New-York tribune., 1880-01-15

The steamer G. L. Olyphant, running HOW
Pier IL East RIVER at the foot OF Wallst, to Long
Island CITY connecting With the Long Island Railroad
eft her per yesterday at 3:O5 p. No. bound up There
were onlg fourteen passengers board and crew OF
thirteen As the Oyphant rounded the Hook near The
foot OF Grand-st., the pilot saw two steamboats,
coming down. One was the Harlem, Of the Harlem
Lno which about to make her landing Mt the loot
Of Grandst The other was the Grand-st ierrJ -Doat
Warren which was approaching her SLIP at tho foot Of
Grand ST.
The ferry boat had left her slip at the foot of Grand
ST. ON he BROOKLYN sle aud headed down str,a am.
When scan by the pilot Of the Oyphant the Warren was
of the foot OF Delauceyst, abOu 300 yards from shore
Captain Mason. the lot of the Warren says that he
blew ono whistle for The Harlem to keep on her course
and che did so He also sigualled to the Obphant to
pass asiern OF HMM other words to keep further out
I'm The river Meanwhile he had -ipnalled his engineer
TO slow down, and finding tha. the Oyphant dil not
check per speed stopped altogether and backed water In
tue cndcavor to avcrt the collision, which now secmed
Inevitable. The boats came together with loud crash,
striking bows.
TIL Oliphant being the lighter vessel OF the two
ccived b. far most damage nearly twenty feet Of
her crushed, IN some places below the water
lnc aud her upper works for considerable distance
were carried away. The man deck ripped mp. ard
q portion of it oyerlappcd that Ot The Warren. The
pilot-housc IN good part demolished The injuries
10 the Warren not serious. Her chain posts and
under the guard were Knocked out Her hull was not
damaged.
IT was evident that the Olyphan, was in great danger
Of sinking for the water pouring In through the
rent in her bows. good deal Of alarm was felt BIZ the
passengers OF both boats. especially among those on
the Oyphant, Lifo prescrvcrs were hurredly seized
and adIus,oi One or two ladies tainted. William Man
cam. a bootbIack on the Oyphant, sprang overheard
ana struck out for the shore. He was picked
n, by one OF several email boats which had
mt ont from the Ncw-YOIk shore immedi
ately after the collision. passing tug. the Mary
Ann drew up alongside the Olypbant ana the remainder
of the frightened passengers were safely taken on.
Pnrscr Vroeaud was last To leave the steamer after
he had satisfied himself that remained on board.
The messengers were landed and took the nearest way
20 Long Island CITY. Both Purser Yreeland and Pilot
Mason of the Warren. confident that no lives were
lost.
When tho last OF the passengers had been removed
from the Olyphant II evident that she could not
long he kept anoaL TIE Olly wonder WAS that she did
not nll and 20 down almost Immediately after the col
I;siou. gie engineer whe seems to have heen pucky
man remained his post until driven out by the rising
water. which pouring In through the great rent In
the bows A small fleet OF tugs had gathered around
within i've minutes after The collision. aud the services
OF two Of them, the Grinu and the Coffin. were OBJ
tanned to tow the disabled steamer down TO
tho slip OF tho Long Island Railroad Com
many n ne foot of Bridgest w0Ile nearing the slip,
vii
euddculY lcd over on one sldc s"od pHil OF VIVA,
rena ned oi the upper CABIN and HIGHT woodwork noted
of aud the steamer turned bottom up. she was then
towed INTO the F,i Some oi tue WteckuR@. mcIudlhS
al-o a part .ugnltnrc was picked up by the own
crs Of small boats, and towcd into the Slip
Had tue collision occurred on the succeeding trip,
when the OYpbant would have been crowded win pas
scuccrs for train on Tie Long Island Rail-
road. there would almost certainly have been very
heayy los- oi lifc. ,-,.,
until Sic Is rai1cd !, WI pfoDaOy ne s'mewherc aOout
$1,000. She sowncd by stephen T. & Thomas snort-
so 900 She was Insured fo - 900. purchased
by them IN July last Previous to that time she had
been runnin. the Harlem route she was for con
.idrrablc time employed excursion steamer. Her
carrying capacity was rated "t 400 p"s7ensers'
PURsER VEErLAND's STORY.
