New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-28
THE SUNKEN CUTTER.

The Washington left her pier yesterday ~
: 80 a. m. with eight inspectors. who going
TO Quarantine to inspect number OF
steamers which had arrived the night before
The cutter making half turn when the
Annex boat came rushing along within 200 feet
of the shore. The pilot of the cutter, John Brown
McNlath blew one whistle as signal that he was
going ahead and tried to make the Washington.
cross the bows of the ferryboat. The captain Of
the Annex boat says that lie gave the signal to
reverse the engines The Annex boat struck tho
cutter amidships The overhang passed over the
bulwar,s Of the cutter and the rudder cut
hole in the little vessel below the waterline OPP
rostc the door Of the freehold. The engine-room
filled with water rapidly. The officers climbed
up on the deck of the ferrybOat. A piece OF the
cutters bulwarks struck Inspector Thomas Brown
in the back and knocked him to the deck with
4 broken leg John Brown McMath, the pilot,
steered the cutter for the stone pier and she sank
just as the reached her berth. The tide was
low, and the ripper parts were not covered by
water. The Annex boat not injured by
the encounter.
The collision took place uneA pectedly that
the men on board were taken completely by sur.
prise. Boarding Officer Styles was sitting below
eating breakfast. The breakfast table listed to
starboard, and its entire cargo broke adrift and
the cabin decorated with oatmeal maple syrup,
coffee and cream and leaped from the deck Of
the ferryboat.
The blow which the big Annex boat struck
the cutter was a terrific one. and the smaller
vessel nearly topped over hut her machinery was
not disabled She passed the pier line. carcened
over on the injured side and sank. The Annex
boat, with forty-sX passengers and three teams
on board took up her course to Jersey City.
There is much difference OF opinion between
thc piots Of the two vessels as to where the blame
, for the accident should be placed. Captain Du-
mont of the Annex boat, SAYS that when he saw
the revenue cutter he blew two whistles, then
two more whistles and stopped. The men on
beard the revenue cutter said that they heard no
whistles given by the ferryboat. Captain Dumons
says he began backing socn as he saw the
Washington trying TO cross the bows of the
boat Pilots have found much fault
recently with the way in which the Annex
boats run They say that the boats stay close
to the shore. and 60 along at bieaknecK speed.
as if they Owned the river and harpor X was
only few days that Annex boat No.
! bumped into the transport Maryland, IN whose
wake che wa. fol owing. The pilot Of the wash, sd,
/ ineton. known a. Captain Jack Brown, has been
| in charge of the Washington for the last twenty
eight years and is considered careful and ca
man. This is the first CcS h wnsh has bes Sas
her pilot lie says that he did not hear any
whistle from the ferry boat.
The Washington was gunboat IN the war,
when She WAS known as the lnO. The TnO was
cut in two and half of her was remodelled al an
expense of $4,000, and christennd the WASH
ineton. The cutter is ninety-eight feet long,
sixteen feet beam. and draws ten feet of water
AFT and eiX and one-haf feet forward wreck
ing crew placed chains around to cutter, and she
/ will be raised to-day. The cost of repairing her
| wild be about $1,000.
Thomas Prown, the revenue Inspector who was
| injured. has been in the employ Of the Govern
IL a.. Tor 1t, x-aarS old
and was "A soldier in the civil war. An official
investigation of the accident will be made.