William J. Warwick (Tug), sunk, 1 Aug 1905

TUG WARWICK SANK IN THE CANAL.
      Vessel Turned Turtle Under a Deck-Load of Eight Tons of Coal.
      ENGINEER BODAMER WAS DROWNED.
The canal tug WILLIAM J. WARWICK of the White Star Line, sank in the Blackwell canal last evening a little after 6 o'clock, and went down so quickly that the crew barely had time to save themmelves. Engineer WIlliam Bodamer of 190 Whitney Place, was drowned.
The crew was composed of Bodamer, Capt. Seymour Schrieber and Fireman William Smith. A stranger was on board and with the fireman jumped for the dock and landed safely as the boat went down. In attempting to get out of the pilot house, Capt. Schrieber caught his foot in the wheel and went down with the tug, but extricated himself, arose to the surface, and grabbed a line which had been thrown to him and was hauled ashore.
Bodamer got clear of the tug before she went down and swam toward the middle of the canal, evidently being badly rattled. A line was thrown to him with such good aim that it knocked off his hat, but he seemed not to see it. The life raft also was within 15 feet of
him but he failed to notice it, or if he did, was too scared to get it. He was seen to suddenly throw up his hands and go down, and the only solution of bin drowning is that his heart failed
him. He was a good swimmer.
The accident happened at a point just east of the Michigan street bridge. The WARWICK was loading coal, for which she has capacity of 10 tons. Instead of stowing the coal in her bunkers, as is customary, and it may be said necessary, she loade4 about eight tons in
buckets on her deck, which, of course, made her top-heavy. She had a short line from her bow to the dock, and in attempting to wind pulled the line taut, and turned turtle as quick as a flash.
Officer James Donaldson of the Louisiana Street Station sent for the patrol boat to get Bodamer's body, but at the same time James Cavanaugh and William Golvin, who live in the vicinity, and Richard Brennan of Fulton, pulled up the canal in a rowboat, and under direction of Fireman Smith, lowered grappling irons over the spot where Blodamer sank, and at the first cast recovered the body, 46 minutes after the accident. Medical examiner John D.
Howland was immediately called to examine the body.
At the tug office this morning Capt. Joseph Blake stated that the WARWICK was a 45-foot steel tug constructed three years ago by David Bell. She is one of the best tugs of her size in the harbor. She lies in 21 feet of water, and will be raised at once. For the past two weeks the WARWICK has been supplying steam to the George N. Pierce plant at Lloyd street and the canal, pending the installation of a new boiler in that plant. The tug HUDSON will take her place until she is pumped out and raised.
      Capt. Schrieber, who is upward of 70 years old, is suffering so from shock that he is unable to leave his home this morning.
      Buffalo Evening News
      Friday, August 25, 1905
     
      . . . . .

The canal tug WARWICK which turned turtle in the Blackwell canal, at Buffalo, was raised yesterday with little damage. A pair of shear legs were used from the dock and when the boat was raised it was found that all that was necessary to be done to make her seaworthy was to pump out the water and clean her machinery. The greater part of of the coal which caused the accident was left on the bottom of the canal.
The work of raising the boat was a simple one after the shears were placed in position. It was in charge of John A. Weisbeck, the marine surveyor and George W. Pfohl, one of the wrecking masters of the firm of Smith, Davis & Co.
      Tonawanda Evening News
      August 28, 1905 8-4

      . . . . .
     
The Whiute Star Line tug, WARWICK, which sank in the Blackwell Canal last Friday night, was raised yesterday by Frank Snyder and crew. Upon examination she was found to be uninjured. She will be thoroughly pumped out, her machinery wiped dry and will be as good as ever, despite her bath. The eight tons of coal on her deck at the time she capsized lies on the bottom of the canal.
      Buffalo Evening News
      August 28, 1905