New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-25
SHE CUT A BARGE IN TWO.
THE AMERICAN LINE STEAMER CHESTER
IN COLLISION.

A BIG TOW OFF LIBERTY ISLAND TEARS A HoLD
IN THE STEAMERS Bow-sHE RE.
TURNS FOR REPAIRS
big ocean liner, outward bound was 30 seri-
ousy damaged yesterday afternoon by collision
with a coal barge that she was obliged to return
to her pier, which she had left only half an hour
before. The American Line steamer Chester
started from her pier in Jersey City shortly after
2 80 p. m. yesterday. She was heavily laden,
and carried about so passengers. II was food
tide as the big steamship passed through the busy
Upper Bay on her way out 10 sea. She wao
abeam Of Liberty Island when she ran into some
coal bargcs in tow Of the tug Young America
The bow of large barge tore big hole in hee
starboard side
Nobody knows just how the accident occurred
1t is not often that a steamer runs into line
OF barges in broad daylight The officers Of tho
American Line refused to give any information
Yesterday, and Captain Lewis, commander Of the
Chester, declined to answer any inquiries. The
story of the collision must he told without any
statement from the commander Of the Chester.
Tie tug Young Ameyva, in command of Cap.
tain John Hathaway, loft Perth Amboy yestef.
day morning, towing ten eoal-laden barges and
canalboats. She dropped four Of the boats early
in the afternoon. The tug and her heavy tow
were not far from Liberty Island when Captain
Hathaway saw the American Line steamer
Chester on her way TO sea. The captain said
that the big liner was going her way and he
was going his, SO he thought il was not necessary
to whistle. The Liberty Island boat Bay Ridge
crossed the bows Of the Chester her way TO
her pier at the Battery. Suddenly the Chester
sheered out of her course and came bearing
l.. IL nq-
vessels were in tiers of three. The tow OF tho
large George B. Martin struck the Chester on
the starboard bow, and tore a ragged hole In
the big steamers side three feet above the water
line and twelve feet aft of the cutwater. The
bow Of the Martin smashed and splintered,
but the barge did not sink.
The steamer pushed the Martin to side
and struck the canalboat Jack amidships on the
port side She cut the Jack square in two.
One-haf Of the canalboat 1Oated up toward the
Last River and the other half drifted in tho
opposite direction. The two vessels which came
into collision with the Chester were in the
forward tier. On the barges in the rear were
woman and half dozen children besides the
crew The woman and children were terror
stricken, and screamed so loudly that the noisa
could he plainly heard over the water. The
lines connecting the barges were cut, and the
last tier of barses driftcd out of the way.
Thomas Gilmartin, the captain OF the canal
boat Jack, was found lying inscnsible upon the
deck of the Martin, where he bad jumped from
the canalboat. Another man, who the
Of the jack got on board another barge. There
was no panic board the Chester, and the
majority Of the passengers did not know what
had happened until they heard the screaming Of
the woman and children the barges below.
The shock of the collision was felt only slightly
on board the steamer. The hole torn in the
Chester is about two feet square, and the plates
around the edges bent and ragged.
As soon as the collision was reported Cap,ain
Dcwar, the dock superintendent of the Red Star
Line, went out to the Chester and gave instructions
as to where the steamer should he docked. By
the time the Chester reached her pier at Grand
It,, Jersey City, the tide was slack, and the
heavily laden steamer could not be guided into
her berth She was secured to tile ends OF two
piers A guard was placed about the steamship
PIERS and nobody was permitted TO go on board
the damaged vessel. Captain Brewster, the dock
superintendent of the, American line, organized
a syndicate for the suppression Of all news con.
rerning the accident, and Captain Lewis and tho
officers of the Chester would answer no questions
as to who was responsible for the collision.
Persons who had good opportunity Of OBJ
serving the accident think that the pilot OF the
hester finding that the water was shoaing rap.
dly and that the was stirring up mud,
,hecred to one side to find deeper channel for
the heavily laden vessel The crossing Of the
liberty Island boat between the tows and tho
steamer may have confused the pilot to the
,ourse Of the barges Captain Brewster said last
,vening that the injury 10 the Chester would be
epared Immediately, and that the steamer would
tart on her trip to-day or tomorrow. Tho pas
cngcrs he said. had "A right TO 90 ashore il they
wanted TO- A great many of them felt that
way about it..
The names of the first cabin passengers OF the
hester were:
NJ Gnt N;s ISnn E';ndsn s ssl Ir'hIu
na cement" %a' Mrs; rs hon cos% Mis- S"sH cSss
sns ILL., Ms lH Els H'" and c%d I @ Mss Mary s r. Coke a%
Maid. Edward !. Coke, Douglas Carnegie r. y.
'olcs, c. L; Dresser. Kari p. Dahlstrom. Mrs.
loneSr. Si MI. MIS- Julia Marlowc and maid
Mss Ada G. Fuller; sister Florence; william F.etcheer.
i iaii. ts' Miss Agnes IT. iiaoci. Mrs.. NJ c. Madses.
.oais. b: Hall Mary +: Hall. Emil iiirsh. Joseph
'agr. Miss NJ Shrubsole. Miss Emily X. smith.
:. G: salt. Mrs NJ NJ Tompkns Mrs. g. F; Tomphns,
F. Ic%,sch M.s Mis- s,,n Dorothy howard Mrs
absr' i George H. rsaar, Charles w. WILEY, Geotcs George
Woodward Mrs. Woodward. the Rev. C.. A. Wheat.
". John wheatley, A. Young, Miss +. Young.
The canalboat Jack which il a total loss wns
alucd at $4,000, with her cargo. She was ow~'ed
v the Empire and England Transportation
ompany. The Martin towed over to IL
ersey flats