The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-10


following talks with passengers.
w. A. Wilcox and Mrs. Wilcox, Of
Quilcene. were two of the passengers on
the Premier. They are now stopping ct
the Grand hotel, whsre Mrs.. Wilcox Is
laid up with = badly sprained arm and
nervous prostration a. the result of pain
and fright. Mr.. Wilcox says:
was timing the whistle Of our boat She had
been blowing every few moments after passing
1asroxstoue point, owing 70 the fog. par
dcuiariy remember this for had bcen timing
the whistles with my watch and spanking
% my vile about IL ] remember saying
that II any accident were tn occur would
make good witness 70 prove that ous boat was
taking precautions. We wsYs blowing about
three times In two minutes. that IL TO say.
at intervals Of shout forty seconds, some
longer, some shorter. Then l heard the
whistles OF m approaching boat, which
were quite regular as nrst and then ceased
This, supposed, meant that she had passed Us.
Then our boat stopped her engines. a. We could
feel, and almost instantly the crash came.
rushed with my vile 70 the hurricane deck
and she boarded the Willamette the second
aboard II there was any fsult IL wss not in the
Premier or hsr officers. Whom We boarded the
Willamette could Just about see her length,
Just shout see her stern when went aboard u
her bow. The fog was quite dsnsa
J. r. Dryer, Of San Francisco, also at
the Grand. was apassenger on the Premier.
He said:
We were blowing every three OF four minutes
There was but little fog. and could re-, per-
hsps, 150 70 100 yards. / heard no answering
signals from tho Willamette. At thu time Of
the crash could almost zee the shora
DR.. e. George, of San Francisco, was
also on the boat. He said last night:
~.
70 seek Mr. Allen There WAS then no fog worth
mentioning. We could zee SEQ yards. We sat
on the deck next to the smokestack and whis-
Gle, and I am therefore In apositton 70 say
that our boat gavs no signals or whistiing of
any kind.
O. II. Adsit. Of juneau, though only a
Passenger on the Premier, exhibited re-
luctsnee to say anything He il at the
Arlington. He said:
was not ON the deck 1t the time Of the col
lisiou. but from what heard other passengers
say do not see hew the accident occurred.
Even the men on the main deck forward did not
- tho Willamette TIL she was right on top o.
them.
James Cole, an oil wiper on the Premier,
said that the accident was due to the
efforts of each boat to avoid the other in
the fog. His explanation was as follows:
seemed no danger Of col.ision- The Premier
was thrown . point to the port side ana the
same 10 probably true OF the Willamette, for she
was near the shore. aud It would have besn wise
policy 70 threw her of little If the Premier
bad not been 20 close. The fog was dense, and
whom the boats came in sight OF each other on
the couraes made by throwing . point each to
port II was impossible to prevent the collision.
Unavoidable accident or blunder -
- ~ ho Thn
sharp prov Of tho huge collier struck the
passenger steamer at an angle OF about
fifty degrees at the companion way
on tho port side. just abaft the wheel
house. Although going slow and with
her engines reversed, the huge wedge
formed by. the bow of the Willamette
walked into the side Of the Premier as
though 1t had been made Of paper instead
Of metal and heavy timbers. Right
through the crowded smoking-room
with Its gay card parties at every table
into the main saloon. two feet more than
half way through the ship, the bow of the
collier plowed its way. throwing great
forrows of splinters and debris in every
direction. 1t was in the smoking room
that three out OF four met their deaths,
and that . majority of the injured received
their wounds. The pilot house and off,
Gers quarters on the hurricane deck were
lifted mp and tilted over. The PosT-IN-
TELLIsxucx1 representative telegraphed
after viewing the wreck yesterday:
From sight Of the wreck the frss thought lie
one Of asso.isAmsnt that any one in that part
Of the weasel escaped with life Many were lit
orally within a inch Of death and had to be
hslped trom the psrilous positions in which
they wo1o pinioned ~ the umbofa Had the
collision oceuxred q night when people were in
their osrths the slsughtsr must have been
frightiul
With great gaping hole in her aide the
Premier did not sink. By some strange
chance the plates on her aide became in
teriocksd with the plates on the bow of the
collier. There the steamer remained. She
was like piece Of toast on fork. Had
it not been for this many deaths by drown
ing would probably have been added to
the other horrors.
An soon as il was learned that the safety
Of all the passengers on board the Premier
Was assured, the wounded aud dead were
removed to the Willamette The body of
the Wyncoop boy was found where it had
been crushed before his fathers eyes, and
with the appeal ''Oh! Papap on his
lips. The other victims were extri-
Gated from the debris very rapidly, the
crew being nobiy aided by passengers who
kept their Wits. No panic occurred on
board the Premier, even the ladies on board
taking matters coolly. and all tho pas
sengers able to do 30 scrambled
over tho prov of the willamette, and, to-
gether with the injured. were carefully
attended 10 by Steward Brown. Besides
the three dead brought to Seattle on the
tug Goliah. when 1t first brought the new
Of the collision il was said that
several more persons were imprisoned
IN the wreck, and that one had been
drowned. Careful inquiry among the
crew fails TO discover much Confederation
Of the story of . fireman on the William
cite that he saw man fall overheard and
sink at the time of the collision, but he is
very strong in his assertions of its
truth. Tho body of the other unknown
victim was discoverered, however, yes.sr-
day. IL il that OF William Richardson. a
contractor living in Tacoma, but engaged
engaged in building the new custom
house 80 Port Townsend. His body
was found on the main deck iamms q
under the gang plank against the star
board side of tho vessel. The remains
brought TO Seattle by the steamer Edith
yesterday morning. In connection with
the death of Richardson the PosrIsrKrIr-
sKscrx representative telegraphs the fol-
having pititul incident:
Shortly after hfs body had been found q sele-
gram came here addrsssed TO Ma Robert
Leighton from his wife. enqu!Ying whether hs
had departed ca the Inflated steamer nvs,
not known then that he hsi left on shei Premier
until shortly after TREND came from sha wreck
aad ssnt . telegram to his partner in Tacoma
Altar that came word khat hr,.hs- 49,