The New York herald., 1878-03-29
A SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

TIE STEAMER CRESCENT CITY WHILE LYING
IN THE DRY DOCK Is ALMOST cAPsIzED-No
CAUSE ASSIGNED.
After her last trip It was believed by the company
that sns Crescent City. OF the Pacific Mail line OF
steamers, was In need Of some rifing repairs,
and she was yesterday afternoon taken to
the dry DICK OF the New York Sectional Dry
DOCK Company, at pier As East River. IL was
late In the day when the vessel reacnso
she place. but II believed that she could readhy
be raised and properly shored up before sundown. An
extra force OF lAborers were set At work, and the
Crssesnt City being oated into her place was secured
by blocks and uprights tho dock arose. ana wnsn
the keel Was at the waters edge she remained urn
and apparently steady IN ner shorings The captain
snd crew were on board the vessel and some aoek
hands SILL about at seven O'Clock last nisnt'
A STARTLING SPECTACLE.
The forward keel then little submerged and
she aft portion was ous the water when the vessel
gave sudden lurch tho port side. and then.
yighting gradually, settled over upon her starboard
beam This snfsng pecIed that 1t took tho
srsw unawares upset couple OF them, but as tho
shores were we'll up against the sde and gave
gay slowly she settled moro easily upon her
bilRe and no harm was done to lifo or
limb Of those aboard her The shores and uprights Of
the sectional dock, however, could not stand the
strain and they yielded before the pressure and
we're crushed down almost to the level OF the pier
alongside. As blocks and uprights gavo way and
ssbes cracked tho became quito exciting. Tho
huge hull raised tho air with her tall masts taper
ing ON hgb seemed about to turn over completely
aud DO driven crashing through docks, pier and
oil. Dock oungers aud people from the streets run
uing 10 tho waters edge, surprised by the phe-
nomsnon OF the swaying timbers, came swarming to
Ihs scene and hundreds soon lined the wharfs AMI
Meantime captain aud crew acted cooy and evinced
unueccssarv alarm. Orders wore gwen promptly
aud obeysd readily, snd before long tho vessel was
cleared aud number OF men were ~ work trying 10
right her This found 10 DO impossible, however,
" keeling she had thrown most Of her weight
one side Of tho DOCK which gradually shifting had
sunk under her. leaving the other side raised out OF
Ihe water.
SINKING THE DOCK.
II became evident that the duck itself must have
Its equilibrium established before anything could DO
accom- plshsd. and the hands employed on II werc
e0rdingly summoeed aud at once began the work OF
sinking IT, II Was now alter dark and lights were t
aboard the vessel and exposed alongside the piers 10
o. III. msnnp mad sprcsa. cxaxs.ra,ca OF course.
~ 10 usual in such cases, and there was
now multitude OF sightseers covering tho
river front and In spite OF the murk and damp
ncss watching the motion oil tho inclined masts and
awaiting the moment wncn the steamer would SHIFT
Gradually the elevated snoring ana sections
sido the dock sank aud those that had been driven
against the pier aud partially submerged began TO
ris~ mo blocks and sank out sight aud tho
water arose about the keel Suddenly there was
movement sort OF trcmor Observable IN tuo spars
cracking OF wood as Tho pressure ON tho broken
into u vertical position, swaycd over Tor u moment
aud thon became steadiast The Crescent City had
righled. The dock had sunk almost from bcneatn
her, her keel resting lightly upon It stil however;
otherwise she was entirely watcr-borns.
An attempt was now made 10 ascertain the damage
DONE but IN tue OF the dock that i0und TO be
quito impossible Most Of II below the wator, and
IN the darkness It could not 10 ascsrained how much
the machinery or shores had suffered. II seemed
ItkOly. however, that some OF tho shAlttuk running
between The sections and connecting the works were
broken, and this, with what damage may nave been
done tho shores, would aggregate considerable loss
the SNIP SAFE.
No damage whatever was dono the vessoL When
She kecisd over her sides wero Kept by tho blocks
from striking with any iorcc upon tho supports or
portous o tho dock, and sho rghtcd wiinout strain
Ing her tmbers or iucurrng any similar injury. No
one mad been hurt when shc oiigei, and only somo
little movabes, pieces OF furniture anu The like which
were iyng loosely In tho cabin, were at oil harmed
The of the accident IL difficult to learn. and
she people who present NJ tho ume OF the
renee seem 10 be utterly ignorant oi II themselves
IL 10 believed, however, that the trouble must havo
resulted IRON the shifting OF u bilgc block.
Last night Mr. CLYDE, tho president OF the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, aud Captain Porter VINO 10
in charge VI tne Crescent City, were met by HERALD
reporter nj the scene o the accdeLL Tho vessel then
had been completely restored TO lis position, her
lights were H. the crew moving ABOUT board
anu everything seemed much tue sano about her
usua. One sde OF the dock. however, whore the
sei had struck, looked somewhat rugged and wrecked
but sectional dock, part suDkeD, Is at no time
very regular or well proportoncd structure, II was
difficult 10 determine anything from that.
CAPTAIN PoKTEH's STATEMENT.
Captain Porter said that nothing aboard ship had
come to sriei, not timber had been injured, not
spar shifted. The accident he could account Tor,
but WITH others, believed could be explained by the
sippIng bilgc-biock theory ho had brought tho
Cre.cent City to the dock during tho aitcrnoon and
had set about getting her raised Ho tue
lurch vi The vessel had not been ict much might
be expected tho deck and whom sho settled her
starbosrd beams she went over slowly that ~
Caused no QUO auy great Inconvenience. He said he
uid not know wnat harm had been done tho DOCK but
believed that little more than tho damage 10 tho
shores had resulted from the shock.
hr. Clyde was oi the same opinion. He confirmed
tho statement regarding the vessels perfect safety
anu regarded the docks damage as very trIiiug,
though, OF course, nothing could be said with
tainIy till examination To-day, he said,
the Crcscent City would be taken OFT the dock
" and removed TO another one, where her repairs
would be completed.
The stores Of 'Iongshoremen aud dock hands wore.
however widely NJ variance with the statement OF
these gentlemen Win their weakness Tor exaggers-
sion they multiplied tho ngures triIe, doubt,
She general estimate thcy turnishci oil the losses
Wuve befw BIO ofno