New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-18
EXCITEMENT AT THE PIERS


LY GNJURED-AN ACCIDENT TO THE CRESCENT
CTrY-SLPPING OF THE BILGE BLOCKS.
TIE Pacific Mail steamship Crescent City lay yes
tcrday morning at the foot of Clinton-st East
River, IN dock of the New-Yorl Floating Dry
Dock Company. She had been thoroughly over
hauled In the last two months, and had been sent
to the dock at ClntOn-st. on Friday to
be repanted. Yesterday morning she was
to be towed by tug to the comp1nys pier at Canal
ST., North River and refitted for her next voyage.
force of men under John McCann, therefore, low
cred the dock in which she lay at $50 a. m, yester
day. But the tug did not come, and the tide went
ont so fast that the dock was soon resting on the
mud
McCann then ordered the men to raise it, This was
done, and by 1870 the keel of the steam
ship was clear John Hart, Thomas Hart, John
Jones and William Butler, four of the wOrkmen,
under McCann were in the dock arranging the
bilgc blocks which help to keep the vessel upright.
john Hart had crpwbar in his hand, and pnt-
ting in position an extra big block. McCann was
on board the steamship, just coming down the lad
der TO get off. Francis Burns, James Dunphy and
John Cu,Sacl were on the north section of the
dock; Patrick Mchun and Dennis Higgins were on
the south sections. Suddenly the bilge blocks on the
north side gave way in an meXplicabe
manner, and the Crescent City carecned over at an
angle OF about twenty degrees when she was stopped
and supported by some props. John Hart was al
most directly under the steamship when it moved
and the Who'll" weight came upon him. His death
must have been almost instantaneous Butler,
Thomas Hart aud Jones saw the vessel moving, and
jumping from the dock into the water swan for their
lives. Butler was struck rs a falling beam in the
back and injured 81 thai he had to be taken
TO the Chambers Street Hospital. lie was well
In, g.. pt1I
10 go to mis- nome at No. $50 SNth-ayc Jones cS-
capped with very slight bruises John tus>dcS,
Burn. and DUuphy who were on the mont sections,
81" me N"'- Slipping. aud thinking tHi'
it voula strike tlcu jumped into the water dis
iaUcr of about twelve ic't. tus-ark struck on
.ulr and bruised hi, heel badly. while Burns hurt
his thigh. NctIuu WAS thrown from the steam
ship ladder and struck his knee pan against beam
IN 'uc water llr was bruised severely but WaSar"uuq
th" dock no tEr "a t"ruopu. rs Were also BnrnS and
Cus,ack. 81, the steamship listed. the dock sunk,
carving the steamship with il. under which was
the body OF Hart. When he dock was firmly on
the bottom, the Crescent City was found to be
tipped over at uu angle of about twenty degrees,
! hyt was firmly supported by the props Captain
| Lima the mates and th" crew were on board when
| tlr accident happened but the vessel sllpEcd 80
slowly thJt they said they scarcely felt the shock.
4 Large crowd Immediately collected ut the scene
of the accident. john Hart lived at No. 3iG Cher
ry-~f. aud the homes OF most ol the 3thSr men were
within block OF the spot so that all their friends
assembled to talk the matter over. Frederick l..
Hewitt. the secretary of the Dry Dock Company,
imnpdiItvly look charge of Affairs and set men TO
work to m ,h the vessel l'y means of pulicys and
ropes -h wa, finally pulled into nearly an upright
position. MciuW bile, men with graphing
irons were -c1t for. About o'clock, the Crescent
CIty being q favorable position, iour WJtcriaen,
Michael Nola.. aud Thomas Edward AMI John Rear
don began to search for iarts body with the ucccS-
sary tools By that time the crowd of spectators
had increased 20 that u covered all the ncghborng
pier, and lumber piles. aud extended TAR INTO the
street AS the WafcrWcu's boats slowly advanced
over the dock th" graphing iron OF NoleS suddenly
,aught on ,omcth.u- aud after strenuous
I.. t|I. It ron al
The va'suuru dragged them slowly through the
water ald placed them on pier, covering mp the
face. iIc man had been crushed almost INTO JcllN
About . p. Ia. an undcitaAcr removed the Dolly 10
'WvIbat caused the bilgc blocks to slip, thus
allowing the steamship to list rs not KNOW u.
Tbc Warnmcn connected with the Dry
bnck s,v that the vessel was top-hcavy,
70, she had no ballast ard the engines are placed
nigh i'm the hull. About twenty months ago the
Crescent CITY turned partly over IN dry dock OF
the same company, IN a similar way No one " as
hurt at that time. The officers of the Crescent IllS
say that she Is not toPhcavy, but they do no" oicr
any explanation of the accident. An Oh seaman,
who was az the scene of the accident yesterday,
SAID that 10 was the iault O the Dry Dock Company,
which should nave had ten or twelve men NJ work
putting the bridge blocks IN place, instead OF three
or four. Some persons thought that the accident
was caused by tine fresh ,aInt on the vessel Whlch
caused the Bulge blocks 10 slip.
M. Hewitt Who seemed to be- the only officer OF
the Dry Dock Company present Sould NOT or
would NOT, oder any explanation. lie expressed
willingness rather desire, To give all the hGf-
nation hc could To- the public at The same tlne he
ordered the wOrlImcn who we're present AT tl'
tuc ~ the accident to say nothing about 1t.
At least 80 the workmcn mtimatcd. reporter
ASKED McCanu some questions. Mr. ilrWGtt,
who saw them together, Immediately lcu
M,Caun away, and aitcrward apoiogzcd 10
the rrporcr saying that hc did this because he was
AFRAID McCaRn might become excited. McCanh
evidently had the same opinion after that for moth
ing would he say to any one.
john Hart, who was killed, was i9rly-hEe years
old. lie wa, born III Limerick, Ireland hut ha4
I.... Ia. . i.t. rtH
been employed at the dock over hNc years, ana lie
was good workman and sober and industrious
man. lie leaves wife and Tour chlIdlch thte
boys, the oldest OF whom lS sixteen ears, ana ono
gIrl. ,
The Crescent CITY was launched in May, 1860, at
South Bo,,on. Ia 1873 she was ,ngtheucd and re-,
pared she J., briudutiuc rugged, 100 tcet lonE 81
feet wide, 10 feet deep aud OF l,f3l tons burden;
She has hfcc bulkhcads, two boilers ami compound
engines. Hr officers said that She was not injured
by the accident. About p m, the ude hANinE
risen suinclcnty, she was towcd by ting to the "a
cine Mail Steamship Company per, at Cahal-S''
and the North River. ,
The dock IN winch the accident occurred, Mr..
Hewitt said was only very slightly injured only
one section having bacn damaged workman
however, who hau had good opportunity 10 exam
inc said that II had been injured badly, ana !hat
1t would take several thousand dollars to repair H.
AN ATTEMPT TO BURN TIE BOTINIA.
SUSPICIOUS VISIT OF TWO MEN TO THE CUNARD
STEAMSHIP oS SUNDAY NIGHr-A CARPET sAru-
RATED WITH PHOSPHORUS AND OIL luNllES
AFTER THEIR DEPARTURE.
ono strangers admitted at this hour" said the
patcman at the Cunard Pier No. 10, North River
about Il quarter before o'clock Sunday night lie
addressed two men. one of them tall and angular
prrson and the other of medium height.
But we want to SEQ friend aboard the Both
MIA" said the tall man.
What friend /" asked the gatcman, eycing the
visitors curiously.
"It is the boatswain we want to sce, said the
other, " Boa swain Jackson: isn't he on boardT
AS the rules are not 80 rgidly enforced Sunday