Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-08-22
From tho n. z. Posi- q Saturday Evening.
Terrible Collision on Long Island
r4 Sound.

From tho n. T. Pos of Saturday Kvsohg.
Terrible Collision on Long Islant
% Sound.
Il Propeller run down by the Metropolis an,
Sunk.--7hirteen Men, WomS, and Childre'
Drownsd.
We have to record to-day another terribl,
| steamboat disaster, which has resulted in the
loss oil thirteen lives.
A collision took place at 2 o'clock this
morning between the steamer Metropolis
Capt. Brown of the Fall River Line, and the
propeller j. N. Harris, Capt. Smith, which
was on her way from New York to New
London. The Metropolis was making her
regular trip from Fall River to New YORK.
The cutwater of the steamer struck the pro-
peller little forward Of mdshps, causing
her to sink almost instantaneously.
The Metropolis received severe shock,
but was not seriously injured. On the pro-
peller were, as nearly as can be ascertalned,
fourteen passengers and q crew OF eleven per-
sons. or these, twelve in ALL were saved, in
cluding the captain, first and second engl-
neers, two deck hands, and seven passengers.
An AFFECTING ScEHE.-While Captain
Smith was giving his statement an old gen.
tleman walked into the cabin OF the Metro
polls, md approached with on agitated man
ner. "How do you do, Mr.. Gordon ?" said
the captain, extending his hand. and at the
same time averting his face. The old gen
tleman took the proffered hand, and said in
q tremulous voice: 81 came to ask about my
daughter-is she alive or not p "She is gone"
said the captain. "Oh my God y exclaimed
the old man, as he burst into tears. There
were 20 dry eyes in that cabin.
Afterwards the captain said to our repor-
ter :--"Sbe was beautiful girl, only eighteen
years old. Mr.. Gordon gave her into my
charge only yesterday afternoon, to take her
to her friends, in New London, but now she
hos gone with my children"
MEETING OF PASSENGERS OF THE METRoPo-
LIs.-After the first alarm of the accident
had some what subsded on board the stea-
mer, the shock of course having awakened all
the sleepers and brought every one on deck,
a meeting was extemporized, and commit
i,e appointed to collect funds to relieve, in
some measure, TIE most pressing wants OF
the sufferers who were saved from the wreck,
aud also from the benefit of the families OF
those who we're lost, and collected the sum ol
four hundred and eighty five dollars-a hanc-
some sum to be realizsd from the persons on
boarded the steamer
From the Juu,na; Of Coi7weres'
Capt Smith sustained severe loss. PIN
of his children had died previously. ite has
q wife and one child now living at New Leu
don. The three now lost were returning
from an excursion they had been making du-
ring their school vacation. He says the blow
to bis wife will be oyerpowering.
The passengers in the cabin were almost
helpless. The doors opened to the inside,
and as the sinking boat declined they were
closed, and egress was impossible. The
passengers sprung for the sky light, and those
who were saved escaped that way. Mr.. A.
w. Smith was separated from his wife and
child at this point. The water was pouring in
as he got his head through the aperture, and
he was at once submerged. 1t is wonderful
that any Of them were saved.
The lady with the babe was seen floating
by the boat, and rope was thrown. In her
anxiety to save her child, which she held out
of the water with one hand, she failed to seize
the rope with the other. Before q boat could
reach her, she sank and was seen no more.
The cause Of the collision was misunder-
standing as to the proper way Of passing. The
officers of both boats manifested much cour-
tesy and forbearance in the subsequent dis
cussions on the subject. a