New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-18
ON A ROCK IN THE EAST RIVER.

ACCIDENT TO THE CITY OF WORCESTER.
ENCOUNTERING BANK OF FOG OFF THIRTY
FoURTH-sT.-THE PASSENGERS EASILY TAKEN
OFF AND THE BOAT FLOATED AFTER TWO
HOURS.
The City of Worcester, the new iron steamer of
the Norwich Line, ran on the reef OF rocks In the
East River known as the Governors Tabe,last eve
Ming 1t left Pier No. 40 North River, at o'clock,
and reached Tbirty-fourth-st. an hOnr later.
heavy bank of fog was then encountered and as
the darkness was so great that the position of the
other Sound steamers could only be distinguished
by their Whistles Captain Ward decided to anchor
until the fog lifted. Accordingly the boat al
lowed TO drift on the ebb tide about 200 feet,
when she ran on the rock and
was held fast. Owing TO the inclem-
ent weather few people had ventured TO brave
night on the Sound and there were less than 100
passengers on the boat which is licensed to carry
600 persons There was considerable excitement
among the passengers. who were taken from the
steamer by two tugs which happened to be passing
and heard the whistles of the injured boat. Nearly
all the passengers taken 10 the ferryhouse at
Thirty -fourth-st, and either returned to their
homes or continued their journey by rail.
The steamer lay on the reef about two hours,
when with the increase of the tide. she was raised
and taken in tow by the City of Norwich. boat
owned by the same line and mOored at the dock of
the Department of Public Works at the foot of East
Twentv-fourth-st. Here the cargo of the Wor-
cester was transferred to the Norwich, which
started a second time for Norwich. As
soon as Captain Ward saw that the boat had been
scraped by the rock, and leaking, he started
the pumps. which had gained on the water at mid
night 1t was sill too deep at that hour for the of
ficers 10 ascertain how much injury had been sus-
tained
About IL o'clock last night reporter of THE
TRIBUNE clambered over two canalboats and up the
side of the steamer through mass of dense fog.
G. II. Williams, officer OF the company. who re-
fused 10 tell what official position he held was on
the steamer, were also Superintendent ;. A.
Gardner ir.. Captain w. D. Ward and other officers
of the boat Mr. Williams at first endeavored to
evade all questions regarding the accident, declar
newspapers He aftcrward gave statement
which correspOnded with that already given.
He said that the boat was launched op
September 2s 1851, that it cost Y5O0,OOO and is
one of the largest boats now on the Sound. IL is
lighted with the electric light and is very richly
furnished Mr. Williams said that the accident was
wholly unavoidable and that no blame was at
tacbed to Captain Ward, who has been Sound
captain for eight years. He admitted that
the company had made no provisions Tor the
passengers, with the exception of the dozen who
remained on board the boat during the night; When
he was asked if anyone had been hurt by the acci-
dent Mr. Williams laughed at the suggestion and
said that notwithstanding the heavy fog aud the
darkness at the time there was no danger of any
one being injured.
Superintendent Gardner SAID: AS soon as heard
of the accident telesraphed the Merritt Coast
Wrecking Company 10 come at once 10
take the steamer off the, rock. and
as soon as she foated telegraphed
that company to send men to assist in finding ont
the extent OF the damage and to take the boat to
the Erie Basin Dry Dock tomorrow morning
There is about two feet of water now IN the hold,
but the pumps are gaining on the water Inc h9ie
In the bottom of the boat the port side OF the
bow and cannot be very large
The person most affected by the occur
renee was the captain. who was so
overcome by the accident that he could only
speak in broken sentences to the reporter. was
in the pilothouse," he said, with my two pilots,
Bailey and Chapman, when we entered tne log
bank about O'clock Thinking it unwise to pro;
ceed, as did not know where the Stonlngton ana
Fall River boats were. stopped the engines IN,
tending to anchor in mld-stream. ihe liue hau
carried US about 200 feet down when the % post
struck. / am told that there Is buoy there
usually, but that it was swept away or OF
taken away last Sunday. am not
sure of that, however. At any rate
ii was so dark that we could not have seen the
buoy had it been there. The City OF Norwich the
freight-boat of our line. always accompanies U.S.