The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-21

4 SCENE or WILD CONFUSION.


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The steamer Evsnesl coaiidsd With -
steamer Skaxis Chez q $50 o'clock yes-
terday morning half way be1ueen West
/ Point lighthouse md Fise-mile rex. and =
serious accident. involving the lives Of 10
passengers on the latter vessel, xas barely
/ averted.
The Evangei left Seattle 81 3 O'Clock. and
! Vas bound for Fort Townsend and Port
Angeles. and the skaxit Chief wasen route
10 tins city from Whascom. The fYss
mentioned steamer Vas sailing north
norrhses. and The other boat was sailing
soufhexst The night was perfectly
clear. hut the pilots 81 the boats
did nos discover eaeh other
until the steamers were very close to-
getber An exchange OF whistles followed.
Int there was . misunderstanding or Grim
Iaai negligence ON somshoiy's part. for
In les than two minutes after the first
whistle was blown. the Eyznrel moving It
fmsl speed. Was beaded for the Chiefs port
side. well forward.
meeting was inevitable. The pilot OF
the Skagit Chief Instantly realized that il
The onceming vessel struck has boat as she
Was heading she would cut her in two.
10 port and. as the vessel swung around, the
EvanxeI struck her. With q terrific crash
her prox crushed in the guard : Of the Chief.
The iatser,s siding motion warded TO GER
tain extent the h.ow. but did not stop the
- II - a.
guard rail. AT 10 the house. was carried
away and into the house the last moving
vessel crashed. A section Of thirty feet ia
lenglh was torn out, and then the vessels
parted.
The skaxit Chief had aboard 10 passen-
gers. and from the time the vessels first
met they were all alive to their danger.
Those occupying sfaterooms rushed to the
cabins In their nightciothes, and those in
the cabins sought the decks. The
widest confusion ensuee. There was
! general rush for life preservers.
bat only small number could be found
lev who bad secured them we're with
difficulty restrained from jumping over
board.
There were cries that the boat Was sink
ing. cries for hep and not 2 few INDUCED
IN PRAYERS Tor mercy The excitement
lasted but few minutes, for the ofhcers
and crew were soon among the passengers
paciiying them
A basfy examination Of the injuries 70
the vessel had been made and u Was found
that the hun was IN no wlso injured. ana
positive statement 20 that effect assured
them that they we're safe. A canvass
showed that no one bad been injured
As soon - she nad cleared the skagt
Cniei the Eyanfei returned 70 ner
course and steamed away down
tue Sound. Sot WORD was heard
rom ner omcers on board OF the cEash
cniei. Wnen ORDER had been restored on
board OK the latter vessel. she VAS sent
ahead again. ana AZ CLOCK kne euected
LANDING ~ hatneid wnarf. Win aiacrity
her passengers Tor Seattle LETT her, and it
took some argument TO induce her Tacoma
passengers 70 remain aboard Of her. An
hour stop was made here. when she re-
stunned Der TRIP 10 Tacoma.
cArTArx saKLow's STORY
Ten minutes after the Skaeit Chief had
made fast to Hatfield's wharf . Posr-fxrEr-
fasExcKR reporter was In Captain Barlow's
cabin discussing the accident with him.
lie made the following statement:
81 WAS at the wheel my2eif when the
EyAngel was first seen nv us. We had inst
PASSED the West Point ljshs house and IL
was about 800 O'Clock. I was steering
north-northwest and the other
boat Was steering about northeast, Is near
as can tell. She was TO starboard OF me.
and must have been 400 yards on. Directly
after seeing her | blew two whistles,
meaning that | wanted to pass to star
board In reply l received one whistle,
which meant that he wanted to go TO port,
and immediately hid his green light and
threw his red one into view. put my
helm 10 port and blew one whistle, which
meant would 90 to port He
again answered with one whistle. BY
this time he had crossed nv bow.
Suddenly both OF his lights came into view
and saw that he was steering directly to-
ward me. I was then on : starbosrd
course He was under full headway and
before could do ANYTHING further q col
n.ion Was unavoidable. threw my. helm
hard To staYboard. hopinr that the boats
would strike side-to-side. She struck my
boat on the fore Quarter little forward OF
amidships. carving awav the guard, the
house and little OF the passenger deck
from the forward guards TO the after gang
way door. The hull was not affected In
any way. but If the Evangei had not
sheered OFT she would have cut the Skagit
chief in two.
r,ssxxax,,. xxrre.xxsr
-. a.. ,.......-s :, al. S,.~s,
80 - u,...s,s.. 80. :. r. $500.