Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-20
Run DOWN II A FOG.
The steamer st. Nicholas COllides With
the Tug Eureka and Sinks Her In Mid
stream.

The steamer st. COI1ides With
the Tug Eureka and Sinks Her in Mid
Stream.
The dense and almost imPenetrable fog
which hung over the river yesterday after
noon rendered navigation extremely az
ardOus and almost impossible. Before il
lifted the darkness led 70 an accident
which. although II was attended VIII no
loss q life. resulted IN he Sink
ingofthe steamtug Eureka IN mldslream-
The hoats in collision were tie =.
Nicholas Can't. Csina- Of the D1Bary-
Bava line. bound for ~Fernandina, z the
Furaka. The latter was struck fairly
a-i5zbfrs almost cut in two. and
S-rE u ! few minutes. The collision Oc-
. c1-ra1 Al exactlv 80 O'Clock Inc
T--aEa i used IS a ferry BOAT
80 Savannah and Union Ferry. on
r1a south Carolina side O. the river,
and j. owned bv MessTs. John q /. +.
.~e--vlu. Her Captain i Harry MOTHS.
col0red. q len Der dock for the other
side Al 3:3l. and was on ner return trip.
There were on board. besides the Captain,
one passenger. a man. the engineer. a
deckhand. and Samuel McFsll. keeper OF
the Fort OZlethOrpe light. The fog BE-
came very dense. and Capt. Norris SAYS
he blew when OF the Savannah. Florida
and Western Railway wharf. The =.
Nicholas was then above the rice mil,
going out. She answered the whistle,
and tae two boats continued blowing
AZ intervals a they approached
each other. Morris says ne
was giving the starbOard whistle
all the time. When ne first saw the =.
Nicholas she seemed 70 MIN 10 oe stand
ing almost directly across the ryer ASH
~ ~ - - a-rw-- -nn vas amid
sliDs 81 the EureEas bow ana uUt
| fortv feet distant. He bore staTboard all
he could. but could not get out Of the way
| and the i. Nicholas struck the tug amid
| ships on the port quarter and cut her
down. For a moment the tug seemed 70
ue stuck on the Prov o. the steamboat,
and then she fell OF and filed rapidly.
1 the steamboat. which al once stopped and
then be and McFan scrambled On board.
The engineer and the deck hand got into
| McFaIfs small boat, which the Eureka
mad been towing. They had scarcely got
| clear Of her when she WeDtu under, sinking
in about two minutes. Fred Dixon, t1c
| keeper Of the Fig Island lght, was near
bv In a small boat, and he tOOk the cap
/ tain. passenger and McFal OF the -.
/ Nicholas
Inc collision occurred between the gov
/ eminent ietties. a short distance below
/ the United states barge once. 0 sunh
| ia not more than 4 feet Of water al low
/ tide, and her upper works are visible at
| low water. Morris says the fog was 50
| thick at the time that he could not see p
feet ahead. and hat the pilots Of the II.
! Nicholas seemed 70 be completely lost, as
| they were out OF their course.
The Eureka is a small tug Of about u
/ tons burtheu. she was formerly owned
bv the Tybee Improvement Company. but
was sold To Mai. y. .. TiltOn several yeats
ago. from whom she was purchased iu
lSS3 bv Messrs. John and 7. 7. Screven,
/ and used as a ferrvbOat between this CITY
/ and Union Ferry. She was a we'll built
/ boat. and one Of the best small tugs ever
used in these waters. Her loss viii he a
serious inconvenience 10 the people living
in the southern part Of Beaufort county. =.
g.. Il is probable that the work Of raising
der will begin to-day.