The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-10-02
COLLISION ON THE NORTH RIVER.

STEAMERS SARATOGA AND sIroEL COME IN
coNTAcT-wHo WAS BLAME?- BOTH SIDES
OF THE sToRY-oNE MAN DROWNED.
The steamboat Saratoga, OF the Troy line. when
coming near 10 her pier on the North River yester-
day morning about seven o'clock, colided with the
steam lighter General Sieee at the foot OF Eleventh
street, the latter sustaining the largest degree Of
damage, besides losing one Of her hands by drown
Ing Tue Saratoga escaped with a mere scratch of
ner guard rail with little disturbance TO
anybody on board.
Mates REcoLLEcTIoSs
The chief mate OF the Saratoga, who was reluctant
TO give his name, but hDaly said that Brown would
answer, said:-"rhe steam lighter was coming out OF
her slip, alter discharging load of cotton, shortly
after o'clock The Saratoga was then about fvo
hundred feet from the far from the foot
OF Eleventh street. When she came out she stopped
and blew whistle for us TO go to pert heard
the whistle, and the pilot answered by blowing one
whistle in return. Toe tug was lying still in the
water at right angles to the course OF tho Saratoga
He couldn't hlt us If he head on. Tho two ves-
sells at this time were about block apart. heard
the pilot say no rung the bell 10 stop the engines
and they were stopped. We ain't damaged ten
cents, but he claims he is damaged $1,000 Alter We
answered their whistle they started ahead white We
remained stationary. They swung round, put the
helm hard port and headed up stream. In TWO MN
ures they ere alongside OF US and making In under
our guard. Il he had backed on her he'd have gone
clear oil US. We stopped aud he hit Us. We didn't
lee the shock bit The passengers weren't alarmed
IN the least"
Mr.. Fred Bell one OF the pilots OF the Saratoga,
said:-"When between Bank and thirteenth streets
the lighter General Sicgei coming out OF her slip
and then lying apparently sun: we plew one
whistle Tor her 10 pass to Tho right ana we got no
reply that anybody connected with the pilot house
could hear. kept my eye on her and l noticed that
she suddenly put on steam and camo ahead very fast
m,nusss s oa me captain Of the
aferward said to mo that he hoped by steaming
fast 10 get out OF our way, though ne wasn't
THE CAPTAIN OF rHH SARATOGA
Captain J. D. Abrams, OF ,hs saratogs, sara thas
Captain Harris had got the hsure OF his damages
too high, ind that IN place OF 1000 500 would be
the extreme limit OF what he had suffered Tho dam
age done 10 the Siegel was TO hor joiner work
and TO one escape pipe, aud she brought
II all herself by obeying the rule OF tho road or
the river Captain Abrams said he had visit from
Mr. Shortwe, OF the drm that owns the Siegel, and
he expressed himself satisfied that the captain was
STRUGGLING IN THE WATER.
Mr.. Alexander Scott storekeeper on pier NO. 40,
said that after the collision took place he saw two
men in the water; about ten feet behind The
other, both seeking the shore. Crepe, the fireman,
wssu dsou pushed i00 away om
picked him up. II helped. SAID Mr.. Scott,
no pun HIM ashore this PIER"
Mr. Taylor and Mr.. Crampton, stevodores on pier
No. 40, saw the men jump overheard, and johnson,
who was cook on the segcl, was observed. when he
the surface after sinking second lime, 10 DO
all red in the face and TO BIO IN a con-
dition OF stranguiation. 1t q shame" said
MT Taylor hat hfty people, passengers on the Sara
toga, who lined the side Of the steamer, and the
officers OF besides should have stood there
looked at the poor fellows struggling In
the water and threw them a rope or chunk OF
lumber The only thing done Tor them was 10 throw
billet OF wood from the shore, and this Crepe
caught aud saved himself Johnson went down and
his body has never been seen since. The steamer
went without lowering boat to rescue tho men
on the water y
THE rUGBoAr CAPTAINS STATEMENT.
Captain Harris, OF the tugboat General Sicgel said
that about quarter past seven O'Clock yesterday
morning he lett the pier az the loot OF West Eleventh
street with his boat, bound tor Hoboken, with SIX
| Peterson, the engineer; George Crepe, fireman; Ed
ward johnson, cook, and Jonn boehm, deckhand.
''lt was my iniention," said Captain Harris,
ITO cross the river, but had only
got out about hundred feet from tho
pier whom tho steamer Saratoga struck my boat on
Of the boat disabling machinery, so that for
some time We could neither stop nor reverse our
engine. One OF our steam pipes was broken and the
escaping steam enveloped the boat 1t was In the ex-
citemsnt that tho fireman, Edward job nson, jumped
into aud drowned. Crepe, on seeing
Johnson tho watcr, followed him quickly and
swan ashore IN safety Tho engineer ana deck hand
renamed on board TO assist When tho clouds
| OF escaping steam had cleared away Peterson Sec
ceeded reversing the engine, ard seeing space at
the loot OF Bank street made for the bulkhead The
Saratoga, which loaded with passengers, after
striking US did not gtop minute to see II We wanted
any assistance, but passed on. Several Of tho pas
sengers who were board the Saratoga called Q
and savo me their names, and requested mo TO have
the Captain OF the Saratoga arrested and they would
boat helpns He could not say just now what
cOu r6o would pursue toward captain.