The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-16
STRUCK ON BIRTHSTONE ROCK.
THE FERRYBoAr ERIE WIN 500
SOULS ON BOARD.


Several Passengers Consent TO ne Rescued
By Heroic Life Savers. but the Rest Pre-.
fer 60 stay on Hoard and Keep Their
Feet Dry-How Hoboksu spin. the Yarn.
Last night marks an epoch In the history Of
Hoboken. and In the years TO come. when the
children grow up to be old men and women.
they will take their grandchildren on their
knees and will spin the yarn OF the wreck Of
the Erie with 600 souls on board
on Birthstone Rock. bearing sou'-sou'east
OF Castle Point They'll tell how the
hardy citizens OF Hoboken rushed into the
briny deep and made brave rescues. They'll
tell OF maidens held high on brawny shoulders
faintlng as they realized the awful peril they
had been In, In fact II they are as truthful as
they are In this present day and generation.
they will spin their yarn about like this:
The curtain OF darkness was falling and
along with It over tho peaceful Hudson had
come fog 80 thick that you could cut cut
chunks out Of II, and II there had been any
place to store them you could have put them
away and saved them to verify the facts OF the
yarn. 1t was $50 o'clock in the afternoon as
the big ferryboat Erie. with her precious load
aboard blew three sharp blasts OF her
fog horn and started out OF her slip
at Twenty-third street, New York. bound
for Pavonia avenue. Jersey City. Her passen-
gers were jammed inside the cabins, and out
and between the cabins were many trucks.
You couldn't see your hand In front OF your
face. and to aid in steering Capt Lew Wilson
had three lookouts stationed on the bow out
side the gate. They were to sing out to the
pilot just how to steer in case anything hove
In sight from out the gloom.
The Erie's course was west. then south. then
west By south. and to guide her in that course
fog horn on the jersey side bayed and heavy
bells tolled. Perhaps It was because the fog
horn voices Of the lookouts drowned these
guiding signals that the pilot lost his way.
Whether It was or not. he lost his way and
went cropping along In the gloom. Twenty
minutes passed. They were unusually long
minutes. and then the warning bawls OF the
lookouts rang out. Just what they bawled
isn't recorded. but It meant Breakers aheadr'
For an instant there was the unmistaka able
sound OF the swash. swash Of water as It broke
over rocks Then q crash. Then the good
boat Erie rose right up at one end and sank at
the other In a moment there was wild ex-
element Men cursed and women prayed.
Then came screams and wild. discordant
yells. Carl Thinning rolled off the baker
wagon he was driving. and which was on
the front OF the boat His horse trod on
his toes. The boat had struck on Birthstone
Rock fifty feet OF shore. She stuck fast there.
The big paddle wheels continued revolving as
to force her further on The discordant yells
drowned by shrill blasts from the steamers
whistle. She was calling Help" That's a
call that Hoboken's hardy sons never miss re-
They came adjusting from Stevens Insti-
tute. a quarter OF mile away. They came
away. They came from all points OF the COM
sufficient to enable them to make out the ship
wTsek ed ferry6qat.
sar: nSmSer Of othsfs sasSea Oh iof P1 s%sii
% dn %sss
Ff Over on tho the Esss
plunged into the water: which he found
lis way ae SP on RoeE ssher n aaa
dryer than the boat herself. Then he stretched
Ryan. who was selected to DO rescued. and
handed her over the railing to him. Sure
lady In his arms. while the hardy men OF Ho-
Some ofthem das ed into the water and re-
lieved him Of his burden Back he went, to
be rescued. and she was passed to him amid
more cheering He got her ashore: and then
She recovered before he got her ashore. While
this was going on Mr.. Chadwick. who had his
sns . MN ab n rom d ths Pow 81 the
She tainted. too. DIR. Difrenbach had al
other men = foIoTsd Mr, Ghsdwicf overheard 1sr
the hardy HoboEs nitss. who we're already
talking about getting up subscriptions for the
Al this polnt In the spinning. II the Hoboken
ehi ib, when hen they spin their yarn Are as
At more .Reorle deeds that were re's prevented.
They Will tell how the cruel crew OF the Erie.
fearing that al the DsssssenGsrs would escape
selves at the gates and held them tight;
death 2 cod i tssS iSIiowed Mr. ohsdfwiicSts
jamestown and the Van Houten. to the rescue;
Ss sG Sa GGs
and shifted, until finally. after half an hours
her down 70 tie PavOEia Ferry, where she ere tet
Logged There The ne scared IasssengeIs got on
Jersey City though not Citizen OF Hoboken.
may be more truthful He was a passenger,
He ssys he thought at first that the boat had
take observations no was unable to see any
other boat. lie and number OF other men
dimly ''' '''
There was, another grating sound and the
fi@pson saws H. Ti@psop says the Psss en-
koib htlcu Just tlo Same - III tue DOht nhu en- |
tered her slip and they were waiting for the |
deck hands to make her fast to the bridge and
SAYS II boldly. A broad plank was thrown out |
and the men made their way down to the shore. |
In a few minutes the crew OF the boat had |
fRs sSa aso
with the locality fund themselves on the |
river walk some distance north OF SibYls |
Cave, an old time famous summer resort and |
near Castle Point the home OF the Stevens |
family. The passengers made their way up 10 |
Washington street Hoboken and took horse
cars for their homes. thanking their stars that |
Ii Was worse.
Superintendent Nelson Of the ferry line mazda |
an ficial report OF the shipwreek last night. |
II varied from the Hoboken story only In the |
amount and quality OF the excitement OF
course he was Interested in belitting that.
He said the Erie's rudder was smashed aud
that she was laid up for repairs.
At about the same time the Erie ran on a
rock the SusquehannA OF the same line ran
into the fall River line pier In New York. She
was not damaged.
PHANTOM SHIPS DOWN THE BAK