New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-06
THE ELECTRA IN COLLISION
RUN DOWN AT ANCHOR IN A DENSE FOG.
TIE FALL RIVER LINE STEAMER PROVIDENCE
SERIOUSLY DAMAGES ELBRIDGE It.
GERRY's YACHT.

The steam yacht Electra, the scene of so many
oIilaht examples of the hospitality and simple fare
VI commodore Gerry, went out OF commission yes.
'e'uay' unusually early In the season. and most un.
oApectedly She is at Tebo's dock undergoing
repairs. About o'clock in the morning. while a
uehse fog brooded Over the East River the steam
poat providence, Of the FAN River Line, ran into
inc yacht Tho Providence did not escape without
INJURY, as tho bowsprlt and flying jibboom OF tho
Electra tore away fifteen feet OF her starboard bull
Warks and saloon deck rail, and crashed through
'hree OF her upper deck stateroOms. The Electra
iost ten feet Of her bowsprit had her jb and bob.
Stays carried away and the carved work of her
hgurehcad defaccd. Commodore Gerry sent the fol.
lowing account Of the accident 10 the Inspector OF
steam Vessels:
10 the Inspector OF Steam Vessels
or; have the honor TO report that three
past o'clock this, Thursday morning September s. Ue
steamboat Providence belonging to the Old Colony Line,
c9iided with my steam yacht Electra then lying at
ahchof on Bellevue Hospital. the East River, within
te anchorage limits prescribed by the and regula.
IONS relating TO the anchorage vessels the port OF
e"'i ofk issued by the Secretary OF the Treasury July
0, 1889. The result OF the collision. so far as the
Eecta Is concerned to break her b0wsprt of
I" inc root tearing up the steel shoe into which fits
ana carrying away her jb and bobsays besides seriously
deIacing the carved work lgurchead The shock
OF the collision destroyed quantity Of china and glass
CO. Damage is estimated at over $1,000. There was
iog az tho time OF the collision and for several hours
PN'ouH inc snlps Dell was sounded at intervals OF nOt
more than two minutes required by the rules OF the
Board OF Supervisors OF Steam Vessels
ELDRGDGE r.. GERRY
Commodore NewYork Yacht Club and owner OF steam
yacht Electra.
Commodore Gerry also visited the Inspectors
OF Steam Vessels. lie had maps AMI sketches
OF the river with him. and he explained
to Captain Fairchld the position of his yacht when
She was struck. lie said that the Electra was at
anchor within tho anchorage grounds, and that the
Providence passed within tho buoys where she had
no right TO go that the yacht Adelaide next to
the Electra, and narrowly escaped a collision, and
that the principal pecunary damage would DO in the
destruction q some expensive wOodcarvng on tho
Electra
Captain John Hammond. of the Providence who has
record slugulal1y free from disaster, made state
ment In The course Of which he SAID that he did not
consider that either he or the Eecras captain was
to blame, though in his opinion the Electra was
anchored in very risky place lie gave the follow
Ing details about the occurrence:
1t nearly O'clock was on deck as thore was a
dense fog and strong ebb tide. After passing Black
welPs Island slowed up in order pass between
spindle 10 tho southwark OF the island sad the buoy In mid
stream. They about apart and owing to the
strong tide obliged head almost directly
stream. The fog was very heavy. The Electra
choIed nearly in m1stream heading the tide very dan
gerous place for her such morning. As turned
slowly down stream the tide swept right on to the
Eccfas bbOom, which struck the Providence just abaf
thu starboad wheel tearing the rail and ripping open
three OF the staterooms Nos. 1i4, 145 and 140
The martngale and bowsprit rigging also tore away
fifteen feet OF the bulwark but beyond this there
was no damage done TO the Providence. don't believe
the Electra injured at all below the water line. We
carried away about $50 OF her jlbboom and rigging.
There excitement board the Providence AMI tho
thing all before Of the 25o passengers knew
that there had been accident although most Of them
were up and about at the time.
At the time OF the accident Baltimore lady was
seated on deck bench running alongside the rail just
at the spot the jlbboom struck. She saw it coming,
however and being Yankee, did not wait to II ii
was going her made good time through the exit
into the saloon. This very close call however.
hal been seated with her back to the rail- instead
Of sldewise she would have been instantly killed
The only other incident worthy OF note was that OF
lady who slipped and Injured her face by striking against
one OF the saloon doorposs in her excitement For the
most part however, there very little excitement on
board
We could see no one board the yacht. am quite
sure the damage done her confined to the loss OF
her bow spirit and bboom We could not see the yachts
name but by her rig and build concluded she was the