The evening world., 1893-10-11
N0URMAHAL STRIKES.
Mr.. Astor's Yacht Oollides with
Ferry-Boat Washington.
Passengers Frightened, but Nobody
Was Hurt.
Both Crafts We're Damaged About
the Bow.

John Jacob Astors steam yacht Nour-
mahal crashed into the Pennsylvania
Railroad ferry-boat Washington in mid
stream In the North River at 0 30 o'clock
this corning.
Although neither craft sustained seri-
Gus damage, what might have been .
calamity attended by great loss of life
was narrowly avcrtcd.
The Washington had left the Jersey
CITY slip, at the foot OF Exchange place,
and was bound for the Cortiandt street
slip in this city. with several hundred
passengers aboard.
The Nourmahal was seen coming down
the river under full head of steam.
When the Washington was about half
across the river, the Nourmahal was 30
close upon the ferry-boat that the pilot
N charge OF the latter, Capt. BENJAMIN
Il. Tinsler, blew his whistle twice.
This gave notice to the Nourmahal
that the Washington conceded the right
Of way to the steam yacht and that she
expected the yacht to 20 ahead and
cross the ferry-boat's bow.
The Nourmahal, according to the
Pennsylvania Railroad officials. paid no
attention to the signal. and came down
hpol tiS W lOh 81 last lhdl app.
Tinsler sounded the danger signal-that
Is, blew d series of short. sharp blasts
and reversed the ferry-boat's wheels;
the Nourmahafs wheel to starboard
and crossing the Washington's bow,
turned It to port and tried to pass astern
The Nourmahai had too little steering
way to accomplish the feat and crashed
into the Washington On the !. port side.
The passengers were DaniC-StriCken by
his time, but the ferry-boat's deck
hands seeing that the collision was in;
aft and out Of immediate danger.
the upper deck Of the washington, tear
edged stem followed and cut through the
guards, and into the hull for a distance
Of about eight feet.
great. and. with the best. OF fortune.
many Passengers must nave heen injured.
ington must have been under sternway
at the time to have been struck SO far
The Washington reeled to starboard
bow. and the ferry-boat's passengers
screamed or shouted in alright.
From the Nourmahals cabin rushed
many ladies and gentlemen. for the
Yacht bore a large party Of Mr.. Astor's
The yacht was on her way to the
lower bay to follow vigilant and Val
kyrie over the course in their third race
for the Americas Cup.
When the Nourmahal's engines were
stopped and she extricated her bow
from the hole IN the W~ashington's deck,
broken %ss seen Of sh soat a sne S %ss Phans aas o oser
Uttered with wreckage from the FERRY
boat
Mr.. Astor's yacht then resumed her
slightly damaged; ro.,u., ,sr ,r,,
sengers in New York.
When it was ascertained that the lower
portion of her hull had escaped injury
and that she was not leaking. she took
another load of passengers across the
North Mort tsl River t to 1esgs nfy, f bs t a Isl,s wss
Capt. Tinsler took the Washington up
he river to the Hob9ke I dock sh of the ths
be repaired.
The damage. the Railroad officials say.
VI" x Il The sn TIME Of t the collision sPEE % the the wind
was northeast and in the Nourmahars
favor. and the tide wa nearly flood or
eseding on an angle to both wind and
tide she had the right of way.
The S S0 ,5a h1drl Is likely xss to become
k1 6n se as Us IS last n9ha she yasH' beached at
lie east side of the Hudson River, near
Van Rensselaer's Point. just north OF
About 10 O'clock that night, she was on
her way up the river. and of what is
knit wn as the, Damskammer: She was
There is a jagged line Of rocks under
Reef.
Capt. Daley at once decided to beach
nar; ts She f lsy Of af w a Saa uRn Sasit'Gh" her T BOW
and twelve feet under her stern. She
had a strong list to starboard.
tight bulkheads were closed and her
pumps set at work. There was then
ten feet Of water in her hold;
She was lowed to the Erie Basin,
Brooklyn, where it was found that a
large hole had been stove in her bottom
about midships.
The mushroom. several staterooms
and the aining-room were badly dam
aged by water. Work was hurried 10
get her ready for the yacht races. but
to-day was her first trip.
On Aug. IS the Nourmahal went ashore
on Blu Rocks. X. l.. during IA gale.
Mr.. Aston had sent out cards for. a
reception to be held on board his yacht.
Owing to the extremely high winds IT
was deemed advisable TO move the yacht
from its anchorage in Brenton's Cove to
the wharf. Mr.. Aston directed the work
She started to move outside Goat ISL
and for the long wharf. and when she
turned the lighthouse she became UNI
manageable and grounded on what is
known as Old Elm.
She cleared from this and then cast
anchor near the lighthouse. but the an
Choir dragged and the yacht driftei in II
northerly direction and struck lroadside
on the Blue Rocks. 1t was pulled off by
the combined efforts of three tugs.
The Nourmahal was launched in the
Spring of 1884 from the ward of her
builders, the Harlan * HollingSWorth
Company, OF Wilmington, Del. She was
designed by Gustav Hillmann. of city
Island. and he sunerintended her recon-