Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-10-08
A RIVER COLLISION.
Two Vessels Come Together with
Had Results 10 One of Them.


river opposite Edge Moor Thursda.
morning between the steamboat Georg
| W. Dohnert and the schooner Sallie L
Ludlam. The steamer is owned by Jacob e
Eidgway of Ridgway Park, Philadelphia
and was carrying an excursion party tina
filed the boat. When the two vessel
came together panic was created amonl
the passengers and their shrieks wer,
terrible. They were heard on shore a
Edge Moor and almost as much excite
ment was created there as on the boats.
The excitement continued until tht
boats parted, and it was found that nj
serious damage had been done to the hui
of either. The vessels then went ON theil
several why's. Captain w. jefferson
of the Dohnert, at first contem.
plated taking his passengers back
to Philadelphia, but soon deter.
mined to run into this city, and did so,
arriving at the jackson q Sharp Com
pany's wharf about o'clock this morn
ing. The excursionists all returned to
Philadelphia from this city ON the cars,
and the boats crew left later by the same
means.
The name of the schooner has not been
learned, nor the manner in which the
collision occurred, as all the eye witnesses
got out of town very enrly. It is said
by some that the steamer was struck by
the schooner amidships, while another
version is to the effect that they came
together stem to stem.
The appearance o3-the Dohnert rather
corroborates the last theory, but looks as
though she had been struck lightly near
the PROV and shaved along the right side
to the middle of the boat,
where the heaviest damage was done.
She must have been thrown
quickly to one side because the upper
deck is pushed bodily far over to the left
side of the boat and every stancliion is
knocked out of its place, 50 that
the deck rests almost entirely upon
the work in the waist of the boat.
The smoke stack is broken short off and
lies almost fiat upon the upper deck. The
j. III. Dialogue of Camden.
The engine and machinery are unin-
jured and the hull is intact, but the upper
work is wreck and nearly in splinters.
1t is believed the damage will amount to
at least 81 900. The repairs will be made
by the jackson & Sharp Company, where
the boat was to have laid up for the
winter.
The Ridgway Park, boat built on the
same model as the Dohnert, has been
lying OF these yards for several days. The
accident occurred about o'clock, and it
is impossible to tell at this writing where
the blame lies.
The captain stated that an unknown
boy had jumped overheard during the
excitement. He has not been seen since,
and is believed to have been drowned.
Fridays Philadelphia Times contains
the following account of the accident:
"a party of about SO, known as the
pat McGlenchey Bay Club started on an
excursion down to Pennsgrove, on the
tug, early on Wednesday morning. They
had very gay time all day and great
deal of liquor was used. They left Penns-
grove at about p. m. on the way home.
A bar room was set up in the forward
part of the tug and every time treats were
in order drink was passed to the man at
the wheel. All went we'll until the tug
reached the lower end of Marcus Hook
"Captain Rockhill of the schooner,
said that he was beating down the river
between Fort Miffiin and Marcus Hook,
when he observed the tug boat coming
head on for his vessel. i had two men
on the lookout at the time and 1 noticed
that the tug did not appear to change her
course, and as sailing vessel has the
right of way held my course. The tug
kept getting nearer and finally hailed
her and asked her why she did not change
her course and some of them laughed at
me and said the captain had fallen over
board and was drowned. A few minutes
later she ran into us, dragging us around
and causing us to run ashore
"The schooner's jibboom tore the
Dohnerts whistle off and, through the es-
Gaping of steam,a regular panic occurred,
in which Joshua Jefferson, 18 years old, u
brother of the captain and adeck hand on
the tug, was knocked overheard and
drowned. A few minutes afterwards the
tug Arctic appeared in sight and took the
wrecked tug in tow to Wilmington.
"The tug is considerably damaged,
having her smokestack and the entire
house carried away. The schooner had
her cathead and all her headgear carried
away and damaged TO the extent of $500.
The schooner is owned by Mair IL Gran
mer, of this city. The Dohnert is owned
by Jacob L. Ridgway and was built this
spring. She was used this summer in
carrying people to Ridgway Park.
"One of the Ridgway Park employees,
who was on the excursion boat, said last
night: 'rhere is wrong impression
about this thing. 1t has been said that
the collision was due to the captain of the
tug being drunk. While he is not a
strictly temperate man, he wns not under
the influence of liquor last night. He
had only had two glasses of Weiss beer
and it would take two dozen to affect
him. We admit that our boat was to
blame and should bear the expense of
the damage, but it wasn't drink that
caused the aecident.'"