The evening world., 1890-02-26
PASSENGERS ALL N PANIC.
Heavily Laden Ferry-Boats in
C%Ollisioni in This Mornings Fog.
The Pavonia Boat Erie Badly DAM
nged-No Persons Injured.

During the dense fog this morning
there was a serious collision on the North
River between the ferry-boats Montclsr.
of the Hoboken line, and the Erie, Of the
Pnyonia Ferry Company.
Tho Montclair, lightly loaded, was going
to Hobokeu from Parclay street. The
Erie. with about 600 passengers on board,
was coming to Chambers street from
Jersey City. II was about 7.30 o'clock A.
NJ, an hour when traffic TO New York from
the JERSEY shore is at its greatest volume.
The hugo boats met in midstream. The
Erie struck the Montclair on the star
board side, smashing her paddle wheel TO
sprinters. The guard-ral of the Erie
wns torn away, aud n frighttul scene OF
exc tement ensued.
There was a mad rush Of passengers for
life.preservers. The forward deck OF the
Erie was crowded with men aud women.
When the accident occur red these people
rushed madly into the cabins. and through
them TO the after deck.
Several women and une man tainted,
and to add to the terror the pilots of both
boats kept their whistles blowing. Tugs
and other crafts in the vicinity nso blew
their steam whistles. while The fog was
so thick that nothing could be seen for
q yard away.
Passengers on the Montclair also he
came panic. stricken, but as there were
only q few on board, compared to tine
crowd on the Erie, they were more easily
reassurod Of safety.
Men and women on the Erie opened the
windows on both sides of the boat pre-
pared to jump out into the waters II the
boat began to sink. Only for the euorts
of some of the cooler heads on board
many of them would have leaped over
board anyhow. such was their terror.
After several minutes the sbonts backed
away from each other. and the Erie came
on to New York and was then laid up fol-
repairs.
, Viking TO Hoboben, whore she was also
, docked.
Information concerning the extent Of
: the accident was refused at both ferry
> houses.
. This is the only accident of any account
= reported from the river this morning. bu'
the fog was SO thick that 1t seems almos
a miracle that other aud more seriouI
casualties did not occur.
1 None of the ferr. es were running Oh
o schedule time, and several lines crossing
the East River tied up their boats unit
: the fog began to lift. This 1t did abou
Q 8 A. NJ. lifting very slowly and roliinI
y of northward.
neIRl. 1JuDh VA Wv ,fki"
saws that the last Of it will disappear be
fore tonight, md that after it gets ava
we may look for colder weather.. ii
saws 1t will be twenty degrees colder her
y tomorrow morning thar 1t was thi
morning.
The temperature in New York at
J. O'Clock to. day was "A degrees above zero
h Vessels of every description began
= flock into port with the fist sign {
clearer weather.
Five big Atlantic liners wero reporte
at Castle Garden before 10 O'clock. l.
Champagne. the great French steamei
h from havre, on which Mrs; Whitela'
Reid WAS q passenger. was signted nrst Q
the lookout at Sandy Hook. =.
Then, in rapid succession, appeared !
the order named. booming no out OF th
mist like great sen ghosts. the Norge. frol
- Copenhagen; Arizona. from Liverpoo
~ Polynesia. from Stettin, and the hugli
IL from Hamburg.
,. The Ems, from Bremen; the Bothnis
~ from Liverpool, and the Anehoria. fro
Glasgow, are dine, md will probabl
arrive to-day. so there will be q rush
"a business at Castle Garden.
Of Every seaman aud weather sharp Q
a. thickest and longest in, duration @
III record. 1t extended all along the Goa
from Halifax to Georgia. 1t set in c
or Monday, remaining until to-day.
Not a vessel left port yesterday, an
ry only a few small craft arrived. The CHI
I'd of Columbia got as far as Quarantine IN
if anchored, coming up this morning
company with the Morgan line steam'
tn Ell Paso. from New Orleans, and the tar
v. steamers Lux and Prosper. The latte
anchored yesterday outside OF Gedney
Channel.
Only a few slight accidents occurred
O. the harbor ON account of the fog: III
ferry-b Jersey City lost several blocl
u of her paddle wheel by colliding with
"a mud scow. and an engine smashed
caboose on a Loug Island Railroi
rs freight train. Il was raining in all Il
Atlantic Coast States and throughout Ne
England this morning. and showing haI
in Canada.
NO Man, where the Thermometer reGiSter'
"A degrees below zero, and quite the o
j posite at Key Vest, Fla. where II was
'es degrees above. 1t was chilly IN Chicag
ho only lS degrees above zero, but the day
never cold enough for Chicago to get 10