The record-union., 1892-10-10
THE LATTER ALMOST CUT IN TWAIN
AND SUNK.
Your Men on the Premier Killed, One
Drowned and a Number OF Persons
Seriously Injured-When the Tugs
Succeeded in Separating the Two
Vessels the Premier Immediately
Went to the Bottom-The william
cite Towed Into Port.
Special to the REcoRD-US1oN.

A0A-Ai LIE \ w ooL-y, OSb. D. liO S<iSid-
dian Pacific Navigation Company's
steamer Premier was struck by the steam
collier Willamette in dense fog off
WILDLY Island, about ten miles south of
Port Townsend, at o'clock yesterday
afternoon. Four men were killed in the
collision, one more drowned and seven
teen badly wounded.
The steam tug Goliah arrived here at
1890 A. NJ. with three of the dead, all of
the wounded and the other passengers,
after having spent several hours in the
attempt to save from the wrecl1 the body
of an unknown passenger that was seen
to be wedged in there.
The dead are: Johannes Moe of Ia
coma. aged 40 years; Frank c. Wynkoop,
13 years old, son of D. j. Wynkoop of
Tacoma; John Rankin of Seattle, aged %.
An unknown passenger, d man of about
40, is still in the wreck, and another un-
known passenger jumped overheard and
was drowned.
The injured are as follows: Gus Davis,
watchman on the steamer Premier;
Thomas Foran, Seattle; w. Ii. Phillips,
Helena, Mont; j. Wynkoop, Tacoma;
Mrs. d. j. Wynkoop, Tacoma; C. S. Gil
bert, st. Paul, Minn.; Mrs. Wilcox. Qui-
lane; WASH; f. w. Vest, st. Louis, Mo-;
John Ysle and Jack Levy of the steamer
Premier; Mrs. Ida Sutter, Sturgie, OAK;
Mrs. George w. Miller, Tacoma; F. w.
Lee, Pontiac, Wash; A. +. Lundberg;
Aiban Leidholdt; Francis Hughert, Ia
coma; Jacob Nelson, Port Townsend.
The Premier left Port Townsend about
half-past l for Seattle in a heavy fog,
blowing her whistle continuously. When
off Point No Point another whistle
sounded close by, and almost immedi-
ately aiterward terrific crash was heard
The fore cabin of the Premier was
smashed to splinters, and the prov of the
Willamette was found jammed right into
the bow of the Premier. The Willamette
was laden with coal, and was on her way
from Seattle to San Francisco.
The stem of the Willamette was so
deeply lmbedded into the Premier that
the passengers scram bled over the broken
woodwork and on to the collier. The
ladies were handed up first, followed by
the Injured. AS fast as they could be re-
moved the men with broken limbs, and
both men and women with bleeding faces
and bodies were helped up.
1t was soon seen to be impossible to
draw off the Willamette without sinking
the Premier, so Captain Anderson de-
termined TO forge ahead, driving before
him the steamer spiked on his bow. He
forced her back on the beach, and was so
tightly wedged in that he could not back
Oft without dragging the Premier with
him. The tug Goliah, towing out a
schooner, was hailed and she took off
the passengers, bearing them to Seattle.
where they arrived about midnight.
The receding tide left both stranded
and still inter-locked. and no further
news can be obtained tonight. 1t was
hot . l.a,,r 81
partly stove in.
Although the whole affair occurred in a
few moments, and the passengers quickly
recovered from their nomentary shock
and fright, there were some pitiable
scenes. One man, whose name is un-
known, was craZed with fear, and imme-
dIately sprang overheard, being drowned.
THE PREMIER SUNK.
PoRT TOWNSEND, Oct. 9.-One more
victim OF yesterdays collision between
the steamer Premier and the collier Will
lamette was discovered to-day. 1t is
that of William Richardson, a contractor.
living in Tacoma, but engaged in build
ing the new Custom-house at this place
His body was found on the main deck.
damned under the gang-plank against
the starboard side of the vessel.
After the Premier was beached and had
put her lines out on shore. it was thought
that ut high tide, with the aid of the
Gollah, the Willamette could pull away.
but the plates of the two vessels had he
come so hooked that the combined efforts
OF the Goliah and tug Tacoma could not
pull them apart. Her stem was free, but
she was aground amidships, and fears
were felt that her back would break
when the tide went out
Later In the day more successful
effort was made. The tugs Goliah and
Tacoma pulled the ships apart, and the
Premier sank to the bottom, the water
coming up to the main deck-rail at half
tide. The Willamette was taken to Seat
tie by the tug Tacoma.
Ihe masters OF the two vessels oive
different versions as to the cause of the
collision. Captain Bernard Gilbay said
was on deck with the pilot at the
time, and we were trying TO locate an
other vessel. There was dense fog. and
L was blowing my whistle three times a
minuten
Il heard another vessel whistle, blow
ing every once In while, but not so often
as mine. l kept the Premier well to the
right, and had turned her one and half
points In that direction, thinking, of
course, that the other vessel would do the
same. Only five minutes before tho col
Aslon we had passed Kingston in that
way. All at once the Willamette blew
two whistles, and another short one and
almost Immediately the crash came. We
nau slo"ed uoMn TO eight or nine knots
and when the Willamette's three whistles
sounded L reversed at once None of nv
crew lost their presence of mind. and aS
they come TO report for duty. | directad
some to get the boats ready and some 70
rescue the wounded and dead. We qot
the latter out of the wreckape within
twenty minutes. Those able to take s.ara
of themselves stepped on board the Will
lamette."
Captain Hanson of the Willamette
gave his version OF the affair as follows.
I'VE left Seattle between 10 and IL O'clock
in thick fog, which continued until
shortly before reaching Point No Point
when it lifted little. A short distance
further we ran into it again, and |
sounded my whistle about once minute
as a warning. l had a double lookout
and also another officer on the bridge
with me, and as we heard another whistle
sounding we were on the alert all the time.
] heard another whistle on the starboard
side right, and signalled two whistles,
which meant that both vessels should
go to port side left, but the Premier only
answered with one whistle, which she
was sounding all the time, and which in
a fog is no signal at all, but merely
warning. All at once / saw vessel loom
up across the Willamette's bow. Ny
ship was Immediately, or as soon as a
vessel of 5000 tons can be, reversed at
full speed, but it was too late. L had
slowed down fifteen minutes before we
struck, so we were not going fast. If we