Herbert H. Vrccnud the riJscr Of the Oyphant,
WAS found al Hunters Point last evening and made the
following statement a TRIBUNE reporter: =" cannot
foil how the accident occurred, for II happened
quickly aud Unexpectedly that did not notice the
cause. The c. +. Olyphant left Per No II, near the
foot Of Wall-st 300 D. TO connect at Hunters
Point with the Long Island Railroad train There were
on board twenty of whom fourteen were
passengers aud rest the of the boat The pas
seupers were all from Flushing and beyond
know some OF them by sight bnt not by name. When
about opposite Grandst. the Olyphant came into col
lon with the ferry Warren We 500 feet ont
I'm the river think when the Warren struck us in the
bow The blow was powerful one, ana the Oyphant
recocd nnm edatelv the Warren backing away. About
twenty bow carried away, ana the Oly-
MI forward
Seaman the engineer STUCK 10 nis posi- anu hep n,S
engine going until he found bis feet IN water.
by this plucky performance or duty the boat was
was NOT oay brought TO within seventYve feet or the
shore but, think, saved from SINKING sooner thal
she did. -
on course there was great alarm among our psssen-
gers and also among the crew, and possibly panic was
avercd by the admirable oolness OF tho mate JonI
Cooper who only kept his own head but prevented
rest from losing their secOhtro inc poOtDlaeA o
! board and struck out towards Brooklyn ~
was at frat reported that he was drowned Dut
| tt,ofl .hpd
been Mangsn was tue only person On Pod e cS %nS
got wet sgnaled tus the MAY @ ,n n", "u ,ln tbc
passengers of. Two other tugs, me Grlln ana conn.,
y taken off, / being the last one TO leave. While being
towed down the river the Olyphant capsH hnu san.
may have caused her go The passengers went
up In Tbirty- -iourtnst. nnd came over py
that ferry line 10 Hunters Point where they took the
| train for their homes.
| THE FrREYBoAT Pilots ACCOUNT.
Pilot Charles H. Mason OF the ierryooat ""reu' sau
that he left the Br 1oklyn slip at BIZ O'CLOCK D. m
strong ebb tide running T1e boat was Oh the ioo
OF Deancey-st coming down, when he noticed the oy-
phant coming ronnd the nook on the way up The
| steamer Harlem o. the HarIom Line, was ON tile way
down and Mason thought there not room for the
Oyphaut TO pass between them. Ilc blew one whistle
for the Oyphant, and was answered Win one whiste
| The Oyphant at this time was under iuIi speed lie
had meanwhile raug the engineers bell TO SLOW inc
| Harlem blew one whistle, indicating thot she
would continue on ner course. i"o ""ii'" ""' INV"
| stopped Pilot Mason said he blew one whistle to the
Olvphaut and the latter responded with one indicat-
inc that her plot understood the signals gwen him.
iookng over the side OF his vessel Pilot Mason says ne
| saw that she motloults-.
| The O.yphant came right on, apparently without
slackenur her epeed the least and crashed into the
| Warren Roth boats met bow The bows OF the
| Olyuhant were crushed IN, and the light wood
| WORK of the forward cabin was badly smnsheh.
The bow of the Warren under the!main deck Of the
Oyphnn lifting the latter on 10 the deck OF tne warren
There was good deal OF confusion on the olyphant
| thp
ing that she might sink In few minutes plot Mason
ktpt h boat alongside OF her, and several OF the hsse'
cr gof on board The remainder were akcn OH NY the
tnrboa, Mary Ann. The tugs Griffin end Collin came up
und took the Olyphant In tow. .
He was oertan that no lives were lost. Fortunately.
| there were few passengers board either boat lie
was certain that his boat not under way nj the
nndn ccrlan fnnt the knced