The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-15
SHIPS CRASH IN A FOG.
THE GATE CITY CoLLIDES WITH
AN UNKNOWN CRAFT.


Lost Sight Of-The Collision in the
Ocean Path 400 Niles Northeast of
Hatteras-Exciting Scenes on the
Steamer when the Collision Oc-
curred-The Passengers Called on
Deck Ready to Take to the Boats
Capt. Taylor Com plimented.
The steamship Gate City arrived in port
Yesterday from Boston, after a rough voy
age and in a crippled condition. She col
lided with a square-rigged sailing vessel
supposed to be bark 200 miles northeast
of Cape Hatteras, in the rain and fog, be-
tween and o'clock Saturday morning.
The colliding vessel, which the Gate City's
officers say was evidently crossing the bow
of the steamer, struck her on the port side
Just forward of the engine compartment,
carrying away the steamers rails forward
and crushing through the bulwarks.
The blow was a glanclng one, and a
second collision occurred after the rebound,
which struck the steamers hull above the
water line, and bent In four or five of the
heavy plates, but did not break through.
A seven-ton block of marble was loaded
near the point of collision, and had it not
been for this hole would have been made
in the hull similar to that made in the bul,
warks. As it was the iron plates were bent
below the water line. The night was pitch
dark, the fog almost impenetrahle, and the
sea rough.
THE GATE CITY IN HER SLIP.
The Gate City is now lying in her slip at
the Ocean Steamship wharyes, undergoing
repairs Capt. Taylor is experimenting the
work. He was seen yesterday afternoon,
lA,.|l ,ae hat he alrA
statement beyond the fact that the repairs
to the vessel will be completed il time for
her to leave on Thursday, her regular sail
ling day, and that the voyage down was one
of the toughest that he had ever made The
fog was so dense when he left Boston Thurs
day, that be did not come through
Vineyard Haven sound, but took the
loutside passage, and after clearing Boston
Ibay came directly down the ocean route
The colliding vessel, Capt. Taylor said, was
from the Gulf stream and was steering for
port. After the collision nothing was seen
of her.
w. E. Lundy, travelling agent Of Thomas
&c. Williams & Co., the Richmond (Va,)
tobacco manufacturers, who was among
the passengers, gave a graphic description
of the collision. He was asleep when the
first collision took place. The shock
awakened him, and when. the second shock
came he was out of his berth. He could not
dress half fast enough. His room was on
the port side and he looked out of the
window, but could see nothing. 1t was
pitch dark, foggy, and the rain was coming
down in torrents.
THE LIFEBoATs LOWERED.
He heard the captain of the
Gate City order the life
boats to be lowered, and heard the order for
the passengers to come on deck with the life
preservers on. In the excitement he found
himself on deck without a life preserver
Fastening back TO the cabin he found one
but did not know how to adjust it, and
while he was trying to do so he caught
sight of one jacket formed, and got into it
and on deck. The vessel was careening
from side to side, and the passengers had to
hold fast 10 keep from being thrown over
board. Ole passenger wanted to jump into
the sea, and was with difficulty prevented.
Mr. Lundy spoke in the highest terms of
the GOODNESS, courage and promptness of
Captain Taylor. From the gentle and ur-
bane officer in he cabin, he became master
executive spirit in the hour of danger.
READY TO LEAVE THE SHIP.
In less than eight minutes after the col
lision the life boats were ready to launch,
casks of biscuit and water were ready to lie
placed in the boats and the passengers all
had life preSerVers on ready to be placed in
the boats at the moment it should be neces-
sary to launch them. Mr.. Lundy said that
the crew moved like well regulated ma
ohinery. subordinating themselves TO every
order with a seif-possession and confidence
akin to their commander Fortunately, an
examination Of the hull proved that the
vessel was seaworthy, ana soon after the
passengers returned to the cabin.
For six hours the Gate City cruised about
IN the vicinity OF the collision, sounding
her fog whistles, as she had been continually
doing before the collision, and when the fog
lifted, after 5 o'clock, aud no sign of the
sailing vessel could be discsrned, the steamer
continued on her voyage. MIR. Lundy
said that he ca not describe the anxiety
and agony of mind which was crowded in
50 small space of time, and when Tybee
was sighted yesterday morning, it
was to him the most inviting
sight he had ever seen. 1t
was terra firma, and he vowed that he will
stick to land hereafter. The thought of
being in an open boat. 100 miles off shore,
to him was frightful to contemplate, and
an experience that he would not hazard
again. The blanched faces, fearful eyes and
frenzied screams of the lady passengers in
the dark uess are incidents of the voyage
which ne says will never be effaced from
his memory.
ANOTHER PASSENGERS STORY.
Mr.. Webster Hurd, of Boston, one of the
passengers, describes the incidents of the
voyage with about the same particularly
as Mr. Gunuy, LuU IL ne mas Jhe same re-
vulsive feeling to ocean travel, or was
affected as Mr.. Lundy was, he did not
betray it, He spoke very eloquently of the
remarkable control that Capt. Taylor had
over his crew, the promptness with which
the master Of the vessel acted and the con-
1idence that he inspired at the time of the
greatest peril.
Mr.. George C. Lacy and wife, of this
city, were also passengers on the Gate City,
and when the steamer lurched they were
thrown down the stairway from the upper
cabin to the saloon. Mrs Lacy received
several bruises, none of which are serious
The Gate City had about wenty passen-
gers on board and crew of forty-six men.
The damage Capt. Taylor said he could not
estimate. The steamer shows that she was
struck by a vessel crossing her bow, and the
collision could not have been avoided by the
Gate City. The passengers united in the
following complimentary resolutions to the
captain.
CAPT. TAYLOR COMPLIMENTED.
On BOARD STEAMSHIP GATE CRY,
May IS. 1888. (
We, the undersigned IA 5sengers on the steam
ship Gate City, which left Boston Thursday,
May 10, at O'Clock p. M, bound for Savannah,