Bridgeton pioneer., 1889-08-01
SINKING OF THE ELENA" "
CAPT. DEMARIS GIVES THE
PARTICULARS.
How the s'Lena" was Sent to the
KOttOm of the Delaware.
SATURDAY..

| SoUuTudys
Alb out half-past ten o'clock Sun
day morning the pretty little steam
| tug Laura B." steamed through the
bridges in this city with one barge in
tow, and made fast to the wharf of the
Cumberland Nail & Iron Company's
| Works. Before the tug had touched
the wharf a reporter of the PIONEER
was on board and up into the partially
demolished pilot house talking with
Captain Charles Demaris of the disaster
on the Delaware Saturday morning,
which caused the sinking of the barge
Lena" The left portion of the pilot
house had been torn away, and the
brass rail around it had been broken
off by the collision, which Captain
Demaris said happened in this way:
1t was about half-past two o'clock
Saturday morning, when the Laura
b." with barge on either side of her,
was steaming down the Delaware just
opposite Gloucester city. Capt. De-
maris was at the wheel, while Harry
Burch, one of the crew, was standing
in the pilot house, just finishing
smoke, and was about ready to turn
in for the remainder of the might"
Down the river only a short distance
away, was the tug General Mott"
having in tow the 1900 ton four-mast-
ed schooner, Howard Smith," The
pilot of the Mott" gave one blow of
his whistle to signify to Capt. Demaris
that he would pass the Laura" and
her tow on the right. Capt. Demaris
Immediately gave one blow of his
whistle in answer and gave no further
! thought of thu meeting, until suddenly
he heard two blows of the Mott
which signitied it would pass the
Laura" on the left. Capt. Demaris
Immediately scented danger and
brought his tug to a standstill, and
then opened her wide and ran back
ward.
Judge again of the surprise of the
crew of the Laura B." and her tow,
when the whistle of the Mott" was
heard again with one blow. and a
moment later passed the Lena" on
the right. OF course this strange
man9uvring upon tae part of the
Mott" throwing herself from one
side of the river to the other, caused
the big schooner to take the same
course, and unfortunately the big ship
could not be worked as fast as the lit
tile tug. Capt. Demaris saw that a col
lision was inevitable, unless he could
bring the Mott" to standstill, and
gave the danger signal but the Mott
paid no attention to it, and drew the
big schooner "Smith" directly across
the bow of the Laura B. and between
the tug and the LENA" The force of
the shock startled all. The Lena"
was cut from the Laura b. and
large gap cut in the bow OF the barge,
in which the water rushed in torrents
Capt. Ephraim Burch was the only
one On the Lena" and as soon as he
saw the danger ran to the cabin for his
watch aud money. There was no time
to secure any of his clothing. This ef-
fort almost cost him his life, as the
Laura B." and LENA" were widely
separated, and just as the Lena
went down bow foremast with d
mighty roar, Capt. Burch leaped and
I caught some rigging of the schooner
and was pulled on board by some of
| the sailors.
When the schooner collided with the
barge some OF the rigging caught and
damaged the pilot house, driving
Capt. Demaris from the wheel. All
the while the Mott" kept on towing,
and this action caused the schooner
Smith to collide with a large steamer
! further on and damaging herself some
what. Capt Demaris said he did not
! think it was over five minutes from
the collision before the LENA" went
down. She sunk in As feet OF water
The heavy crane was broken and be
ing still held by the iron shrouds
marks as bouy the place where the
barge went down. The freight house
and cabin of the Lena were torn
from the decks and Capt. Demaris saw
them afterwards floating down the
river upon their roofs, having been
turned completely over in some way.
Capt. Demaris thinks the pilot of
the Mott" was very much excited
owing to the fact he had ferry boat
to pass after getting by the Laura"
and while there was no danger he
evidently thought there was. Both
Captain Demaris and the pilot of the
Mott were before the inspectors
Saturday. A suit for damages upon
the part of the Cumberland Nail and
Iron Works will probably ensue
against the Mott and Smith" Mr..
r. j. Buck went to PHILADELPHIA 90
Saturday to investigate
Capt. Demaris cannot say how mu"h
damage was done the Lena He
thinks a pretty bad hole was on. IN
the bow, but the wreckrr- wii ,n.,n
raise her and have her unioaded The
Lena was loaded with coal, iron aud
| or