Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31
OUT ALL NIGHT IN THE FOG
Unpleasant Experience of the
BrandyWine's Passengers.
THE STEAMER RUNS AGROUND
A ADense Fog Responsible For
the Mishap.


Small boat, But the Others Spent the
Night Aboard the Steamer.
The dense fog which prevailed during
all of Christmas grew more intense as
night came on and many serious acci-
dents TO vessels on the river were mar
rowly avertcd. The steamer Brandy
wine, which runs daily between this
city and Philadelphia, by reason of the
dense fog which overhung the Delaware
and Christiana rivers and envclopcd
everything In vast cloud of mist and
intense darkness, ran aground in the
mud opposite the light house at the
mouth of the Christiana and was com
PEELED to remain thorc all night.
The vessel which left this city at 7.30
o'clock for Philadelphia Christmas
morning as usual reached Chester at
noon and remained there until 2oclock
with the hope that the fog might raise
and thus afford more favorable pas
sage. By 3 o'clock the weather had
cleared somewhat and the boat then
continued the remainderof her Journey.
just as the vessel reached point oppo-
site the horseshoe buoy near Gloucester,
N. j., Captain Jacobs caught sight Of
three men struggling with the waves
and clinging TO a small boat, which had
capsized. The men were making des-
4 perate struggle to save themselves from
a watery grave. Captain Jacobs stopped
the vessel and threw the struggling men
line.
"a The men, fatigued and almost over
come with cold, graspcd the line with
difficulty and were hauled aboard.
They were Anthony Jones, Charles
4. Nelson and John Morrow Of Philadel
phia. The men had put out in a small
skiff to the Jersey shore for the purpose
of getting Christmas tree. While the
Trio were returning with the evergreen
the boat capsized and pitched them into
fhe river. They clung to the sides of
The small boat and would surely have
met an untimely death in the river but
for the arrival Of Captain Jacobs, whose
crew saved their lives. When Morrow,
the last man to be hauled up was taken
on board, his features were purple with
cold. lie could not have survived
minute longer. The men were given
warm place aboard the boat and were
taken TO Philadelphia. The steamer ar
rived in Philadelphia at $3.50 o'clock, it
having required nearly seven hours to
complete the trip including the stop-over
at Chester. The vessel arrived in Phila-
delphia without accident.
Her trip back to this city was not so
successful however. She left Philadel-
phia promptly at o'clock and pro-
ceeded safely until the boat reached
point opposite Edge Moor. At this
point the fog began to grow more in
tense than ever, causing the steamboat
10 proceed with even greater precaution
than before. Her speed was slackened
considerably. The red light on the end
of the jetty, which Pursei McKenry
says looked about as large as the end of
lighted cigar, was sighted with diff.
Guilty. The course of the boat was
turned into the Htristiaaa, and all of a
sudden the passengers found themselves
at sudden halt. The vessel had stuck
fast in the mud. She would not bulge,
and all efforts to move her were fruit
less. The passengers were informed of
this state Of affairs and of the proba-
bility of their having to spend the re-
mainder of their Christmas aboard the
steamboat but they were not alarmed.
They took the disappointment with
good cheer and prepared at once to
make a night of it. The passengers on
board numbered about so, mostly men.
There were two children aboard
All except eight passengers remained
on board the boat until morning These
eight were anxious to reach this city,
and so Purser McKenry took them in u
small boat to the p, W. IL Il. cut of
bridge, where the passengers landed and
walked TO this city. 1t was considered
n dangerous move to bring the passen-
gers ashore in such u dense fog, conse-
quently the majority of them did not
hesitate to remain on the boat for the
night, where the time was very pleas
antly spent. All seemed satisfied at the
result of the trip, and We're amused to
think that they were to enjoy the novel
experience of spending Christmas
night on board the steamboat. Captain
Jacobs and the crew of the Brandywine
gave the passengers their supper, and
did all in their power to make them
comfortable. The passengers were all
given lodging apartments, where they
were permitted to go to bed TO dream of
storm-tossed seas, and how they had
escaped death from an imaginary ship
wreck. The vessel ran aground about
6.10 o'clock in the evening.
Next morning at 6.3O O'Clock the tug
boat McFadden brought the passengers
ashore none the worse for their expert
ence during the night.
The Brandywine repaired to her
wharf, but on account of the fog, which
had not diminished in the least, she was
unable 10 start ON her usual morning
trip to Philadelphia at 7.30 o'clock. She
was not damaged in the accident When
the tide came in the boat had very little
difficulty in floating. Captain Jacobs
says in all his experience as sea cap
tain, which is an extensive one, he never
before saw such an impenetrable fog.
He could not see an object five feet
ahead of the bow Of the boat. The
Brandywine started for Philadelphia at
1.30 o'clock Saturday afternoon.