The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-07 00:00:00

Imo

FEARFUL COLLISION ON THE
THAMES.

The following particulars of an appalling accident which
occurred on the Thames on Tuesday evening, are from The
Times of Wednesday
"One of the most fearful disasters of modern times
occurred last evening on the River Thames at
Woolwich. The Princess Alice, one of the largest
saloon steamers of the London Steamboat Company,
with 600 or 700 souls on board, left London about 11
o'clock yesterday morning for Gravesend and Sheer-
ness, many excursionists being induced by the fine
weather to go on board for a holiday trip. The vessel
left Gravesend on the return journey soon after six
o'clock yesterday evening, and arrived within sight of
the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, at about eight. A large
screw steamer, said to be named the Bywell Castle,
was then approaching on the opposite course. The
two steamers were near the middle of the stream, just
off the well-known City of London Gasworks at
Beckton, and just below North Woolwich Gardens,
almost the precise spot, in fact, where the fatal collision
occurred between the Metis and the Wentworth, some
ten years ago. What happened it is impossible
accurately to detail; all that is known amid the mad-
dening excitement is that the screw ship struck the
Princess Alice on the port side near the fore spcnson.
A scene which has had no parallel on the river ensued.
A few—very few—clambered on to the other vessel;
nearly all rushed to the after part of the steamer as
the bow subsided gradually under water. The shrieks
were fearful, and nothing coul I be done to save
life. There were a dozen or more lifebuoys
on board, and some boats were swinging in the davits;
but, even if they could have been got at, what would
they have been among so many? The Princess Alice
sank degper and deeper, and within five minutes of
the fatal blow she heeled completely over and went
down in deep water. Some small boats which hap-
pened to be near hastened to the dreadful scene, and
the Duke of Tech, another steamer belonging to the
same company, which was also on her passage up with
a party of excursionists, went to the rescue, but the
river for a hundred yards was full of drowning people
screaming in anguish and praying for help.

"The only coherent account our correspondent was
able to obtain came from a passenger on board the
Duke of Teck, Mr. Warren Hawkes, landlord of the
Steam Packet, Woolwich, who, assisted by Mr. Henry
Plaisted, also of Woolwich, saved several of the pas-
sengers. Some half-dozen women wrapped in blankets
before the lire in the Steam Packet kitchen, and about
a dozen who were supposed to have gone to their
homes by rail, composed the full roll of survivors. The
dead were soon afterwards brought in—men, women,
and little children. The Board-room of the steam-
boat company on Roff's Wharf was turned into a tem-
porary mortuary, and thd gas was lighted in the Town-
hall to receive -any bodies that might be recovered.
But even of the recovered dead there were not more
than about a score all told. The floor of the scanty
Board-room was almost covered with the bodies as
they lie where they were put down for shells, and
stretchers were bringing them up from the Duke of
Teck and the small boats. All the police of the town
and the Arsenal helped in the woik, laying the corpses
in order, putting labels on their breast, and doing all
the little that there is to be done when all are impa-
tient to do much. Outside the Board-room window is
a balcony, upon which lie, as in repose the bodies
of three or four little children—mere babies. The
majority of the dead are women. A body has been
identified, that of Joseph Freeman, the steward, who
had been with the company all his life. The engineer
was saved, but the captain, William Grinstead, and
all, or nearly all, the remainder of his crew were
among the lost in the dark river. Mr. Towse,
the superintendent of the company's fleet, was
on board with his wife and five or six chil-
dren, but went on shore at Gravesend. The body
of his wife was one of those brought to Woolwich, and
there is too much cause to fear that all the children
were drowned, though a rumour prevails that one has
been saved. Angong others supposed to be lost are Mr.
John Hawkes (brother of the Mr. Hawkes already re-
ferred to) and his wife, who were both on board the
Princess Alice. The officials at the Plumstead Work-
house made prompt preparation to render any help
in their power, and half-naked survivors were
about midnight taken in cabs to the infirmary,
Messrs. Fisk, Waters, Bishop, and others helping
in the task. Doctors, police, parish officials, and
others rendered aid, and the whole population of
Woolwich seemed congregated in the streets about the
waterside, eager to hear a scrap of news or gain a
shade of comfort over the addition of one more to the
list of saved. At North Woolwich Gardens, where
the usual gay scene was in progress, the news fell like
a black pall. Mr. Holland at once stopped the music
and dancing, and the grounds were very rapidly
cleared. A lodge of Freemasons at the ' Henley '
Arms at once adjourned, and the most intense feel-
ing of sorrow, sympathy, and excitement prevailed
on all sides.

