The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-27
From the New York World, Sept. 81 |
THE STEAMBOAT DISASTER on EHE
HUDSON RIVER.
Sinking Of the steamer Dean Rich
mOnd by the Steamer Vanderbilt.

Thursday evening Tor new Ork,
having on board about one hundred
and forty passengers. and a light cargo
of butter and. cheese andasmall lots
of other goods. The Vanderbilt, be-
longing to the New. Y ork and Troy
Steamboat Company. left this city the
same evening for Troy. The night
was cloudy; hutAth eb moon rose about
ten. o clock and forced its light
through the cloudy vail, so. that naYi-
CATION seemed neither unpleasant nor
dangerous. JThe passengers on the
Dean Richmond, with one or two ex-
ceptions, retired to bed by midnight,
and, harboring no sfears, were soon
fast asleep, .indtlging' Eins the sweet
dreams of wealth. fame. or happiness,
.that-their-extremely- comfortable pc !
sition, onEseneT of the finest boats on
the river could prompt. Locked in
this dreamy fascination they remained
until about twenty minutes past one
o'clock, when terrible crash chang
ed their placid dreams to fearful con-
sternation, and nearly threw them
from their berths Rushing from their
rooms without regard to the details
of their dresses, .thea afrighted pas
sengcrs found that their beloved
Richmond had been run into by the
steamer Vanderbilt on the starboard
side, just forward of the gangway !;
that the vessel was fillingIwith water,
and must sink in few minutes. The
state of feeling on board when the
fact was known can be better mag
ined than described. The widest
excitement prevailed. !, Passengers
ran to and fro with only half their
clothes on, and scarcely knowing
which way to turn or what to do to
make their escape. There was great
shouting, tears, ypious, calculations,
prayerful entreaties, and among the
religiously Indifferent "a plentiful use
of oaths. The more practical and
self possessed succeeded in a measure
IN calming the fears of the excited
ones, and a hasty examination discov-
cred the fact that the Vanderbilt was
the least injured of the two. The
bow was still in the. side of the Dean
Richmond, and on a level with the
hurricane deck. Most of the passen-
gers then rushed to the hurricane
deck taking what things they could
carry, and passed on to the Wander
bilt. A few were taken off by the
passing schooner, and the steamer
Drew, of the Peoples Line, coming
down from Albany shortly after, took
most of the passengers from the Van
derbilt and brought them to this city.
SCENES AMI. INCIDENTS, ,-
1.-THE scenes on the Richmond mn
mediately after the collision were both
exciting and amusingS The state.
room doors few open, and their in
mates rushed forward to find their
worst fears 'sreahzed. The females
ser ,sf med led and md sough protection from
their male companions; children
cried; men ran to and fro in their
night1shtrts 4 and minusgthe most inn
portantA article Of their apparel.
There was no time for prudery. A
gentle man, hastily emerging from his
Berth ID Shirt alone, wasseized byit two
ladies, who implored him 10 save
fires WERE fSmediitsiy t srsp Isl .ng
which generated gas that passed up
the pipes oandbi caug BIT fire, causing
some Of the passengers to cry out
that the steamer was on fire. This
added greatly tothe' eonfusf68 Many
of the p.fszen gers wentlon board the
Vanderbilt shoeless and stockingless
others, like /" Myson John'ihef nurse,
ry fame. hoped around With one
shoe OH and one shoe on.'f.. One fam
ilywent all the way to Brooklyn with
out shoes and stockings, taking a car
riage on landing from the Drew,
and surprising their friends in the
City of Churches by coming to them
early in !. the, morning in. such an un-
presentable condition On the first
alarm most of the passengers rushed
to the front, leaving all their valua-
bles in their state rooms; most of
them fetarned, and it is believed sue |
ceeded in securing their property. |
The baggage on the lower deck, and |
It is said several. horses, that were. on |
board, went down with the vessel, |
Nearly all the windows on the Rich
mond were smashed in the crash. In
crossing from the Richmond to the I
Vanderbilt, a little boy fell overheard, |
according TO the statement of pas
.etiger. but he was promptly rescued.
I be officers and men on both vessels
were cool and collected, faithful in /
The per ormance of their duty, doing |
everytn,n g they could to facilitate the I
e moVa! Of the passengers. In the /
excitement after the removal Of the |
tolthei Vanderbilt, some of |
hem, who were trying te get together
heir things tse.I and improve their +
oil esrfIted TO get on board of>the
3fe*s hehS shortly after took off
most Of tie passepg gers, and We're z car 7
led to Troy, SO tar as known there 7
hat eneaofa thsuSa alters ON the. Rich /