Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-08
with All On Board
A Disabled Steamship Thought
 to Have Gone Down.
A TERRIBLE CRASH IN THE FOG
Collision-The Eureka's Owners Think She Still Floats, But Indications Point the Other Way.

She Still Floats, But Indications Point
 the Other Way.
 NORFOLK, Va, May S-The Morgan line steamship Eureka, Capt. Quick, from New York for New Orleans, with thirty mine per sons on board, and the British steamship Benison, Capt. Aitkenhead, from Mantanzas tor Philadelphia, were in collision about 160 miles southeast of Cape Henlopen on Sunday noon, and it is feared that the Eureka has gone down with all on board. A heavy fog prevailed at the time and the captain of the Benison did not see the Eureka until the Morgan steamer was too near to avoid the accident The Benison crashed into the Eureka amidships, staying in her own bow and cutting a great hole hole in the Eureka's side. The Eureka drifted off into the fog, rush of escaping steam was heard and a short whistle, and all was still.
 About half hour after the collision the fog lifted, and a glance around the ocean showed no trace of the Eureka, and it may be that she went down with all on board The big hole in the Benison's bow was partially stopped with tarpaulins, and she was taken tn tow by the steamer Hudson and brought to this port. Had she not been divided into water tight compartments she would have sunk. Capt Aitkenhead says the Eureka was going at full speed at the time he struck her. He heard steamers whistle in the fog and ordered the helm put hard to port Then ho heard two whistles, which meant ''Go to starboard." By this time the Benison had swung several points to port, and if con hnued, the captain says,fa collision would not have occurred, except, probably, side by side. In obedience to the signal from the Eureka, he put his helm to starboard, and he then saw through the fog, right on top of him, the line of foam at the Eureka's bow. He rang his srgines back and when the vessels struck tIey were thus working.
 NEW YORK, May S.-The steamship Eureka left here last Saturday for New Orleans in command of Capt Robert Quick and manned by a crew of thirty men. She carried no passengers, but was loaded with freight Capt. J. T. Van Sickle, ags9sof the Morgan line, was seen by. a reporter, and said that tte officers of the Morgan line were satisfied the Eureka had not been lost, although noth irg had been heard from her since the collision. The only information they had | outside of the newspaper dispatches was C | telegram from Baltimore as follows: Steamer Benison, from Matanzas to Philadel | phia, was lowed into Hampton Roads by steamer Hudson, of the Cromwell line, from New York te New Orleans The Benison was in collision dur Ing the fog Sunday off Cape Henry with steamer Eureka, from New York for New Orleans. Th' B snison- had her bow badly stove in. She vii | proceed to Norfolk.
 Capt. J. B. Hawthorne, of the steamer Fl monte, which arrived from New Orleans lat. yesterday afternoon, saw nothing of tn Eureka, but did not think the disaster wa SO serious as reported. The captain told re porter that shortly after o'clock Sunda. afternoon, twenty miles porth of Hatteras he passed between the whistles of two steam CTS, and from the shrill, peculiar sound of tn one on his port bow, he was certain that i was the whistle of the Eureka.
 The whistles, the captain says, were no those of steamers in distress An hour after ward the fog cleared away, but nothing wa seen of the steamers. Capt. Hawthorne Wa os the opinion that if the steamer had beel sunk the crew were able to escape in thei boats The Eureka carried four large ones easily launched, and the sea being smooth a the time there is hope that some of the ere, have escaped