Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-10
DISASTER IN A FOG.
Five Lives Lost at Sea by a Col
lision.
A LIST OF SEVENTEEN WOUNDED.

One Vessel Cut Nearly in Two-Names of
Dead and Injured-The Dense Fog Be-
wfIders the Navigators, Deadens the
Warning Whistles and Brings on the
Crash-Neither Vessel Sees or Knows
the Position of the Other Until Too
Late to Avert the Fatal Crash.
E SEATTLE, Wash, Oct 10.-The Canadian
Navigation company's steamer Premier
was run down and cut nearly in two by the
Oregon Improvement company's big steel
collier Willamette in Puget Sound, fifty
miles north of Seattle, during a dense fog
Saturday afternoon. Four of the Premier's
passengers and crew were killed outright,
one drowned, and seventeen badly wounded.
News did not reach here until o'clock yes
terday morning, when the steamer Goliath
arrived with the dead, wounded, and sur
vivors.
The Roll of Dead and Injured.
The dead are: Johannes Moe, Tacoma,
aged 40. killed instantly, leaves widow and
three children; John Rankin, waiter on
Premier, aged 25, killed instantly w. F.
Richardson, contractor on United States
customs house at Port Townsend, aged 40,
body pinned under timbers of wreck; I'M
known man, jumped overheard from Pre-
mier; Frank c. Wynkoop, Tacoma, aged
13. killed instantly.
The injured: Gus Davis, Waterman Pre-
mier, Port Townsend, ribs broken, serious
internal injuries: Thomas Foran, Seattle,
left leg broken at knee, arm hurt; c. :.
Gilbert, commercial traveller, st. Paul,
bruised and cut: f. Hugert Tacoma, slight
ly hurt; John Lysle, freight clerk Premier,
cut about the face; John Levy. steward
Premier badly cut and bruised; r. F. Lee,
Pontiac. Wash. slightly hurt: A T. Lund-
berg, Pysht, Wash, injured internally; A
Leidholt, waiter, left arm broken and leg
bruised; J. Nelson, Port Townsend, arm,
chest and leg hurt; T. II. Phillips, Helena,
Mont, both legs crushed, ribs broken; Mrs.
Ida Suite, Sturges, y. D., knee and arm
bruised: f. w. Vest, St. Louis, Mo. knee
and arm badly bruised: ID. j. Wynkoop,
Tacoma, cut above eye; Mrs. ID. J. Wyn-
koop, hip injured: Mrs. Wilcox, Outline,
Wash. elbow broken; Mrs. George WilleT,
Tacoma. injured internally.
The Mariners Creates. EaeI.,y.
The Premier left Whatcom for Seattle Mt
noon and was three hours late. The Villa
mette had loaded for san Francisco and left
at noon. The fog was very dense and both
ships complied with regulations requiring
whistles to be blown every half minute.
The Premier was ten miles this side of
Port Townsend when the whistle of the big
collier-yvas heard Their warning signals
We're sounded regularly as the boats APP
preached bach other. There is at least one
mile sea room at this place.
Found Where They Were Too Late.
Both captains say they thought the other
vessel was taking the opposite side of the
sound. as in the dense, heavy air the
whistles sounded family. Suddenly, as the
Premier rounded Mutiny bay, where the
bluff reverberated the signals, the boats
found they were close upon each other, and
the next minute the captain and pilot of
the Premier saw the huge form of the
c1llier less than boats length away, com
ing head on. The engines OF both ships
were stopped and the wheels swung hard
aport but ii was too late to avert a COLI
sion.
Knocked His Head Clean OF.
The WiIlamette's bow struck the Premier
on the port side at the companion way just
opposite the pilot house, crashing through
into the smoking room where over twenty
men We're seated about the whist tables.
The PROV of the collier passed through the
room like knife, and entered the main
cabin beyond, splintering the whole side of
the ship. Johannes Moe was struck by a
flying timber just rs the bow of the collier
came through the hull of the Premier, and
his head was Knocked fiat against the other
wall twenty feet away, where it was after
ward found among the debris. John Ran
kin. a waiter on the Premier, was standing
in the door of the smoking room, and was
pinioned between the bow of the invading
ship and the timber, his body being horribly
manGled
Saw His BOY Meet Death.
Frank Wynkoop, - years old, was stand
ing by the chair of his father, who was
playing whist, and he struck by the
bow of the boat and killed beferesthe eyes
of his father. who was badly bruised trying
to reach out Tor him. How William Rich
ardson was killed is unknown.
How Sinking Was Ayerted.
The Willamette then steamed ahead,
carrying the wrecked steamer with her
across to Bush Point, where both We're
beached in twentyfour feet of water. The
tug Goliath, passing with lumber schoon-
er, was signaled and tried for hours to part
the two vessels. but they We're firmly