompany sharp rise in the
number of pleasure craft
AS River Front Gets Buster
Moreover, Lit. Sanders feels that as
new facilities are constructed and the
11fIyo Of te ivan
of fire and theft will also mount unless
the police are in a position to handle
such contingencies.
A request for new equipment and
extra personnel is included in the 1867
District budget, but the first post
war boating season will already be
under way in District waters before
the green light is given-if it is given.
Therefore we've got to have quick ac-
tion," 1t. Sanders warns.
The Harbor police now Have % men.
The lieutenant feels that to satisfac-
torily maintain 24-hour patrol of the
Districts 431a miles of waterfront, and
handle all other duties the force should
comprise about 35 men Unfortunately
men for the Harbor precinct just can't
be picked out of land-locked precincts
and told to man the wheel. They've
got to be temperamentally adapted to
marine work and trained in engine re-
pair and operation, navigation and
swimming.
Obsolete Equipment
The force now has six boats ranging
In size from 25-foot cruiser to 55-foot
steel tug. Few of them are small
enough to squeeze into tight spots The
tug can buck ice-fioes, therefore can
be used in winter The other vessels
are Of wooden construction and ice
would be fatal to them The newest
boat is 16 years old and the Oldest "a
years.
AS to speed, the tug is fastest. Her
Diesel engine will drive her along at II
miles an hour, but it will take her IS
minutes to run from headquarters to
Chain Bridge, where many water acci-
dents have occurred.
Only the tug and another boat, now
out of service for engine repairs, are
equipped with the vital two-way radio.
The other vessels only have receivers.
In drawing up his appropriation, 1t.
Sanders asked for two 26-foot steel
hulled svessels for patrol duty. They
would have sending and receiving sets,
be capable of 20 miles an hour and suit
able for winter use. Their specifications