Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-10
DUE TO AN INEXPERIENCED PILOT.
How the Distressing Casualty on
Lake George Occurred.
The Pilot Did Not Know the Channel anc

The Pilot Did Not Know the Channel and
Collided with "a Snnken Pier--The
Pleasure Party Had Started to a Dance.
LAKE GEORGE, Aug. Anime per-
sons lost their lives by the sinking of
the steam yacht Rachel, last night, as
follows
Miss Bertha Benedict, Montclair, N. ].
Henrietta NJ. Barton, Jersey City.
Miss Clara Black, Burlington, VI.
Miss Lizzie Clark, Bridgeport, Conn.
Miss Lizzie Conley, Burlington, Vt.
Miss Hattie l.. Hall, Brooklyn.
Miss Edith Harding, Hoboken, n. ].
Mrs. ]. H. Mitchell, Burlington, VT.
Frank @. Mitchell, Burlington, VI.
The Rachel had been chartered by a
party of guests of the Fourteen Mile
Island Hotel 10 convey them to the
Hundred Island House, where q dance
was in progress. Hannibal Allen, the
proprietor, and Mrs. Allen accompanied
them.
Mr., Phillips, manager of the Pearl
Point Hotel, in whose charge the Rachel
was, allowed Pilot Barber to so to his
home in the afternoon, as he was ill.
Engineer Brisbin was ordered to get up
steam at an carly hour in the evening
and proceed TO the Fourteen Mile Island
Hotel.
Claude Granger was ordered in charge
of the boat by Mr.. Phillips. He is not
an experienced pilot, although familiar
with that part OF the lake, where he has
been employed two seasons. The boat
left Fourteen Mile Island at about
o'clock in the evening.
The night was very dark ard plotting
was unsafe except when aided by the
trained eye Of well-intormed boat.
man. Granger got too far out of the
channel when going past the old piers
that supported the original dock south
of the One Hundred Island House and
stove large hole in the bottom Of the
boat.
The Rachel sank quickly. III fact
the passengers scarcely knew what had
happened before the boat filled with
water and sank. The ladies on board
were laughing and singing when the
boat struck.
Some Of the passengers were caugh
under the shade deck and died quickly
1t seemed hours before help arrived
though dozen men were on the waite
iii rowboats almost before the smoke
stack of the Rachel sank out of sight.
That so many lives should be lost a
such an early hour of the night anC
within speaking distance of the land
where two large hotels are situated, cal
only be accounted for by the fact tina
the night was unusually dark and tn
boat sank very rapidly after hitting TIT
pier.
The rescued passengers were takel
ashore and count of their humble
taken. At first it was reported tina
only three had been drowned, then tn
number was increased to five, thel
seven, and finally uine.
Frank Mitchell, aged 10 years, o
Burlington, VT, lost his life trying /,
save his mother, who was also drowned
Robert Sims of Glens Falls and other
who assisted in the search for the bodie
did not give up until they had found tn
nine bodies.
One result of this accident is to shov
how necessary is the legislation whicl
was attempted a few winters ago b.
gentlemen interested in Lake Georg
navigation, who attempted to have
law passed that would prohibit pilots o
engineers from having charge of steam
boats on Lake George unless they coul
pass satisfactory examination before
board Of experts; also to have boiler
tested regularly.
1t is customary all over Lake Georg
for novices TO run engines and pile
boats.