The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-02
KILLED IN HIS CABIN.
The Steamship City of Savannah Runs
Down the Schooner Lester A. Lewis.

The Steamship City of Savannah Runs
| Down the Schooner Lester A. Lewis.
The steamship City Of Savannah, which
| left here last Thursday, ran down the
schooner Lester A. Lewis, from Mobile,
early Saturday morning of Sandy Hook
Iightship. Capt. Hatch Of the schooner
was killed by the collision, and the port
quarter of his vessel was completely shaved
off The New York Times, in describ-
ing the accident, says that had it
not been for the character Of the schooner 3
cargo, which consisted of slaves and lumber,
she would have gone to the bottom i'm
mediately, and the fate of her crew would
have lcng been a mystery, for the captain
of the steamship neither ascertained the
name of the vessel he had damaged, nor did
he make any public report Of the collision
when he arrived In New York. In fact,
one Of his officers early in the day denied
that anything of public interest or anything
worthy of comment had occurred during
the trip from Savannah. A new coat Of
paint was Immediately put on the City Of
Savannah's bow, and her iron plates bore
no trace of the accident after she had been
at the dock for three hours
The story of the collision was best told
by b. A. Warren, first mate of the schooner
ar was just about o'clock in the morn
ing he said 1--WE we're both on
deck, the captain and /, and it was blow
ing pretty hard from the westward. We were
steering north-northeast and running free
II was very dark, though it had not yet
begun to snow. Suddenly we caught sight
of the lights of steamer over our stern,
little to the starboard. All our lights were
up, but the steamer did not seem to notice
us, ard came right on. ran forward to
be ready to haul the sheets, and the captain
rushed down in the cabin TO get torch
light. IL was too late, however, and that
was the last / ever saw of the captain. |
yelled to the man at the wheel to jump for
his life, for l thought the steamer would
strike just there, and it was lucky | did so.
Three minutes after we first sighted her she
struck us in the center of the stern, smash
ing The boat that was hanging at the davits,
cutting in through the cabin, splitting the
wheel in two, and cutting off the port
quarter as far forward as the mizzen rig
ging. The man at the wheel was covered
with a shower of splinters in the corner Of
the stern to which he had jumped when |
shouted. suppose the captain must have
been stunned and washed out Of the cabin.
All the ships instruments, in fact the entire
cabin were carried away. | cut the hal
yards and we let go both anchors.
Capt. Smith, Of the City of Savannah,
made the following stateme 1T:
THE reason we had the collision with the
schooner is that we approached her from
the stern, and consequently could not see
her side lights. The law says that in such
cases a sailing vessel should display torch
light to warn a steam vessel coming from
the rear. Had the captain Of the schooner
started one minute sooner for his light the
collision would have been avoided
the steamer was going about thirteen
miles an hour when we struck the schooner.
1t was SO dark at the time that it was abso-
lutely impossible to see her sails, and we did
not see her at all until we struck her. I'm
mediately after the collision we stopped and
to the injured vessel. Just then
the snow squall came down on US, and
could not see beyond our forestry. 1t was
so dark that we could not find the schooner
very WELL and so we did not lower any
boat, Of course. We could not get near
enough in the dark and snow to hear what
the vessels men said. At last, Just before
we left them, my men told me that they
said something about wanting a tug. Then
we started for the city. | saw a tug going
out in that direction, and | knew they
would see the schooner's lights"
Capt. Smith said he knew the schooner
had been badly damaged, and at first was
afraid she might sink, and accordingly lay
near her. He afterward saw that sne was
lumber laden aud concluded she was safe
for the time being. In regard to the fact
that no report of the affair had been m ade
public Capt. Smith said:
"Oh, never think of mentioning those
things. If there is anything Of Importance
| always report it, but until | heard of the
result Of this affair did not think it worth
while TO report it"