The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-07
The 0iympian Makes Short
Work of the Virgil Price.
FIREMEN FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES.
Driven From Her Course the Big
Steamer Annihiiates . Tug and
Damages CoIman's Bunkers.

The Olympian, unaccountabiy. escaped
without even scratch, and those on
board her hardly felt the jar Of the col
lision. The Price, and two immense saw
logs which were lying IN the water along
side, could not have been more c!eanly cut
IN two if they had been run through q
mammoth buzz saw. The damage result
ing from the collision Will, it is thought,
amount 10 about 5000.
The Oiympian rounded Duwamish head
three miles from the city. about $50
O'Clock, and came into the harDor under a
full head of steam. When nearing the
docks, Captain o. A. Anderson signalsd
the engineers to stop the engines, and as
soon as this was done be ordered the helm
hard-a-starboard, in order to bring the boat
around so that he could guide her
slowly along the Coiman, Yesler and
Ocean docks and touch at the City dock.
Just as the boat began 10 swing, strong
gust Of wind from the southwest struck
her broadside and swept her out OF her
course 30 yards or more. Though the en-
glnes were stopped, she was still under
Roadway, and when The force OF the wind
was spent she was coming head on for the
tireboat Snoqualmie, lying in the slip st
the foot of Madison street. Pilot Soper,
OF the Snoquaimie, was out on the steam
er's forepeak, and. Immediately realizing
the seriousness of the situation. shouted
to the stokers and engineers on board:
TO shorel to shore! The oiympian is
running US down.
The cry of Murder, run for your livesr'
could not have had more effect, for IN less
time than it takes TO tell it not soul was
en- board the Snoqualmie.
From the Virgil Price, Also the Olym-
plan appeared to be coming head on. and
the only man on board, Waterman Harry
Wood, thought his last day on earth had
arrived. The Price was lying on the north
side Of the Colman coal bunkers, about
half a block from the hreboats slip. 1t
ali happened so quickly that no one knows
precisely how the collision did occur,
for no two stories are exactly alike Harry
Wood was standing out on the hurricane
deck of the Price and noticed the
Olympian as she came around Du-
vanish head. He watched her get
closer and closer, and, when she circled
for her final run alongside her dock, he
was especially interested. He next be-
came aware that, though her engines were
reversed, she was coming head on in his
direction at lively rate. lie excitedly
shouted:
ship ahoyl Where are you goingp"
No answer came from the Olympian.
The officers claim they heard no cry of
warning from the Price. The Waterman
noticed that the warning light at his
boats masthead was burning brightly, as
was also the stern light On the hurricane
deck. Though the Olympian's wheels
were backing water furiously, the heavy
vessel continued to come ahead and her
sharp bow struck the Virgil Price Just
abaft her mast, on the fore quarter, with
momentum of about four miles an hour.
The tug snapped and gave way like pipe
stem, and began to sink Immediately.
Waterman Woods, who had all this
time remained at his post on the hurricane
deck ran aft. He had not taken three steps
before the salt water rising over the sink
ing boat touched his feet. He sprang from
the deck TO an adjacent pile, and wrapping
his legs around this friendly means of
escape, he called Justify for help No help
came, and as the olympian backed further
and further away from the wreck, Woods
concluded 10 help himself. and succeeded
in climbing up the pile to the dock which
he reached, very wet, badly frightened.
but still Ion deck"
great that the electric wire connections
with the gongs on the firehoat slip were
severed and the dock itself was badly
shaken up.
The Olympian backed out. righted her
self and proceeded 10 the City dock, where
the Seattle passengers went ashore. She
then left ON her run to Victoria via Port
Townsend. Captain Anderson reported
ha To porf n, Do,
and stated that if the wheels of the
steamer could have taken one more turn
the accident could have heen ayerted.
The tug Virgil Price was owned by Can
tain Virgil Price, aud was valued at s.. 900.
She was built last March, and has ever
since been engaged in the towing business
on the Sound, and was considered good
seaWorthy boat. On board were
wrecking pumps capable OF pump
ing 500 gallons Of water per min
ute. She was insured for 5000 in
the Marine Fire Insurance Company. II
Is thought but not yet definitely known.
that she is 3 total loss. Though lying ar
the bottom of the bay, she is held to the
tunkers by an Northumberland stern
hawser. She came in at O'Clock vester-
day morning and the day was spent by her
crew IN cleaning her boiler and Scrubbing
She was 10 have left 81 O'clock this morn
ing for Salmon bay, where the steamer
Mary TUT, belonging 70 the Stlmson Mil
Company, as waiting TO be towed 10 Port
Gardner.
At the time Of the collision ". r. Grant
one of the hremen on the Price. was two
blocks away on his way TO the boat. In
FIVE minutes more he would have been in
his hunk just opposite where the boy of
the olympion struck the tug. and he would
have been cut in two with his boat
TO RUSH THE GREAT NORTHERN.
Attorney Crook Is Here-May Buv tn.
Lake Shore Eastern Line
William Crook. of St. Paul. counsel for
the Great Northern railroad. arrived IN the
city Yesterday and is at the Rainier hotel
Having retired early he could not b.. seen
by a posr-INrEtII6ENCER reporter. but II
Is understood that he Will be here several
days looking after the affairs OF the main
line eastward.
ON his way out here be stopped over At
Spokane, aud she Spokesman quotes him as
saying that President Hill Will be there in
about two weeks and that on his arrival
they will decide on the route Of the road
into Spokane. In regard 10 the purchase
OF the eastern end of the Lake Shore. he
said thst depended on the question of how
the Great Northern would get into Spo-
kane and how it decided to get out. HIS
words are given 50 follows:
II the Seattle. Lake shore & Eastern is the
be., route We usy sny ii; Il not, we viii eand
fna