Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-07
GOULD AND PARTY SHAKEN UP.
The AtaInntn Carried BY the Tide Ont OF the
Channei-A Moment OF Danger and Confu-
New York Times.I


New York Timesl
An old man sitting alone on rock at
The foot Of east Eighty-Hinth street, Just
after 3 O'Clock yesterday afternoon, saw
jay Gouid's big yacht. the Atlanta, head
ing toward bin in the quiet stretch OF
water half a nile beyond He'll Gate. He
alose siifly, beckOned to three men and
two boys near the Manhattan bOlt-hOu>e,
and climbed slowly 20 the top OF the bank
above him. The three men sauntered care
lcssly toward the old man, but a gesture
from him caused them 10 stop and stare
across The river. Then. without word,
they too climbed the bank.
"Shc can't make it, SAID one, shaking
his head cmpha'icaly.
"Gucss sho don't mean TO-" said an
ether. "The tide, agin her."
Don't make no difference" said the old
man, "bccaU,e I've heard That her pilot has
bis orders 10 keen out o tn ship channel,
an he's goin' = do IT,"
These men. having discovered at
glance that the ATLANTA had been forced
ont Of The Long Island channel through
Hell Gate by tug with tow OF blrgcs
and was heading for the middle chmnel
instead Of the safer but more circmtOus
ship-channol. laid small wages with them
selves that Mr.. Gould's plca,ure-bost would
not get through the channel in safety
should her pilot put her 10 the test. Their
sole and only La,i- OF calculation, in addi.
iion 10 III crOokcdnoSs OF the channel. wa,
the fact th1t the tide was running down
with the yc,scl at the rate OF about eight
knot. ~ hour.
The old man was right. The Atlanta
swung in with the current Just beyond
Hcll Gate and headed through The middle
channel. Her bows were pointed straight
toT1rd the Manhattan boat-hou>e. Grad
u.lIy the bone i'm her mouth dwinded
down 10 n mere ripple, and the handsome
bows shcered outward. The wheel
lad been put haed down, and the
Yacht apparently did little more than
nost with the tide. IN Astoria fer
ry-bc-i stopped 10 give her room, and
people on shore paused ~ watch her move
merits. There seemed 10 De doubt that she
would clear the point of rocks At the foot o;
Eichty ninth street. Suddenly She rocked
slightly from side 10 side. Her engines had
beer reversed. People on her deck, ran to
the >tarboard quarter and peered anXiously
over the side. Ia moment there was
confused hurTyins Of men at the wheel
house. and solid column OF spray hung
under her stern. The yacht shook from
truck to keel with The racing screw.
In spite II all efforts 10 stop her the Ata-
lanta forged ahead, her bow still slightly
vecrlng outward. Confusion seized the
people on her deck, and they ran about
helpless and beHildered. After what
.ccmed 10 be an hour OF suspense. the Ata-
lanta's iib-boom swept past the little group
Of men on the bank. \ moment later the
,talbOard bow struck the rocks and stuck
fast. The yacht heeled over until her
portrait nearly touched the water, and
then swung out very slowly toward
The channel. Her passengers screamed in
terror, chung 10 awning-pOst.. and Sid
about the deck. Mr.. Gould was seen hold
ing on by tie wheclin the pil0t-house. The
tower If foam under the stern grew larger,
the vessel jumped heavily on the rocks,
Tasped and pounded along for about 100
feet, and then Slid oil. stern foremost, into
deep water. \ row-bOat manned by two
men from the float at the foot Of Eighty
eighth street slided up alongside TO offer
help. but no help was needed.
"We're all right" said Captain Shack
ford to the people who crowded about him.
Then To the crew: Here, men, start the
pumps. Look sharp"
As the Yacht forged ont into the river
the whir OF the powerful stelm-pumps shook
her again and "A stream OF water poured out
through her side. For hall IN hour she
zigzageed TO and fro acrOS, the river. the
stream Of water pouring from her all the
while. Then. when a cursOry examination
had been made. she gathered Roadway and
continued her cruise down the river.
When she passed the battery with her usual
rush ard roar her passengers, about forty
in number, were grouped about under her
stern awning a. cOmplacently a though
nothing had occurred To mar the serenity
OF the summers day excursion up the
sound. Oh Tweniy-third street, her down
town anchorage, the Atalanta stopped. A
boat was lowered and several pl,,engers
wee put ashore Then the yacht surged
forward again, gathered the foam OF the
Hudson in her teeth, and sped on toward
IrvingtoD.
One Of the passengers landed at Twenty
third street said last evening that the pos
sibiity Of accident had never occurred
either to Mr. Gould or to Captain Shack
ford. Nov, I'm not yachtsman,' said
he, land I'm blessed II 20 cru.ing again
until this scare has worn away. | can't
tell Just how il all came about. The pilot
told me, and he WA the regular pilot, be-
icyc. that he had got sheer on to her -
whatever that means. Well, when lac got
that sheer on her nc lost control of her be-
cause there wasn't enough headway. 50
that the rudder could force her around.
Then the tide wa, booming through
Hell Gate 80 about nine miles an
hour. and the way it set in to-
ward that point Of rocks made me
nervous. Now, was told that il the tide
had been running the other way or had
4 ha1
thing under heaven except what II was
dong. there would have been no danger al
alt. but with that sheer on her. and WIN
the tide setting in toward that point OF
rocks, II seemed TO be a settled thing rom
the first. We couldn't do anything Dul
back the immortal soul out Of those en-
zines and wait for the worst. There was
a good strong post handy, and plenty oil
life preseryers were ia sight. and | can
swim. but confess ii made me jump when
she struck the rocks and rolled over uhtu
| could have scooped up water from tue
river in ny hat.
Il want to say" he continued. "thal
the crew behaved in an admirable manner;
From the moment that Captain >hack'oru
gave the first order 10 back water he never
lost his presence Of mind. The damage. l
am told. is not great. A grea, deal OF piiu'
was rubbed off the hull below the "lie'
line and several plates were started, 50 lha.
water cane in pretty lively. but tney 80.
that fixed up, and we were all righ!' ~ !,
wasn't much, and IT will soon be mendeu;
who was on bOard?f' "Just MI. "oulu
and party Of friends out for sail up t"c
sound. Mr.. Gould almost always ila' i
party OF friends with him when he taxes
little cruise. Almost any afternoon ai.sl
business hours YOU may see them s't'ns
under the stern awnings as the yach' gus
up to Ir ingtOn."