Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-09-04
Foreign News.

;ne from Grayes,nd 10 Louton yesterday morn |
inc, with about 500 passengers On Doald' was
run down, off Barking, about eight O'Clock, D9
screw steamer. The Princess Alice was
struck emidship aud sunk almost Immediately !
The number Of persons drowned is variously
estimated at from 500 to 500. The higher e. |
innate is the latest, and is given by the London
Steamboat Company. tho owners OF the PrlnceSS
Alice. 49,.
Tho steamer which sunk the Princess Alice
is supposed to BIO the ByweIl Castle, screw
collier, bound north, in ballast. Tho steward
Of the Princess Alice says that after the collision
the other steamer proceeded without attempt
| ing to render aid. lie estimated that 700 per-
sons were on board. She sunk, bow first, IN i've
| minutes after she was struck. Some SINAI!
boats and another excursion steamer rendered
what assistance was possible.
The drowned Include au extraordinary pro-
portion Of women and children. Several OF the
survivors speak Of having lost as many as three,
five and six children. They describe tho water
SO covered with hundreds OF shrlcklng people.
The captain and nearly aIl OF the crew OF Inc
Princess Alice were drowned. They had no
| time to lower the boats. and there were butte"
| life buoys on the steamer
were engaged in labelling tho corpsos, chiefly
! of women and children. which completely hlieG
| tho board.room at tho steamboat companies
offices at Woolwich. A passenger who had
scrambled on board tho Bywoll Oasi!e says s stl
throws ropes TO The people struggling IN the
| water. The number lost is STILL uncertain
| Comparison of tho various accounts seem 10
show about $50. The Princes Alice was pad
| do wheel steamer with raised saloon. H0r
groes tonnage WAS 26l tons, and that OF the bywoiI
| Castle 1876.
| LONDON, September Tho paddle wheel
excursion steamer Princess Alloo, which was
run into and sunk with such trlghtinl results
last evening, while on her return from Graves.
end TO London by the screw collier ByWcll
castle. was ono OF tho largest saloon steamers
Of the London Steamboat Company. She lett
London at about II o'clock yesterday morning
from Graycsond and ShcernCss many excursion
ista hcine induced by the iino weather to 90 for
holiday trip. The vessel left Gravcsend on
tho return Journey soop after SIX clock IN the
evening and arrived within sight OF the royal
arsenal at Woolwioh at about S O'Clock. Tho
| Bywell Castle WIS then approaching on the op,
!. nosite course The two steamers we're near the
middle of the stream ust CIT tho city or London
, sas works at Beckton AID below TIC North
Woolwich Gardens, almost the precise spot
where tho fatal collision OCCURRED betTeen the
{ Mets and Wentworth Ten years ago. W nat
happened isimpnssihe accurately to detail. AL
, That is known amid the maddenng excitement
, ia that The sorrow steamer struck the PrlncsSs
: Alioo on the port side near the fore sponson. a
, scene which has had no parallel on the river
cnsued. \ very few persons cambared on the
other yesstl, but nearly all rushed to tic alter
part otthe Princess Alice. AS the bow sub
sided gradually uOdcr the water The shrek:
e., we're fearful aud nothing could be done tn save
, life, There. wero q dom or in0re lie buny:
= On board and somo boats Wcr5 suraihg II
the da7its, but even it they could have beer
cot at they would have been oi little
service under the circumstances. Within nv
minutes tho Princess Alice heclcd camp lately
over and went down IN deep water. Some
small boats hastenad to the scenr, and the Duke
Of Teck, another steamer belonging 20 the same
company, which was also ca tho passage VI
the river with party Of cxcursonlsts, went Il
r the rescue, but the river Tor q hundred yard
was full OF drowning people screaming "a aRap,fl
tfen~ not tnutn" dodTd ID done. Ii il believed
. that not more than one hundred aud fifty per
! sons escaped out of tho eight hundred ab0ar,
the vessel. The Pieces Alice Was long and low
steamer built tor excursions down nc Thames
OF which the middle and poorer classes Of Lon
doneTs were very fond. She had saloons on thi
Q forward and alter decks, and her passenger
r carrying capacity was uuu2ualy large. a large
. proportion OF her passengers last evening Wert
on tho upper or saloon deck, and must have
seen before hand their impending doom, ia
those in the stern Of the steamer had nc
warning, until they heard the crash ard lounl
the passengers from the forward part Of tht
{ vessel running to tho alter part. Beyond thu
fact that the tide was about tEo hours cbb
which would enable tho Princess Alice to. ease
, and stop sooner than tho scgc,g Steamer which
would be borne 90 tn; :;iide, it is impossible tc
discover H Ky Of the circumstances Immediately
tnp..aceding the collision. Before the boats came
in collision there were cries from ono to the
other to keep out of the way, but IS usual il
SUCH cases, the accident was probably due 10
misunderstanding, the one mlsnterpfctlBg the
intent CT the other All the ralea Of sailing
we're cast to the winds ia the moment Of peril,
each taking tho wrong curse to avoid each
Others blunder
LONDON Sept. 4--Tho cars, Of The Princess
Alice disaster is believed 10 DC that both YES.
sells we're rounding the sharp bend ia the river
caused by tho protection Of point Of land
whercon the powder magazine Of the Wool,
wich Arsenal is situated. Ia order to turn this
point, the Princess Alice had crossed over to
the right bank Of the river, aGd was thus out
OF her proper course. Her llght were prooaDly
obscurcd by the shadow of the powder maya
zine. and being much smaller and lover than
the Bywell Castle, tho latter was upon her bc.
fore the danger was perceived.
LONDON, Sept. 4.-Petcr Froman, the self.
confessed murderer who was arrested at Grave
send on the Goth of August on the arrival Of
the bark Com. Donkin from Bull Rivers G. on
which vessel he was stowaway, and who has
been twice remanded, vas to day again remand.
ed for ono week.
At the Theirs ceremonial in tho Cathedral of
N otro Dame in Paris. yesterday, q delegation
Of ten Americans, from the conference on the
proposed treaty of commerce between Franco
and tho United States, headed by Mr.. Pollok.
presented a largo wreath Of flowers, end was as
signed p prominent place il tho center of the
church. Minister Noyes, Mr.. Hitz. secretary
Of tho American Legation; Consul General
Fairchild. Commissioner General Mccormick,
and other prominent Americans were present at
the ceremony.