The Portland daily press., 1878-09-05
THE THAMES DISASTER.
Over Six Hundred Lives Lost.
Further Details of the Disaster.

LONDON, Sept 4.-The paddle wheel excur-
sion steamer Princess Alice, which was run
into and sunk with such frightful results last
evening, while on her return from Gravesend
to London by the screw collier Bywell Castle,
was one of the largest saloon steamers of the
London Steamboat Company. She left London
about IL O'Clock yesterday forenoon for Grave
send and Sheerness, the excursionists being in
doced by the tine weather to go on a holiday
trip. The vessel left Gravesend on the return
trip soon after in the evening, and arrived in
sight of the royal arsenal at Woolwich about
8. The Bywell Castle was then approaching
on the opposite course The steamers were
near the middle of the stream just off the city
OF London gas works at Beekton and below
North Woolwich Gardens almost the precise
spot where the fatal collision occurred between
the Metis and Wentworth ten years ago.
All that is known amid the maddening ex-
element is that the screw steamer struck the
Princess Alice on the port side near the fore
sponsor. The scene that ensued has had no
parallel on the river. A very few persons
climbed on the other vessel, but nearly all rush
ed to the after partsOf the Princess Alice. AS
her bow subsidized gradually under water the
shrieks were fearful but nothing could be done
to save life There were a dozen or more life
buoys and some boats swinging at the davits,
but even If they could have been got at they
would have been of little service. Within five
minutes the Princess Alice keeled completely
over and went down. Some small boats has
tened to the scene, and the Duke of Teck, an
other steamer of the same company, which was
also on its passage up river with excursionists,
went to the rescue. But the river for hund-
red yards was full of drowning people, scream
ing in anguish and praying for help, and as it
was growing dark not much could be done. 1t
is believed that not more than $50 escaped of
800 on board.
The Princess Alice was q long, low river
steamer, built for excursions down the Thames,
OF which the middle and poorer classes of Lon
dOD0rS are Verv fond. She had saIoona IN tho
forward and after decks and passenger carry
ing capacity unusually large.
A large proportion OF the passengers were on
the upper or saloon deck and must have seen
beforehand their impending doom. But those
on the stern had no warning until they heard
the crash and found the passengers from the
forward part running to the after part.
Beyond the fact that the tide was at about
two hours ebb, which would enable the Prin-
cess Alice to ease and stop sooner than the
screw steamer, which would be borne on the
tide, 1t is impossible to discover any of the cir
cumstauces Immediately preceding the collis-
ion. Before tbs boats came in collision there
were cries from one to the other to keep out of
the way, but as usual the accident was proba-
bly, due to the misunderstanding or misnter-
probation by one of the other intention. All
rules of sailing were disregarded in the moment
Of peril, each taking the wrong course to avoid
the others blunder.
The cause of the Princess Alice disaster is
believed to be that both vessels were rounding
sharp bend in the river, caused by the projec-
ton of point of land wherein the powder
magazine of the Woolwich arsenal is situated.
To turn this point the Princess Alice had cross
ed over to the right bank and was thus out of
her proper course. Her lights we're probably
obscured by the shadow of the powder maya
zine. and being much smaller and lower than
the Bywell Castle, tho latter was upon her be-
fore the danger was perceived.