" 3IIDNIGHT.

"It has just been ascertained that about twenty-
five passengers were landed on the north side of the
river, near the Beckton Gasworks, and a few were
picked up and carried on to London or Erith. It is
feared that, making all allowances, the loss of life
must be set down at fully 500 souls. At the Victoria
Dock Extension, North Woolwich, a number of men
with lights and boats were set on the watch by Mr.
Cowlson, the manager, to pick up any bodies which
might be washed on shore.

"The following is the statement of the Second
Steward :

' My name is William Alexander Law, and I live at 37,
Wansey-street, Walworth-road. I was seclnd steward on
board the Princess Alice. We left Gravesend at about six
o'clock. At the time of the collision I was in the saloon, and
there were about 15 people there. The time, I should say,
was about a quarter to eight p.m, when I heard a
crash. It was not very heavy the first time, and
I said to the stewardess, There's some barge
alongside,' when immediately there was another crash.
I ran upon deck, and amid the confusion and screams
of the passengers I beard the water rushing in below, and
saw that we were sinking. 1 then rushed to the top of the
saloon gangway and shouted, 'Come on deck; we are sink-
ing.' The scene on board I shall never forget. 1 ran to a
young lady with whom I was keeping company and took her
en my shoulder, being a good swimmer, and jumped over-
board and swam to the shore, but as I was going my poor
girl slipped off my shoulders, or was dragged off, and I lost
her, although I dived for her. I saw a gentleman (dr.
Talbot, of Forest-hill), who was sinking, and caught hold of
him and held him up till we were picked up.

"Tie vessel which ran into the Princess Alice is
said to have been a screw-collier going to the North
light in ballast, and she was in charge of a pilot, said
to be named Dicks. Captain Grinstead was not seen
after the accident, but he was observed at his post
shortly before the collision. A large proportion of
the passengers were on the upper or saloon deck, and
must have seen beforehand their impending doom;
but those in the stem of the vessel had no warning
until they heard the crash and found the fore pas-
sengers running aft. Beyond the fact that the [tide
was about two hours ebb, which would enable the
Princess Alice to ease and stop sooner than the screw,
which would be borne on the tide, it is impossible to
discover any of the circumstances immediately pre-
ceding the collision.
"Before the boats struck there were cries from one
to the other to keep out of the way; but, as usual in
such cases, the accident is probably due to a mis-
understanding, the one misinterpreting the intention
of the other—all the rules of sailing cast to the winds
in the moment of peril, each taking the wrong course
to avoid each other's blunder, and, like the meeting of
two embarrassed pedestrians on the foothpath, rushing
into each other's bosoms."

From the account of this appalling disaster in the
second edition of the Daily News of Wednesday we
extract the following
"The Princess Alice saloon steamer, under the direction
of Captain Griostead, plying between Gravesend and London
and intermediate stations, left Gravesend yesterday after-
noon at the usual hour, and made the ordinary run its far as
Barking, with between 600 and 700 passengers on board, in-
clading a very large proportion of women and young chil-
dren, chiefly holiday making. Darkness set in some time
after seven, but no apprehension was felt, and all went well
until the approach to a headland projecting into the south
side of the Thames, and known as Tripcock's Point. From
the conformation of this piece of land it is almost impossible
for those in charge of vessels coming up river to see ships
beyond that are pursuing the opposite course, except in day-
light, when the smoke of steamers can be perceived over the
ridge. In the present instance, as the Princess Alice was
rounding the point nearly opposite Becton Gasworks, and
about a mile below Woolwich, passengers on board the
Princess Alice were startled by hearing Captain Grinstead
call out 'Hi ! hi! hi! where are you coming to l' Up to
this moment the 700 passengers, confident in security, were
as gay and merry and happy as holiday people on saloon
boats generally are. In the next instant a tall massive screw
steamer was seen dimly in the darkness, bearing down right
upon them. The head of the Princess Alice was turned in
shore to avoid collision; but the catastrophe was too near to
be averted. The big iron steamer crashed into the compara-
tively slight frame of the handsome saloon boat, striking her
just in front of the starboard paddle-box, and sending a
dreadfully significant shiver through the whole ship. From
a scene ox pleasure and contentment the saloon boat became
an abode of horrors. Women and children rent the
air with their screams and agonised shrieks. The big
iron steamer, that towered aloft like some huge monster,
drew back from the blow she had struck, and as she did so
the water rushed in, and the Princess Alice began not only
perceptibly but rapidly to settle into the deep channel of the
river. The tide was ebbing fast in about twenty-four feet of
water. Imagination can more readily picture than pen
describe the awful consternation on board the doomed saloon
boat. Little or nothing was available in the way of help.
Some hundreds of people, rendered frantic by terror, were
struggling towards a single rope. No earthly power could
help them. Within five minutes after the first shock and
thrill of the collision the Princess Alice sank into deep
water, leaving her freight of seven hundred souls screaming,
shrieking, and struggling in the dark cold waters of the
Thames driving rapidly down towards the sea." . . .

