The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-05
Eight Hundred Men, Women and Chill
dren Struggling in the Water.
NO POSSIBILITY OF RESCUE.
Life Preservers Unavailable and
Boats Useless.
EXCURSION STEAMERS IN ENGLAND.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD

[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD
LONDON, Sept 4, 1878
The paddle wheel excursion steamer Princess Alice,
which run into and sunk with such frightiulre-
suits last evening, ~hils her from Graves
end TO London, by tho screw collier Bywell Castle
OF the largest saloon steamers OF the London
Steamboat Company.
THE DAY.
She lett London az about eleven O'Clock yesterday
msrning for Gravesend and Sheerness, many excur.
sionsts being induced by tho fine weather TO 60 for
holiday trip The vessel left GIavesend the return
journey after six o'clock in the evening ana ar
rived within sight OF the Royal Woolwich
At about eight O'Clock.
scKHx or THE ACcIDRNT.
The Bywsn Castle then approaching on the op.
posite course. The two steamers near the mid
die Of tho stream, just on the Cay Of London Gas
Works, ~ Beckton. and below the North Woolwich
Gardens, almost the precise spot where the fatal
collision occurred between tho Metts and Wentworth
ten years ago.
THE CRASH.
What happened is Impossible accurately 10 detail.
All that 10 xnowsvpmid the m'ddenng excite msnt.
which sim prevails Ia that The struck
the Princess Alice on the port side. near the fore
stanchiop. The shock was terrible.
..t "A scKNR OF rEK,soR.
A which has had no parallel in the history Of
steam navigation on tho river ensued. A iew--very
tew-persoas ciambcrsd the other vessel, but
nearly all rushed to the after part OF lho Princess
Alice. As tho DOW subsidized gradually under the
water the shreks awful to hear, bat almost
nothing could DO done to save life.
PRINCESS ALICE.
Thors were q dozen lite buoys on boasd,and
some boats swinging In the dayi,s, but even II
they could have been got ut they would have
Ii,Ile service under tho circumstances Within two
minutes tho Princess Ancs heesd completely over
down deep water.
DARK WATER.
Some small boats FASTENED TO the scene aud the
Duke OF Teck another belonging TO she4sauac
company, which also the passage up the
river with party OF exeusionists, The res-
cue but the river tor q hundred yards was iulI Of
drovning people, screaming in anguish and praying
for help, but as It was then growing dark, much
could be dona II rs believed that not moro .han
hundred nfty persons escaped out or tho 800
aboard the vessel
DESCRIPTION BOAT
The Princess Alice was long and low river
stsamsr built for EXCURSIONS down the Thames OF
which the middle aud poorer classes oil Londoners
arc very fond. she had saloons ON the forward and
after decks and her passenger carrying capacity was
unusually large
A large proportion OF her passengers last evening
were the uppsr saloon deck and rust have seen
bsforehand their Impending DOOM. nut those in tho
stern Of the had warning they heard
crash and found the passengers from forward
part OF tho vessel running TO the after part
GUESSING AT rHE CAUSES
The OF the disaster believed be AZ fol-
Iows:-Both vessels were rounding tho sharp bend in
the river caused By the projection OF point OF land
whoroon the powder magazine Of tho woolwch
Arsenal Is situated, tho Princess Alice bound Up
the stream and the collier going seward In order
to distance the Princess Alice had over
to right bank OF tho river and thus OF
proper Her lights wero probably obseured BY
tbs shadow OF me powder magazine, and being q
much smaller boat and consequently lower In the
water than the Bywe Castle, the latter was upon her
before the danger vas perceived.
YELLED ~ oBsCUnrr
Beyond the fact that the tide was about two hours
Obj, which would enable the Princess Alice to ease
and stop sooner than the screw steamer which
would be bsrno the tide, It Is impOss,bls 70 u.s.
cover any OF tho circumstances Immediately preced.
ing the oosion.
BULBS on pisRyGARpED.
Before the In collision there cries;
from the the other to keep out Of tbs way, but
a. usual such cases. the accident doubtless the
result OF misunderstanding. tho misintsrprsting
the in,se.ion OF the other All the rules Of sailing
vero d,srsgarded In tho moment peril, each beat
taking the wrong course 70 avoid each oshor's,
blundeE.
THAxHs BxcURsIoNs-rHE CLASS OF BoATs.AED
KINDS OF PEoPLE-PREvioUs ACCIDENTS.
During tho summer moaths shs Thames is:she
iayovits highway Tor Londoners. Thousands orinni-
lies avail themselves OF the ''oheap excursions'd-
vsrtissd by tho wooiwich and Londonsteam
paniss These excursions comprise trips to Rosissr.
Vile Gardens, Gravessnd and Ramsgate and Marauts.
For many ysars the boats running to Dspuord,
Greenwich and Woovich auring tho winter monfhs
we're used fos the longer and moro extensive
trips 10 the summer. These beais had only
poor Accommodations. small. uncomfortable cab
ins, and always "wet' wheuevsr there
was any swell As the tra1c increased and
composition became more lively the Londsn saeam-
boat Company purchased several large and hand
somsIy appointed steamers of 500 TO 00O-tons
capable OF carrying 1000 to 200 passc myers
These new vessels rspresen by the Princsss Alice
Alexandra and Sea Foam became very popular.
Regular daily trips vsremado Whenever thsweathsr'
permitted to Gravessnd, the faro to aad Londtu
Bridge being about seventy ave Travelling en-
these vessels very pleasant, there nns deck
saloons from which passengers the Interesting
points along Ksntish Essex shores and watch
the nssts Of outward aad bound vessels -
they pAss up and down ths'rvsE