The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-15
COLLIDED IN THE FOG.
The Monmouth Crashes In
to the Tramp Steamer
Kara.
HER SIDE TORN AWAY.
But The Karsa Escaped UniDjured-
The Latter Did Not Signal
Monmouth's Loss About
$1,000.
HER SIDE TORN AWAY.

In heavy fog at twenty minutes TO
five o'clock this morning the twin screw
steamboat Monmouth of the Central
Railroad while bound for Sandy HOOK
struck the English tramp steamer harsa'
which was anchored in the lower pay.
One side of the steamboat was almost
completely torn away, aud the excite
ment among her passengers was INTENSE.
The captain of the Monmouth was COM
PEELED to abandon the trip to Sandy
Hook. and the badly frightened passen-
gers were brought back to New YORK.
The Monmouth lies at the piers of th Q
Central Railroad in this city. This tramp
steamship was not even scratched.
1t was just half past four o'clock when
the Monmouth steamed away from Pier
S, North River. On this trip, as rule
there are but very few passengers, and
this morning all that were aboard were
about forty persons including the
crew. There was q light fog as
the Monmouth started down the
river, aud before the upper
bay was reached the fog had become so
thick and settled that Captain Martin, OF
the Monmouth gave The order to the en-
gineer to slacken the speed OF the boat,
and the whistles were Kept blowing ana
The bell ringing.
PICKING HER WAY.
At a very moderate rate of speed the
Monmouth gltded down the bay. The
pilot guided her course by the ringing OF
The bells and the blowing OF the
whistles of the many ships
hearing no bells or whistles, and 6eiiev-
lug himself clear of all the anchored
craft in the bay. gave the engines the
order to increase the speed.
But there was another ship anchored
right in the path of the Monmouth. She
was the big freight tramp steamer harsa.
WheIher she was blowing her whistle or
ringing ner bells is a question. Captain
Martin is sure that sha was not
At any rate, there was crash. Before
anything could prevent 1t the Mon
mouths side dashed against the heavy
anchor of the Karsa. The anchor ripped
aud tore everything that it came IN cop-
tact with. There were a couple of
passengers seated on The upper deck OF
the Monmouth. They saw the Karsa
loosening up in the distance. and got on
the other side of the ship just in time TO
escape instant death.
As the ships anchor was tearing the
whole side of the boat away, there was
the greatest excitement among the pas
sspgers. Many believed that the
boat was. doomed. as the water
began to dash over the -tower deck. Cap
tain Martin and the rest of the
crew were very fesas calm IT. nowepsf fSs
sengers. Both boats blew whistles for as
sistance and couple of tugs were soon
ON the scene. The fog had lifted some
what and this helped to calm
the passengers-s The harsa was
not damaged at all. Her an
.tzI he bar nf
the Monmouth; that was all. The Mon
mouth, however, was badly damaged,
her entire side being torn away as she
rubbed along the anchor,
MONMOUTH COMES BACK.
The Monmouth did not need the assist
ance of any of the tugs. but the captain
decided not to leave the Narr0ws and
lower hay with his boat and she was
taken back TO her pier and her passengers
landed. Then she was taken to the docks
of the Central Railroad IN this city.
A reporter for THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
visited the docks this morning. He
found the captain and several sof the
crew on boat. They were all discussing
the accident. Captain Martin made the
following statement TO The JERSEY CITY
NEWS reporter
81 left Pier at precisely half past four
o'clock tLis morning. There were about
thirty passengers aboard the Monmouth
we reached the bay the fog was very
thick. and we were going at half
speed. We cleared, as we thought,
all the anchored craft and were
going at regular speed when of sudden
the Karsa loomsd up. She was anchored
and WAS as silent as grave. There was
not bell or q whistle sounded. Of
course there was smash, and,
as might be expected. we
got the worst of 1t. II the Karsa had
been blowing her whistle or ringing her
bell the accident could not have hap
pened"
The damage to the Monmouth will ex-
ceed $4,000