One of the survivors, Mr, Henry Totman, makes the
following statement :

"I was a passenger on board the Princess Alice. She left
Sheerness at a quarter past four. I should imagine there
were 600 or 700 on board, a great many women and children.
I never saw such a lot of children suckling. I have no idea
of the time the collision occurred, but it was. dark. 'I had
my brother-in-law with me. I was on the aft part of the
Paddle-box. Up to this time we were all merry and lively, and
everything very nice. My first idea of danger was in hearing
the captain shout out, 'lli, hi, where are you coming
to?' The next thing she (the steamer) seemed to squeeze
into us right amidships. There was no great shock. It was
a thrusting in, and it seemed to crush her (the saloon boat)
up. Then it was a scene, and no mistake about it. The
steamer that had struck us seemed as it she backed out
and let water in, and we were all gone in less than five
minutes. It was indeed so. She went down in a mass.
Children were crying, women screaming for ropes or any.
was no earthly chance of getting before other people.
She v
thing to get hold of. In fact, I stood back resigned. I felt
down in many feet of water. I was
d I
a buoy from a boat that went over my head. I
ht hold of it, and that saved my life, and two others as
2t,
aheer e
bwye n t
caug
For my own part, I do not believe
was thrown from the B w
well The buoy By well Castle (the
the passengers saved, I did not see
people. The Bywell Castle- was such a big thing.
fifty
Looking up at her she .
there is
jeer
ninn
eccionallisritoenr).of
Indescribable. It was something
were or five hundred trying
terrible to see font'
as under water in five minutes.
to get one rope. She w
he was going. I heard
were something inde - • - _ g
1 the other ship came on, 'She is
one of the crew say directly
1-.,-, t all they got irs.gtic.
e crew 0,•••••11
Everybody on board knew e
sialgiAg.' I follOred %el tb be pfclesd"..up ; but tbo.ftet-
Wire Wee bodies eii

men and everybody wanted to save those that were alive.
The water was thick with them. It was a little boat that
picked me up. They threw ropes over from the steamer,
and they d!ci throw buoys over and saved me and two others
—three of us altogether."

An.other survivor, a young man named James
Lynn, states
"The first I knew of it was when the steamer stopped. I
went upon deck. It was some brig coming down, and we
managed to avoid it. Then again in two minutes this screw
came down. They called out 'Stop her,' and they stopped
her (the Princess Alice) and turned her head towards the
shore. I thought we should clear her just in time. The
other vessel was steering down upon us. We did not see
she was coming down. We called on them to stop, but that
took no effect. The steamer dashed right clean into us, just
behind the paddle-wheel and caught the boat right up. I
went to jump up on the side in the chains. I did not think
the ship was so high as
.it was. I jumped down on to the
paddle-box and looked after my hat. I did not find the
paddle-box safe, so I jumped on the lower deck. No sooner
had I got on the lower deck than I found the water was
covering it. I scrambled up as well as I could on
to the paddle-box, and caught hold of the rail. No
sooner had I caught hold of the rail than she went.
down like a stone. I found myself in the water
with a lot of other people struggling and scream-
ing. lam no swimmer, but I managed just to kick out. I
never had any use for swimming before. I saw a piece of
wood and I clung to that. I then caught hold of a fiat form,
and from that I caught hold of another one, and gradually
worked my way to the ride of the vessel that ran us down.
I lay there for two or three minutes, or more than that, when
I called out for a rope, and they threw one over. A great
many climbed In; about a dbzen. I believe there are about
fifty saved."