Morning journal and courier., 1892-07-25
vANDERBILT,s YACHT SUNK.

Run Into by a Steamer - Occupants
Escape in Their Night Clothes -
Drowning Narrowly Averted-Pfck-
ed Up by the 'sDImock''-AH the
Passengers Asleep-In q Dense Fog.
HYANNIs, Mass, July 24.-This morn
ing while at anchor on Nantucket Shosl,
in fog, w. K vanderbilts steam yacht
Alva was run into by the steamer H. F.
Dimock and sunk. ALL on board the Alva.
including Mr.. w. K. Vanderbilt and party,
were saved and taken on board the Dimock.
The party will proceed in here to Boston
as soon as the fog lifts.
Boston, July M.-The steamer 81. F.
Dimock of the Metropolitan line arrived
here from New York this evening, having
on board the occupants of w. K. Wander
bilt's yacht Alvs, which the steamer ran
down this morning. The Alva, under the
command of Captain Henry Morrison, left
Bar Hsrbor at 4 O'Clock Saturday evening
bound for Newport, r. l., having on board
the owner and guests, Frederick w. Van
derbilt, George De Forrest, Louis Webb,
Winifred Scott White and Frank Riggs,
all of whom are summering at Newport.
Early this morning thick fog set in and
1t became so dense that Captain
Morrison deemed 1t imprudent to
run further, as the yacht was then
in the track of coasting vessels
After making Pollock Rip Eght-ship an
Choir was dropped. Whistles ard horns
every possible precsution taken to warn
other vessels of the whereabouts of the
Alva. The owner and his guests were all
sleeping in their berths when a few min
utes past o'clock they were aroused by a
heavy crash accompanied by the tearing
of the plates of their vessel. William
Vanderbilt was first on deck, closely fol-
lowed by Mr.. Briggs. Looming up
through the fog they could see the dark
hull of large steamer backing away from
the yacht. The steamer was the Il. F.
Dimock, whose stem had penetrated the
side of the Alva In the forward bulkhesds.
The crew of the yacht hailed the steamer
and informed the captain that the yacht
must sink.
Captain Coleman of the Dimack, after
receiving an affirmative to the question
whether the boat remained intact, told the
people on the yacht that he would lay by
until they could be transferred to lis YES
sci. A steam launch, four rowboats and
naphtha launch were then lowered from
the Alva, which was rapidly sinking, and
the owner and passengers with the crew of
ffty-two men were soon afoat and rapidly
pulling away from their doomed craft.
Their exit WAS none too soon, for when
they were about cables length from their
vessel she made o violent keel to port and,
righting again, plunged down bows first
and nothing but three masts sticking out
of the water indicated the presence of the
ocean rover they had so lately
deserted.
The party were all safely landed on
board the Dimock, which anchored and re-
manned until about 1:40 o'clock in the
afternoon, when the fog lifted and
course was set for Boston, arriving at the
dock of India wharf about 8 O'Clock this
evening. The Dimock was going at re-
duced rate of speed at the time of the
otherwise she would have run
right over the Alva and frightful loss of
life would have been the result, owing to
the fact that all the passengers and one
half the crew were soundly asleep at the
time of the accident.
So hurriedly were the occupants of the
Inflated craft obliged to leave that they
We're all, with the exception of the watch
on deck, clad in nothing but their night
clothes, and lost everything they had in
the way of valuables. Arriving In this
,ity the Vanderbilt party at once took a
rain for their homes in Newport. The
Alva was one of the largest and finest
pleasure steamers afioat. The Alva was
built in Wilmington, Del. in 1886. The
suDken vessel now rests on sandy bo:-
tom, and divers will be dispatched to-
to see what can be done towards
Raising her