New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27
THE LEAD SPARED.
HOW THE IDAHO RAN AGROUND.

CEIyED IN REGARD TO THE DISTANCE FROM
LAND.
The circumstances connected with the acct
den on Monday morning To the steamship Idaho OF the
Williams & Ciuon line the subject of general in
curry yesterday Some OF the officers had claimed that
no possible precsution had been neglected which would
Insure the safety OF the vessel and that frequent sound
hgs mad been taken to the lime OF the accdent but
captain John Moore admitted thano soundngs were
taken Till the ship just the point OF striking. be-
cause he had felt confident OF his distance from shore
Among those lwho heard Of this neglect, experienced
seanensaid that 1t could hardly be justified in foggy
weather soundings formed the best safeguard to
vessel approaching a coast The fate OF the Atlantic
mad shown the danger OF negectlng this precaution.
Inc captain attributes the running aground to the fog
and to q deviation In the compass. due perhaps 10
electricity in tho air. On the day previous to the
accident he took satisfactory observations, but on
sighting land. at $50 IN. Monday, he thought the
shore 10 miles distant when 1t must have been much
nearer isull statement, made yesterday TRIBUNE
reporter, is as follows:
At the time OF the accident upon the bridge and
mad charge OF the vessel the pilot having not yet as
Suned direction With mo upon the bridge was Second
Omeer John SAMSON, aud the fourth officer was on
ueek. The pilot was moving about. part OF the time
upon the bridge, and at times on deck. AT $50 a. M
light and Fre I.aD ami yed tSat was 10 es
Away, The haze 10 the AR must have deceived
dstance-l5 miles-from shore, and kept on in the
course co.., AT I:io a. H. the fog closed In heavily
|
because felt OF distance from land Oh ac-
count OF the sighting an hour before AT $40 a. w. the
made. aud when thought were sull more than eight
miles from land The vessel headed little to the
shore, which at this point trends little to the south.
Inc sailors had been employed In furing the SAILS as
customary In fog. There was little shock when she
struck, but reversing the engines did not work
her on There some alarm and confusion
among the passengers, but this was soon quoted.
All the boats promptly cleared away, anu signal
guns were fired An anchor got out to prevent the
| warning
had OF the danger OF accident was an instant before
striking. when noticed water white with foam close
by the bow To the starboard, but thought IL due to
pun OF wind roughening the sea- The second officer was
ordered to take boat and open communication with
the land, but before his boat reached the surf 1t was
met by the surfboat Of the life saving station, and
line was stretched from the steamer to the shore with
out much trouble The fog lifted somewhat, making the
work easier Tie Idaho lay perfectly steady and APP
parently unnJured An examination showed INA. sue
was not taking water but to tighten the vessel was
determined to land the passengers About halfpast II
the debarkation began Women and tind persons were
lowered TO the boats al arn-chars Al loclocK most ot
the passengers who had not lett the steamer were gwen
dinner board. At o'clock all the passengers were
OH the vessel except score OF storage ana
The accident had low water, and the rising
tide relieved the vessel which at o'clock was backed
| Island light, distant II miles-into deeper
water and anchored remaining in her new place u
o'clock waiting for the boats to come on But the Wlnd
had fresnened and the boats could not come through
the surf. Consequently we weighed anchor soon after
fog fell thick, and lay of the ightship for some
hours, getting to Quarantine at 4O this morning After
No. 10 North River about O'Clock No had been
gained since the grounding, which showed that tue
vessels bottom had not been harmed.
| THE BREAKERS FIRST SEEN THE PILOT.
The pilot. John Dougherty Of Pilot Boat No. 49, who
lives at Brooklyn,is spoken Of at the Pilot Commission
ers' office as experienced and trustworthy man. He
that he boarded the Idaho about miles from
Sandy Hook Sunday. lie did not take charge OF the
vessel till she reached Sandy Hook, but deck
! when the accident occurred. He claims to have
first to the breakers and called out to the
second officer, and the helm put hard down, but too
late prevent the grounding. After the accident the
captain consulted with the pilot Upon the Williams
| e. Guion line pilots do not take charge OF the
| steamers till they make Sandy Hook. because this
Company refuses to pay "ofshore potage. OF shore
pilotage is the charge made when pilot IL taken on
board hailed before Sandy Hook light is in sight
vessels deck. BY tho plotagc rules the
sci Is Obliged pay this whether the pilot takes con-
| troll before reaching Sandy Hook not, but the Will
! ams & Guion line refuse to do this. The of-shore
plotage the Idaho which draws q feet two inches.
would DC 50 IL.
TIE FOURTH OFFICERS STORY
The fourth officer Of the Idaho, Thomas Sterry,
duty when the vessel struck, told TRIBUNE
porter that he cast the sounding line about fifteen
before the steamer touched bottom. The sound
ing showed the depth OF water to be about four iahoms
About five minutes aterward he heard the long, regular
splash OF the they rolled In upon tho beach,
and few minutes after that the vessel ran ashore
The Idaho was going at about half speed
The captain felt the necessity OF landing tho passengers
once In order tighten the vessel, that she might
draw Off the bar the Hood tide set in. and
boat was ordered away in charge Of Mr.. Sansom the
second officer. The waves so high, however, and
the surf was so powerful that the officer dared not make
attempt to Land. and returned to the steamer guded
by the sound Of mnuteuns which had been hrlng Tor
some time When the boat arrived, surfboat from the
lfesaying station already there In answes to tho
a hlN
ashore and moored 1t opposite the hotel The work Of
landing the passengers then begun All the boats
Of the Idaho were used beside the surfboatS The
sengers all landed in about three hours.
EXPERIENCE OF THE PASSENGERS.
Patrick Quigg one OF the passengers stated that 10
his personal knowledge, the pilot was al breakfast when
the shock occurred and not on the bridge, as the officers
maintained. Charles Wilkes said the passengers gen
orally leaving the ship but were forced
to do by the captain. AS soon as the hawser was
made fast to the shore the Decentralization began The
first boat contained the saloon passengers aud the
Storage passengers ordered ait To the boas as
the first boat had LETT the ships Side Directly
after the vessel struck the sand the occupants OF the
seeragc mustered the forward deck " the ON
GERS and made to march to the extreme stern OF
the ship In body. The captain hoped that the
weight OF 400 human beings suddenly transferred
from one end the the other might raise her so
that lie might succeed in floating her off, This plan,
however, had no perceptble effect Inc passengers
all transferred from the island TO the man lana III
sail boats. aud nearly all Of them brought coh'deraoe
quantities OF luggage, and some OF tue IRISH among
them supplied with liquor, which soon made Us
presence known The OF the boats which brought
on 'ne & @ete f hev were arrayed ia only
pantaloons and shirts The men were drenchei 10 the
skin and as the evening what cool those who
fortunate enough TO borrow blankets and other
coverings went about shiyerng. 49,. ,o o ,,
Officers and complained that me people on fre
Island who gathered In large numbers both rom the