The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1878-09-25
An Awful Disaster.
over 500 Persons Drowned.

LONDON, Sept 3.-The excursion steamer Princess
Alice returning from Gravesend this evening with
about 500 passengers, was run down OFF Barking
about O'Clock by = screw steamer. IL is reported
that between 100 aud 800 persons were drowned.
The Princess Alice was struck anidshps and sunk
almost immediately. The number of persons
drowned is variOusy estimated at from 500 20 $50
The higher estimate is latest aud is given by the
London Steamboat Company, owners of the Prin-
cess Alice. The company's wharf is besieged by
crowds of people anxious to hear of relatives and
friends who were passengers on the i'll lated boat.
Sept. 4.-The steamer which sunk the Princess
Alice is supposed 10 be the Biwen Castle,
collier, bound north in ballast The steward of the
Princess Alice states that after the collision the
other steamer proceeded without attempting 10
render aid. He estimates that 200 persoes
board the Princess Alice. She sunk, bow first, in
five minutes after she was struck. Some small
boats ana another excursion steamer rendered what
assistance possible The drowned include an
extraordinary proportion OF women and children.
Several survivors speak of having lost as many as
tdree, five and six children. They describe the
water as being covered with hundreds OF shrieking
people The caplsin and early all the crew of the
Princess Alice are drowned. They had no time TO
lower the boats and there were but few life buoys
on the steamer. All the police of Woolwich town
aud arsenal were engaged last night labelling
cOrpseS, chiefly women aud children, which COM
pletely fill the guard room al the steamship COM
pany's office at Woolwich Passengers who scram-
bled board the Biwell Castle say she threw ropes
TO people struggling in the water. The number lost
Is still uncertain. Comparison Of the various ac-
counts seem to show about $50 The Princess Alice
WIS paddlewheel steamer with raised saloon.
Her gross tonnage was 25l tons; that of the Biwel
Castle 1876
The steamer Princess Alice, which was run into
and sunk, with such frghttul results last evening
by the collier Biwell Castle was one of the largest
saloon steamers Of the London Steamboat Com
pany The Princess Alice left Gravesend TOR Lon
don soon after o'clock this morning, and arrived
within sight of the royal arsenal ST WoOlwich at
about s. The Biwell Castle was then approaching
the opposite course. The two steamers were
the middle of the stream, just off the city of
London gas works at Beckton, almost the precise
spot of the fatal collision between the Metis and
Wentworth ten years ago What happened is i'm
possible accurately TO detail. All that is known
amid the maddening excitement is, that the screw
steamer struck the Princess Alice Tue port side
the fore sponsor. a scene which has had no
parallel on the river ensued A very few persons
clambered the other vessel, but nearly all rush
ed to the after part of the Princess Alice the bow
subsidized gradually nuder water. The snrieks were
fearful, aud nothing could be done to save life
There were dozen or more life buoys board,
and some boats were swinging at the dayits, but
even if they could have been got at they would
have been of very little service under the crcum-
stances Within five 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 Oh the pas
sage up the river with party OF excursionists,
went TO the rescue, but the river for hundred
yards was filled with drowning persons, screaming
in anguish and praying for help, and it was
growing dark then, not much could be done. 1t is
believed that not more than $50 person escaped
out of 500 aboard the vessel. The Princess Alice
long river steamer, built for excur-
sions down the Thames, of which the middle and
poorer classes OF London are very fond.
LONDON, Sept 4.-ln the case of the Princess
Alice disaster il is believed that both vessels
rounding sharp bend in the river, caused by pro-
lection Of point of land whereon the powder ma
gszine of Woolwich arsenal is situated In order
10 run this point the Princess Alice bad crossed
over TO the right bank OF the river and was thus
out of her proper course. Her lights were prob
ably Obscured by the shadow of the powder maya
zine, and being much smaller and lower than the
Biwell Castle the latter was upon her before the
danger was perceivable.