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

John Jacob Astor's steam yacht Nour-
mahal crashed into the Pennsylvania
Railroad ~ferry-boat Washington in mid
stream in the North River at $50 o'clock
this lorning.'
Although neither craft sustained seri-
Gus DAMAGE. what might have been q
tcaiamity attended by great loss of life
Twas narrowly averted.
The Washington had left the Jersey
SCfty slip. at the foot of Exchange place,
land was bound for the Cortlandt 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 so
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
Eof way to the steam yacht and that she
Expected the yacht to go ahead and
cross the ferry-boat's bow.
The Ncurmahal, according to the
Pennsylvania Railroad officials. paid no
,attsntion to the signal. and came down
upon the Washington SO fast thai Capt.
rTinsier sounded the danger slgnal-tnat
IS, blew d series of short, sharp blasts
Ind reversed the ierry-Doat's wneeis.
The yachts pilot, instead of putting
the N~ourmahaf's wheel to starboard
and crossing the Washington's bow.
urned 4 II 10 pyrt 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,
lust forward of the ladies' cabin.
The passengers were panic-stricken by
this time, but the ferry-boat's deck
. Siids,s seeing baS drIHoh the ,be collision nsasanS was IN
aft and out of immediate danger.
The bowsPrit Of ; ne N2urmanai struck
ing TIE rail into .piinters. Her razor
edged stem followed and cut through the
guards, and into the hull FOR a distance
Had she struck the ferry-boat amid
ships, the loss of life might have been
great. and. with the best of fortune,
Capt. Tinsler thinks that the Wash
fington must have been under sternway
at the time to have been struck so far
The Washington reeled to starboard
under the impact of the N~ourmahals
fbow. and the ferry-boats passengers
screamed or shouted in alright.
From the Nourmahai's cabin rushed
many ladies and gentlemen, for the
yacht bore a large party of Mr.. Astor's
guests.
The yacht was on her way to the
lower bay to follow yigilant and Val,
kyTle over tne course III their tnlTu race
When the Nourmahars engines were
stopped and she extricated her bow
1t was seen that the bowsprit had beer
broken off short ana was hanging over
the yachts, port bow, which was also
Uttered with wreckage from the ferry.
MIR. Astor's Yacht then resumed hel
course down the river apparently but
The Washington resumed her trir
across the river, and landed her pas
h sengers in New York
( When it was ascertained that the lower
y portion Of her hull had escaped injury
and that she was not leaking, she took
North Rive, to jersey city, and was
then relieved from duty. being replaced
yCapt. Tinsier took the Washington W
the river to the Hoboken dock of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. where she viii
The damage, the Railroad officials say
will be anywhere from $500 to 1900.
At the time OF the collision the wind
favor. and the tide was nearly flood oil
against her. AS the ferry-boat was pro
ceeding on an angle to both wind ano
tide she had the right of way.
known as the Jonah" yacht.
On ! Sept s. psids Is Il last sss she H,,d was R RfSehea aes a,
Van Rensselaer's Point, just north Of
me New Hamburg Railroad tunnel.
About 10 o'clock that night. she was or
KIN, wn as the Damskammer. She wa
a little west of the middle of the river
There is a Jagged line Of rocks under
water there known as New Hamburg
Without warning the Nourmaha
struck on the reef with great force an'
Capt. Daley at once decided to beacl
her. She lay in a bad position, VIII
only Ave feet Of water under her boy
and twelve feet under her stern. Sh
AS soon as she struck her water
light %bulkheads were closed and he
Iumps set at work. There was thel
She was towed to the Erie Basin
brooklyn. where 1t was found that
irge Eole had been stove in her bottom
bout mldShips.
The mushroom. several stateroom,
ind the uIning-room were badly dam
.sed by water Work was hurried +.
lo-day' was ner first trip.
On Aug. 2S the Nourmahal went ashor,
on Blue Rocks, +. l.; during a Eale,
MT; Ast9 or hi had bsi sen at out hna r GaF bis J tor
Owing to the extremely high winds /
was deemed advisable to move the zach
from It's anchorage in Brenton's Cove I
the wharf. Mr.. Aston directed the worl
She started to move outside Goat Isl
and for the long wharf. and when sh
turned the lighthouse she became un
manageable and grounded on what |
known as Old Elm.
She cleared from this and then cas-
anchor near the lighthouse, but the an
= Choir dragged and the yacht drlfted in
northerly direction and struck broadsid
on the Blue Rocks, 1t was pulled off b,
The Nourmahai was Launched in tn
fsildsss; the 1Ei'm,n,,S s H bs, gSs ~
hacipna1 hv G1lStnN Hlllnllnn. or or