1930 — Jan 28, tug Edgar F. Coney sinks, storm, Gulf of Mex. ~70m off Sabine Pass, TX–14

–14 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 166.
–14 Corsicana Daily Sun, TX. “Fog Prevents Search for Bodies of Crew Lost Tug,” 2-3-1930, 2.
–14 Port Arthur News, TX. “Sunken Tug Found by Rescue Vessel,” Feb 3, 1930, 1.
–14 Steamboat Inspection Service. Annual Report…Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1930. 1930, 16.

Narrative Information

Steamboat Inspection Service: “On January 28, 1930, the steamer Edgar F. Coney, 153 gross tons, with the barge Pure Detenox in tow, left Sabine Bar bound for Pensacola, Fla. The tug and barge encountered very rough seas and high winds, and some time during the night the tug disappeared from the view of the crew of the barge after hawser had been broken or cast adrift. The entire crew of the tug, 14 persons, lost their lives. Only one body was recovered. On January 31 the barge was picked up and towed to Pensacola by the steamer W. E. Hutton.”

Newspapers

Feb 1, Bradford Era: “Beaumont, Texas (AP), Jan. 31. – A radio message tonight from the Standard Oil tanker Liebre, bound for Beaumont, said the tug boat Edgar F. Coney, sank in the Gulf of Mexico with a loss of the crew of 13. The message was received by M. T. Ball, president of the Sabine Towing company at Port Arthur, owners of the Edgar F. Coney. The tug sailed from Port Arthur with a barge in tow for Mobile, Tuesday morning. She was overdue at Mobile 24 hours when the message was received the barge was found afloat. The steamer reported the master of the barge hoisted a distress signal and gave the information the tug and its crew had gone down….The Liebre rescued the crew of the barge and was expected to dock here Saturday. The tug was said to have been on her first trip after having spent three months on the Sabine Towing company docks for general over-hauling. The cause of the sinking was not indicated in the radiogram.” (Bradford Era, PA. “13 Lose Lives as Tug Sinks,” 2-1-1930, p. 1.)

Feb 3: “….A stirring description of how the ill-fated Edgar F. Coney went down was given by Ball [Co. President M. T. Ball] upon his arrival here. The description was gleaned from Captain A. Barreos, skipper of the Pure Oil barge Detenox, towed by the tug at the time of the sinking. ‘We had been making good time all day,’ Ball quoted Captain Barreos as saying, ‘when about 9 p.m., a blow came up. At the time we were making about five miles an hour. The wind gained in intensity and the light aboard the tug went out several times before ten o’clock, then at 10:05 they went out, and in a few minutes we heard screams of men in the water. ‘We threw over lifebuoys and stage planks, but we couldn’t lower our lifeboats on account of the high running sea. We couldn’t even get to the bottom deck of the barge, the gale was whipping the water so terrifically. ‘We knew that something had happened to the tug, but we didn’t know what until daylight. As soon as we had done all we could do toward saving the men in the water. We did not know why they were there, or who they were — we dropped anchor and heaved-to until daylight. At dawn the tug was nowhere to be seen. ‘When it was light enough to see, we hauled in our hawser and found that the towing hook was still on the hawser, proving the tug had broken loose after she went down. All of the 1200 feet of hawser line was still intact….

“Beaumont, Feb. 3. – (AP)….According to Munger T. Ball, president of the Sabine Towing company, who went on the search, the storm broke shortly before 11 p.m., Tuesday when the Edgar G. Coney, towing the barge Detenox, was about 70 miles out of Sabine Pass….

“Members of the barge crew said they were awakened when the storm snapped their tow line. The tug already was in distress and was firing rockets. Within a few minutes no trace of the tug could be seen, but when the lightning flashed those on the barge could see the crew of 14 struggling in the water and calling for assistance. Those on the barge were helpless to give aid…” (Corsicana Daily Sun, TX. “Fog Prevents Search for Bodies of Crew Lost Tug,” 2-3-1930, p. 2.)

Feb 3, Port Arthur News: “Four feet of a mast head, sticking grimly out of the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico about 67 miles east of Sabine, bears mute testimony today of the tragedy that befell the tug Edgar F. Coney, and her crew of 14 that sailed from Port Arthur last Tuesday for Pensacola with the barge Pure Detonox in tow. The sunken tug in 43 feet of water was found Saturday evening by the yacht Versa of the Sabine Towing company about 12 miles from the spot where the barge Pure Detonox was anchored in the gulf awaiting the tanker W. E. Hutton, which was to tow it into Pensacola.

“Follow Oil Streak. An oil streak in the water was followed by the Versa for more than seven miles and at the end of the oil streak the mast of the Edgar F. Coney was found sticking out of the water. The vessel, according to Munger T. Ball, who was in charge of the Versa, was apparently sitting upright on the muddy bottom of the gulf with her bow pointing toward her destination….” (Port Arthur News, TX. “Sunken Tug Found by Rescue Vessel,” Feb 3, 1930, p. 1.)

Sources

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Bradford Era, PA. “13 Lose Lives as Tug Sinks” [Edgar F. Coney], 2-1-1930, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=140269347

Corsicana Daily Sun, TX. “Fog Prevents Search for Bodies of Crew Lost Tug,” 2-3-1930, p. 2. Accessed 10-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/corsicana-daily-sun-feb-03-1930-p-2/

Port Arthur News, TX. “Sunken Tug Found by Rescue Vessel” [Edgar Coney], 2-3-1930, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=24269514

Steamboat Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Commerce. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat Inspection Service, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1930. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1930. Accessed 10-13-2021 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Annual_Report_of_the_Supervising_Inspect/3fTirApEmkoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1930+fairfax+tanker+pinthis+collision+investigation+report&pg=PA3&printsec=frontcover