Daily Republican., 1879-08-12
[NH M.sDAY's ~ nw~.,
THE PlERPONT DIsAsTEK-
MARROW Escspe ~ steambost
fssse"gers-The Picrpont Goes
Down with 5000 Bask. II oa
Peaches ama Otbs Fres~ht

|
, r"sse"gers-The Picrpont Goes
Down with 5000 Bask. II al
reaches and Oths Freight.
In our late edition Of Saturday the
REPUBLICAN, was the only paper that
had any account Of the steamboat col.
lis'on OH the Delaware and the sinking
OF the steamer Pierpont. To day
we are enabled to give more particulars
OF the affair. The Philadelphia "Led.
ger" says that on Friday night last as
the propeller "Pierpont, 7" bound from
SMYRNA, Delaware, for Philadelphia,
with peaches and other produce, was
passing Fort Delaware, a collision oc.
Cured with the steamer Mary Morgan
carrying an excursion party from
Bridgeport, N. j., on a trip to Fort
Delaware.
The Pirrpont was struck amidships
and sank in about IS minutes. She
had on board % people, including her
crew and passengers, and was loaded
with 5000 baskets Of peaches. $50 bu-
shells of wheat, and miscel ellaneous
freight. Her passengers were trans
ferred to the Mary Morgan, and were
landed at Chester on Saturday morn
ing. The Pierpont belonged to the
Taggart propeller line, plying between
smyrna and Philadelphia, and had
just been put in complete order for the
fruit season.
The bow Of the Mary Morgan was
crushed In and the forward compart-
ment filled with water, but she was
able to keep ahoat, and, after landing
her passengers at Bridgeport, was tax.
en- to Wilmington for repairs. She Is
o "ned by M. H. Buckley, Of Chester,
and has been engaged for some time in
the trade between Bridgeport and Phil.
adelphia.
From the Chester "Times" we also
CLEAN The following additional facts
Every passenger Of the sinking vessel
was soon put on the "Morgan" without
accident. The "Pierpont, while sink
ing, was towed into shallower water by
the Morgan, and went down in abont
fifteen feet of water.
The passengers Of the Pierpont"
were all asleep in their hunks when
the accident occurred. Some of them
were knocked out on the floor and 9th
BIS terribly frightened. They did not
know what was the matter. There was
general scrambling for their clothes.
some OF them said they never dressed
10 quickly in their lives. The Pier
'ont" was taking water rapidly, and
vi were ordered to the lif. boats. Some
an half d essed, others carrying their
hoes and stockings in their hands, and
few caught up anything they could
,et hold of.
Who is to blame for the accident is
luestion that will be hard to determine.
the Pierpont ran across the
'ow Of the Morgan. or whether the
unken vessel was in the proper course
nd the Morgan unknowingly ran into
er amidships, is unknown.
Nearly all the passengers on the
'ierpont lost something, some trunks
nd others guns. One lady belonging !
the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing
lach'ns Office of this city, was a pas
enger on the sunken boat and lost her !
'upk, containing about one hundred 1
ollars' worth of goods. Another psr- T
who had been down the bay gun. :
ing lost valuable gun. /
The owners of the "Mary Morgan feel y
,ntdent the fault lies with the captain \
the "Pierpont," as they have as i
'rtained from passengers that she had I
side lights burning.
The "Pierpont" blew one whistle, N
the Morgan" to keep to the right, N
ID the latter boat answered it, but it =
as too late, as they collided few
oments after.
AS we stated on Saturday, the "Mary :,
organ' Is now at the Harlan & Hol- n
1gsworth yards for repairs. Cl
There was not much time to think of -,
ything. Some ran for lite preserv- NJ NJ
8, others for something else, and
ere was just about as much commo -,
III aboard the Pierpont as could Il,
enty-tWo persons make. After all ~
the passengers were loaded on the
'rgan, an effort was made to save M
me OF the valuables aboard the sink ri
boat, but there was not time tor "
Is and the next best thing to do was Rs
get her into shallow water. She
's towed to Bulk Head bar, where &c Re
now lies. At low water it Is 90
ought her deck will be clear. vi
De