The evening world., 1891-07-24
Crowded Excursion Barge COlllded
with The Big River Steamer.
Panic Among a Thousand People
but All We're Saved.
Accident on tho Hudson in
the Dark and n Gale.

excited over the thrilling experiences OF their
trip.
collision last night, n few miles south Of
Albany, with the excursion barge Merchant,
loaded with Knights Of Pythias Of Greenbush
and their friends, caused the delay.
Fortunately. no person was drowned,
though the widest kind Of n panic existed
among the Knights and their families; and
because Of the serious damage sustained by
the barge and the peril TO It's passengers, the
Drew was obliged to take the Inflated eXcur-
si)nists on board and land them Mt New Balti-
more.
The Drcws passengers apparently could
could not land quickly enough this morning,
and the collision was the all-absorbing topic
OF their conversation.
An EvESiSG WORLD reporter talked with
several Of the passengers.
When the Drew reached her dock one man,
a wcll-knOwn commercial traveller, described
1t as the most exciting experience In his life.
The screams of the terrified people on the
excursion barge when tho collision took
place, followed by the wild scramble OF the
panlc-stricken crowd to get aboard the Drew
were graphically described by him.
at was something of cloudy night" he
said, land there were few people on the
upper deck. There was quite n strong breeze.
stood on the upper deck smoking.
ave were proceeding slowly down the
river The loud blowing Of the Drcw's whis-
ties attracted my attention. ! looked ahead
and saw what thought was a towboat and
barge coming up the river.
"Thcrc was more whistling and the Drew
gtnnDpl HCfDTp ppiilI I'm horr
and our boat had Cullided.
"Then the men and women on the barge
screamed and shouted, and though there was
little light on the barge ! could plainly see
that some OF the party were on their knees.
The Drew struck the barge amidships, on
the starboard side, and wedged into her as It
were, and remained there
zone man jumped overheard but was
picked up. Then there was a grand scramble
for the bow OF the Drew. Men and women
climbed up on the woodwork. for II was ap-
parent that their boat was going to sink.
"There was n good deal OF excitement
among our passengers. A good many had re-
tired for the night, but the impact OF the two
boats awakened them, ana they swarmed out
OF their rooms and with other passengers
crowded the decks.
The officers OF the Drew, especially Capt.
Roe, were Cool-headed, and they managed,
after some minutes, to restore quiet among
the passengers.
when Capt. Roe saw the real state OF
things he lost no time. 1t was clear that
there was no immediate danger OF any one
drowning.
1.-THE excursionists on the barge scrambled
and struggled on board our boat, and with the
assistance Of some tugs, which came in an
swer to the Drew's whistles, we were enabled
to proceed to New Baltlmore,where we landed
the eXcursionsts. ,",,
1.-THE passengers on our boat did all in their
power to aid the unfortunate people. 1t was
the closest call ever saw.
at Is marvel that the excursion boat, with
Its entire cargo OF human freight, did not go
down. The wind was blowing quite hard,
but the channel is shallow at that point. and
when we left the barge 1t was In charge OF
the tugs"
Capt. Roe said to the reporter that the acct
dent was due principally TO the heavy south
wind blowing at the time. The pilot OF the
tug, he said insisted on crossing the Drew's
bow, and as far as the latter boat Is con-
cerned there was no collision.
ave left Albany at $50 O'clock" he said,
with our usual complement OF passengers,
which Is In the neighborhood OF 300.
" The night was dark and cloudy, and we
were proceeding at our usual rate OF speed
about ten miles an hour. stayed In the
pilot house, after leaving Albany, until we
passed the regular tows, and then went
down TO the dining-saloon for my supper.
at was exactly $40 o'clock when the
blowing OF the whistle, followed by the stop
ping OF the engines, alarmed me.
I'VE were then at n point In the river
called Mulls ten miles below Albany
~ rushed forward A stin south wind was
blowing, and there were but two men passen-
gers on the upper forward deck, one OF whom
was a produce dealer OF Albany named Dom
gan.
pilot Gage was in charge OF our boat and
when reached the pilot-Eouse / found that
the engines had been stopped and reversed,
and we were getting to stand still. Ahead OF
us was tug and barge, which at nrst we
took to be freight boat.
"Just prior 20 that Pilot Gage had perceived
the tug coming up the river about a quarter
OF a mile on, and he blew one whistle, which
meant that he would go TO the starboard.
The tug answered by two whistles to the
! efrect that he would go to our port
Gage blew another whistle, which he had
n right TO do, and the tug replied again by
two whistles.
Seeing that the tug was going across my
! bow, The Drew was stopped and the signal to
back the engines was given.
THE tug went across our bow, and lust as
the barge came up the wind blew It cross
wise, as II were, OF the river and drove her
broadSide on to the Drew's bow.
For at least three minutes the Drew was
stationary In the channel, which at that point
Is about nve hundred yards wide, and the
wind kept the barge snug against the steam
ers bow.
There were at least live OF six hundred
persons, men, women and children, on the
barge, and when the accident occurred many
OF them rushed pell neil TO get on our boat.
" There was considerable excitement among
them, but our passengers were not disturbed
In fact, there were very few outside the
saloon or their staterooms
"I at once gave every assistance IN nv
power 70 the eIcursionists by taking them on
board.
"some saw that there was no danger and
preferred TO remain on board 70 be taken 70
Albany by ths tug.
~ sent my mate on the barge TO see II she