The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12
SUNK BY THE YACHT ALVA.
A ROUBOAT CUT IN TWO and A MAN
AND 4 UOMdN DROWNED.
w. X. Vanderbilt was Aboard tho Yacht
with Friends on His Way to Newport
Iioats from Nearer Craft Went to the
Rescue md the Aivn Kept Oh.

kescu~ and the AVN Acpt Oh.
Mr.. William X vandcrbilt's beautiful yacht,
the Alva. stcaming rapidly down tho North
River yesterday afternoon with Mr.. Vanderbilt
and several other gentlemen aboard. ran her
sharp bow into n rowboat in which were
young French saloonkcepcr. Nicholas Mchels.
and woman named Mary Simonin. Tho boat
was cut in two. and they were thrown into the
water to drown after struggling for about two
minutes.
Tho Alva brought Mr.. and Mrs. Vanderbilt
from Europe to Newport some weeks ago, and
last Wednesday came down to this city with
Mr.. Vanderbilt. She anchored at Pier 3 OF the
West Shore road. opposite tho foot OF West
Forty-second street. At noon yesterday Mr..
Vanderbilt loft his homo at $50 Fifth avenue to
start in his yacht for Newport. He had invited
several gentlemen to 30 with him. and they
met him over in New Jersey at tho pier. Tho
yacht set out at about 1920 o'clock. and at
once got under good Roadway.
1910 Seventh avenue Is lodging house
with n saloon on the ground floor that was
kept by u young Michels On Friday afternoon
his brother Theobald went out rowing. and
enjoyed himself so much that on his return
home he urged Nicholas. who was an indiffer-
ent oarsman. to go out and try it. Nicholas in
vited Mary Simonin. tho keeper OF the lodg-
ing house. to so with him. They set ont
about o'clock and at $40 they were in one
OF Joe Mays rowboats. leaving the dock at
the foot Of West Thirty fourth street. and
making up stream and across. Michels was
sitting on the second seat from the sternn and
Miss Sullivan was in the stern seat
The war ship Atlanta was in the anchorage
ground Off tho foot of West Thirty-ffth street
The officer of the deck Lieut.. Rogers. saw the
rowboat crossing the stream above tho Allan
Ia. and noticed that the man rowed with
irregular stroke as II he were inexperienced.
The wind and the tide were both down stream.
and. joined with the current made the upward
course of the rowboat very difficult.
When the rowbont had passed midstream
and was getting toward the Jersey shore.
Lieut.. Rogers noticed the Alva coming down
with the tide at the rate of twelve knots an
hour. The rowboat lay right in her course a
quarter OF a mile ahead.
The Alva whistlcd. and changed her course
to port. so that she came on a little further
from the Jersey shore and out Of the way OF
the rowboat. But Michels showed signs OF
great alarm. and. instead Of kecrirG on. turn
ed his boat about and It to rowing back to-
ward midsteam and into the changed course
of tho Ava.
The Alva was coming rapidly on and was
not more than 800 yards away from the row.
boat As she Is long and narrow yacht she
docs not answer to her helm readily. and. be-
sides. sho had the current and the tide to pre-
vent her from another quick change Of course.
She whistled again.
NIchcls still had time to make two or three
strong strokes and pull clear OF her. But he
lost his head completely stopped rowing. and.
throwing one oar into the air. set II to waving.
The woman hall rose from her seat and
screamed and III. CIV her arms UP.
The Alva was too close now. She bore
straight for the rowboat and STRUCK it full on
the side. The boat was cut clean IN two and
the two people were in tho water. the
yacht rushing on between them. Tho Of
Hcers OF the Atlanta saw that tho helmsman
of the yacht was trying to bring her to. Her
engines reversed. but the tide and the current
were so strong that sha swept down. her
alter"G course taking her straight for tho At
lanta. The steersman threw her helm hard
over and she missed he Atlanta by few feet
several hundred yards below.
The man and tho woman were in the water,
r mn gst naf hn ms L wa 10 se
hausting himself ~ brcnSting tho water sug
gestc9d ewimmins school training rather than
buoyeG BY her skirts, The man swan silently.
but the woman. with her arms above her head.
There was a rush % small craft for the spot.
The A"Hta Einsd awHy two h3ats and tn%
was at anchor up the river on tn" New York
side. sent one boat. The Alva was too far
away to do anything at all.
one man. who was steering. aboard. was going
down stream Just below the struggling; pair.
water. lufI"d and drought his boat up to II
course that carried her between the swim.
ha SIS been t thrown to them easily. Ent there
was no man aboar to throw thc rope. as tho
"2Hd n1t 'nSs N" f%r soolsd
and she went down. her VOICE ringing sharp
and clear unit! the "ater covered l;er head,
! then he. too, wen, out OF, sight. Ten seconds
after they disappeared hilf dozen .ow-
boats shot ovc.' the spot with men eager to
Bu; Michels and Miss simnnin had gone to
the bottom and Wfr 81, not seen yi: again Ihr
roses, was oa;inG on the. water. and row
koat picked it ", ana 10E it to luG i Of IT,,
NJ Tie i, Nva. a i Whiting ten minutes turned
hsr ny Sr'& e " Gas " "u ou lG s Hf
On nor way to N"wlyrt. It il supposed that
had " SEN az" IT, II az and G"nti strrin: @Cout
the place whore TIE two had gone down.
the d i5 'aE at fh@ ""t i W1st Thiny. Firth
Er TMSGs md 1Ey t Win Ma goa" rn nna
cl"s were takon to tho West Thirty enth
sH HsGSa Ey 3 sGGs M s@,%.oev NO.
cause his brother and the hous rkrrpcr had
not come lack from their louting trip and
went down 10 he docI, to look for Ihcm. Juo
Nav sent him M e" III" police station md no
The AlyA IL 80 feet long aud ;}2 fo"t in the
beam A. sh' is 10 nHrTT2 bs it Is hard for nsr
t. turn "n"", "S whar e sne ws 1 Tam"
il Is, saiI Tint fhs Vas going. too
also said that tho current and the
tide. running so swiftly. was more
res norsihir for her failure to slacken speed
thnn her engines were. 1t Is certain that had
Mirhcls kent his head there would have bcHn
~ danger, as tho Ava changed her c"Gr7c
once To keep out # his way, The two bodies
lave not Lecu recovered set.
Comedian NJ. &. Dniy MT the Point Gr Death.
kilograms from Los Angeles. Cal. received
Yesterday told ofthc dangerous illness in that
city of Michael G. paly. the veteran comedian.