New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-26
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE SINKING OF THE ALVA.
STORY OF CAPTAIN COLEMAN OF THg
DlMOCK.
HE HEARD THE FAINT TINKLE OF THE YACHTS
DELL TOO LATE To AVOID THE COLLISION
THE SUNKEN VESSEL TO BE
RAISED If Possible.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rkIBUSKY 7

fBY TELEGRAPH THE rkmUyE1
Boston, July 25.-Captain A. b. Coleman, OF
| tiie steamship II. r. Dmock, this morning visited
| the Lighthouse Board and made report for the
issue Of notice TO mariners of the danger from
the sunken yacht Alva. The Alva lies of the
north part Of Pollock Rip, south by west, one
| quarter west, in four and one-half fathoms of
water, threc-quarters of mile from Pollock Rip
Slue bell buoy. Her masts and smokestack show
| and at low water her rail is nearly awash. She
LIS broadside across the channel Captain Cole
man is young man with more Of the gentleman
Of leisure than the captain in his appearance.
and this morning gave his statement of how tho
Dimock happened TO run down Mr. Vandcrbilt's
yacht. He said:
1t was exceedingly foggy Sunday morning, and
at o'clock we were approaching the Shoals which,
owing TO the fog, had TO be done with caution.
Lookouts were posted, and were straining their
eyes in every direction, while our whistle was
being continually sounded. We wer, very care
ful to keep right in the regular channel
and were only going at half-speed Cur
| progress was little more than drifting, as
now and then we stopped and made observations
| before proceeding. For four hours we had kept
the whistle sounding and were feeling our way
| for PollOcks Rip Slue bell buoy. When had
| begun TO think we were pretty near it we heard
| the tinkling Of yachts bell and as soon as this
| falnt rng reached US the lookout saw the dim
outlines OF vessel dead ahead of us. lie shouted
ana Immediately we veercd off and promptly re-
vrrsed the engines full speed. but collision was
| unavoidable and we crashed into the port bow and
| knocked hole in her. partly below the water
| line We narrowly escaped striking her right
amdshps The Dimocll backed of and steered
around away from the Ava. When we were
backing clear of the yacht, our bow was jammed
| t,t.o L..
plates were stove in. The damage is slight though.
We lay To and picked up every one aboard, pro-
videl those with clothes who had no opportunity
to obtain their own. staying there most of the
day. thinking there might possibly be something
more We could do. The steam yacht is not very
badly damaged, her only injury being the hole
made by our bows which, being below the water
line caused her TO fill. think she can be easily
raised and repaired at comparatively small COST
She anchored at the worst place that could
have been chosen in the vicinity. She lay broad.
side across the channel and very close TO the
Shoals
Many Of the crew of the Alva are still on board
the Dimock, but are being paid off and leaving.
The yachts boats and naphtha launch are still on
the deck of the Dmock, which will probably
proceed to New-York for repairs before trans
porting any more freight. one OF tie passengers
on the Dimocl was Willis w. Ferry, who Is
manager for tie Granite Iron Ware Company.
He said, to-day:
Il was on deck at the time of the collision.
The fog so dense that we could not 80
| more than quarter of the ships length. Mr..
Baker and Mr.. Smith, the first and second mates
Of the Dmock, and / were all standing rght
in the eyes Of her ] was on the starboard side
Nobody could have heard the bell of the Alva
sooner than we dill, and | think We all heard 10
at the same time. Near were Mr.. TraslS,
Mr.. Palmer and two others The rest of the
passengers were scattered about aft. Almost
simultaneously with the sound Of the bel. the
dark of the Alva loomed up befo.e us.
Our engines We're reversed, and at full speed, but
with the tide which runs there in the Pollock
Rip, we had tremendous heac.way We were
ss~-'ht on top of her. Didn't leave the
bow until just before the crash came
One wheel was hard-a-. tarboard, or we should
have struck the Ava aniidships. as some of the
papers say We did; as IL was, We struck just for
ward OF the manmast IL seemed an awfully
long time before we got clear OF course orr
engine being reversed all this time we finally
overcame the current and backed away We
were probably not half a minute in collision. but
during that time William X. Vanderbilt and Mr.
Riggs had climbed board the Dimock The
AJva's boats were lowered with commendable III
Plul'J anu hiS'Iplut iHe pDIl cutter got away
first. Thr Alvas crew all got aboard the
Dmock in safety with the exception OF a Swede,
who got ratified and took lifc-preserver into the
boat with him. In climbing the DimocS's side
he managed somehow TO twist around ont of the
ladder and fell fifteen feet. striking on the boats
Qunwale. But for the lfc-prcserver he would
have broken his back.
The party from the Alva were destitute Of
clothing. Mr.. Webb had put on some tenris
fllll lNN rs "A h4f rnhn
but the rest had only tleir night dresses. Mr.
Vanderbilt climbed aboard in silk pajamas. Mr.
Vanderbilt came at once 10 my cabin and, after
donning clothes STOOD looking through the
FORT at the Alva. lie remarked that he did not
think she would sink. - she had watcr-tight
compartments But almost he spoke the bow
Of the Ava began 10 settle. Then she settled
back in the water and listed, finally going down al
together. We made the passengers comfortable
as we could, and after waiting till the foy lifted
proceeded on Onr course Captain Coleman
and the officers of the Dimock did everything
possible under the circumstances and they deserve
great deal of praise. For my part. | think it
was the grandeSt thing ever saw-the sinking of
that great vessel | shall never forget it,"
Vineyard Haven Mass. July 25.-The Boston
TOwhoat Companys agent here has received orders
10 proceed 10 the wrecked yacht Alva, at Pollock
Rip, with steam tug. wreclSing lighter and
divers TO make n thorough examination of her con-
diion with view 10 RAISING her
Newport July 25-W X. Vanderbilt arrived
here at 200 o'clock to-day, accompanied by his
guests on the unfortunate yachting excursion.
At the depot he had nothIhg to say TO reporters
and at once took lis own vehicle for his hou6e
at the lower end of the Island.