Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-29
DISASTER 0NTHEST.J0HNS
4 STEAM YACHT RUN DOWN AND
ONE LIFE LOST.

4 STEAM YACHT RUN DOWN AND
ONE LIFE LOST.
The Steamboat Anita Ran Into a Steam
Yacht Opposite Buffalo BIufi, Ten
Miles south of Palatka, and Knocked
a Hole in Her-A Full Account of the
Accident
4 terrible accident happened on the ST.
T-sn's river Tuesday night, In which
Edward 2. Hall. OF Boston. lost bis life,
and 3. ". Miller. Of Florida, was severely
injured. The circumstances ofthe accident
are as follows: The little steam yacht
Princess had been chartered 70 carry
party Of gentlemen from Seville 10 Pa
latka. These gentlemen were Edward
r. Hall. Of Boston. a young man
about - wears Of age and
director In the Halifax and Indian
River Railroad. b. N. Miller, a native Of
Wisconsin. now a resident Of Florida,
abour 80 years Of age, and Treasurer of
fire seville Land and Improvement CON-
many. and ". GraysOn Mann, Of SaYan-
nah. President Of the Seville Land and
Improvement Company. There were also
on The Yacht the Captain. pilot and boy
Nessrs. Mann. Miller and Hall had been
eni0vinE the evening on deck singing ana
taikinz Shortly before 10 O'Clock Mr..
Mann. feeling drowsy, retired 10 me
cabin Mr.. Hall and Mr.. Miller re-
mained on deck. They were seated
on the railing of the vessel. an IN
conscious OF danger, when suddenly,
as the vessel was rounding a bend.
/ in the river. about opposite Buffalo BluH-
ID miles south Of Palatka. the whistle Of
the Princess sounded sharply. and, with
hardly a moments intermlssl0n, an
answering whistle was blown by large
steamboat. which was almost upon the
I Princess. The steamboat was the Anita.
ON her way from Palatka to Sanford.
I Before those on board Of the Princess had
I time % think the Anita struck the
! Princess well towards the stern and
/ passed on. Nj. Hall and Mr.. Miller were
1 Knocked into the river. All was confusion
I 0n board the Princess. The rapidly
+ escaping steam gave the impression that
/ the boiler had burst. The conclusion had
I broken an the glass about the vessel and
piled everything in confusion in the cabin.
/ Mr. Mann. who had been doing, was
1 thrown TO the floor He made bis way to
/ the deck. and hurrying TO the pilot ana
/ CautaIn INQUIRED what had become Of his
/ friends and what happened. He did not
/ know 81 the collision, and did not, there
/ fore. know the explanation % the c0n0i-
/ ton OF affairs. The Captain and the pilot
4 arpeared dumb with fright or dazed by
I the calamity. They said nothing. Being
/ pressed by Mr.. Mann for information,
I thew SAID: You ask too many
/ Questions" At that moment Mr..
/ Mann noticed that they were
I lowering a small boat. When the boat
/ touched tine water they jumped into it
| and rowed away. All this time the steam
/ was escaping with terrific force and great
| noise. Mr. Mann looked toward the shore
I and saw il that was not far away. Being a
| good swimmer he felt no alarm on his
1 own account. He noticed that the stern
/ oftbe Princess was settling. He knew then
/ that the vessel was slowly sinking. but
/ the cause of the disaster was still I'M
I known 10 him lie was filled with fore
| b0diugs about his friends. what had
become of them he did know and
[ could not surmise. He could
get no information. Moving forward be
/ came across the boy. The boy appeared
bereft Of his senses. No amount of ques-
/ ti0ninr could get an intelligent word from
| him. lie could not tell what had occurred.
he did not know what had become Of the
I passengers. He did not know where the
/ life prescrVers We're. In the meantime
the Anita had stOpped-in fact, had
I turned back 10 see what damage had been
done Mr.. Mann called and saiu
his friends must be in the river,
and TO search diligently for them.
Mr. Mann made his way to the bow.
/ There he thought he would be safer, be-
/ cause the vessel gave evidence Of going
down stern first if she sank. He Gained
the fears Of the boy by telling him that
DE would help him ashore. The steam
/ obscured the stern from the bow, but Mr..
Mann heard some men come aboard. lie
/ made his way aft through the steam. The
/ men had gone. He passed into the cabin.
/ Mr.. Miller was in a bunk wrapped III a
I sheet The men from the Anita had
! found him in the river and brought
him aboard. His face was ter
1 riblv bruised and cut, and he was
! bleeding prOfUselv. He was not fully
/ conscious. M Mann bathed him with
brandy and gave MIN some to drink. lie
/ gradually recovered consciousness. He
/ said that the blow of the Anita threw him
/ and Mr.. Hall into the river backward. They
/ were drawn under the wheels Of the AMI
IA and were struck by the paddles. He
I supposed Mr.. Hall was killed at once. He
I himself was ready to sink when rescued.
By this time the Princess had drifted near
tie shore. The accident happened close
/ 90 where the jacksonville, Tampa and
I Key West Railroad is building a
I bridge across the st. Johns river, and
I as the Princess approached the shore
/ some Of the workers on the bridge saw
[ her and came to her assistance. w men
/ lowed a shore she was about ready to sink.
( \ large hole. il was discovered, had been
I Knocked in her side. When those on the
/ Princess were taken ashore a search was
/ instituted along the river bank for Mr.. Hall.
Ii was thought that his body might have
/ drifted ashore. No trace Of him was dis
I covered. An hour later the steamer FlOri-
dI came along, and Mir. Mann, with Mr..
/ Miller, took passage for Palatka. 1t was
/ necessary TO get Mr.. Miller under ply
. sician's care as soon as pOssible,as ne was
I suffering greatly.and the extent Of his iniu-
ries could not be determined. He was much
I improved yesterday morning. A tug was
hired and search made for Mr.. Halls
body Yesterday. with what success is not
I known Mr.. Mann reached Savannah
/ last night. He is unable to say who Is
I responsible for the accident. The Prin-
cess was about 50 feet long. She had all
her lights out when run down. The Anita
/ left the Yacht because the officers did not
I know that she was in a sinking cOndi-
T ton. Why the Captain and pilot left the
/ Princess 50 suddenly Mr.. Mann does not
know, unless to hunt for Mr.. Hall and Mr..
/ Miller. IL is understood that SUIT for
/ damages viii be brought against the
! au-rnre of tho Anita