Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-09-05
THAT TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
rnrsher Particulars Of she sishing
OF the Prtueess Alice - The
Dsewssd Will Probably Reach

Further Particulars Of she sisktsg
OF she Princes Alice - rhe
Drewssd Will Probably Reach
$50.
LONDON. Sept. 4.-Ths steamer Prin-
cess Alice. which was run into and sunk.
with such frishtiul results. BY the col.
lier Bywell Castle. was one Of the
largest saloon steamers Of the London
Steamboat Company. The Princess
Alice left Gravesend for London soon
altar 9 o'clock in the evening and arriv-
cd within sight OF the Royal Arsenal at
woolwich at about s O'Clock. The By
we'll Castle was then approaching on the
opposite course. The two steamers
were near the middle Of the stream. just
oY the City OF London Gas Works at
Bsckton. almost the precise spot where
the fatal collision occurred between the
Mstis and Wentworth ten years ago.
What happened is impossible to sccu.
rately detail. All that Is known amid
the msddsning excitsmsnt Is that the
screw steamer struck the Princess Alice
in the port side. A scene which has had
no parallel ON the river ensued. A very
few persons clambered on the other YES
sci. but nearly all rushed to the after
part OF the Princess Alice. As her bow
subsidized gradually under water the
shrieks were fearful. and nothing could
be done 10 savs life. There were . dozen
or o life buoys on board. and some
boats were swinging In the davits. bot
even 10 they could have been got at they
would have been OF but very little SER
vice under the circumstances. Within
1--we minutes the Princess Alice keeled
completely over and went down in deep
water. Some small boats fastened TO
the scene, and the Duke Of Teck,
another steamer belonging to the
same company. which was also
on her passage up the river with q party
Of s1cursionists. went 70 the rescue. but
the river for 100 yards vas full OF
drowning people. screaming In anguish
and praying for help. and a. It was
growing dark then. not much could 30
done. It IL believed that not more than
100 persons escaped out OF 800 aboard
the vessel. The Princess Alice was .
long and low steamer. built for excur
slons down the Thames. OF which the
middle and poorer classes OF Londoners
were very fond. She bad saloons on
her forward and after decks. and her
passenger carrying capacity was unusu.
ally large. A large proportion OF her
passengers last evening were on the
upper or saloon deck. and must have
seen beforehand their impending doom.
but those in the stern OF the steamer
had no warning until they heard the
crash and found the passengers from
the forward part Of the vessel running
to the after part. Beyond the fact that
the tide was about two hours' ebb.
which would enable the Princess Alice TO
ease and stop oonsr than the screw
steamer. which would b borne on the
tide, Ii Is impossible TO discover any Of
the circumstances. The immediate
cause Of the disaster 10 believed to Be
that both vessels were rounding . sharp
head in the river, caused by the projeo-
ton Of . piece Of land wherson the
powder magazine OF the Woolwioh Arse
nal is situated. In order to turn this
point the Princess Alice had crossed
over to the right bank Of the river and
-. H. - - .,.-..