Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-10-04

n WAS in collision with the French tank
s{Aamer Caucase off Ship John Light at
44b o'clock Monday morning. The Allie
d glieny was struck amidships and sunk
In 3 minutes.
The crew had only time to get off the
fated steamer when she went down.
They were rescued by boats from the
Cuncase. Everything was lost, the off
GERS and crew only saving the clothes on
th&ir back.
They were landed at New Castle.
~ There were 80 men in all. Later the
Philadelphia tug Pioneer took the
wrecked sailors to Philadelphia.
The Caucase proceeded on her way to
Calais, France.
The Allegheny was bound home from
Calais, France. She is a large British
tanker, iron built of 1911 tons. She is
weu-known In this port, is a new ship,
and is valued at 100000.
She left here August I'd for Rouen,
France, with cargo Of oil valued at
$44 900.
The Caucase is also an iron vessel
about the same class as the Allegheny
bnt not quite as large, her tonnage being
n 1853. She is valued at $4,000. She
was taking out a cargo of oil from Point
Breeze to Calais totaling 100000 gallons
valued at $4,000.
The Caucase was the vessel that went
aground off Chester last spring and was
subsequently docked and replated at
the Harlan g. Hollingsworth yards.
M The channel at the point where the
4 Allegheny lies is very narrow. There
is big sand spur running out from
4 Bombay Hook towards Ship John Light,
1 making the passage very difficult for
| large vessels.
| The accident happened in the dark
and it is difficult to obtain any exact
information. The officers and crew of
the wrecked steamer who went on the
tug Pioneer to Philadelphia were reti-
cent over the matter.
Where the Allegheny lies is a posi-
ton extremely dangerous to shipping
passing up and down at the narrow
point
CAUSED BY A BLUNDER.
4 The following additional particulars
are from the Philadelphia Record:
L Through the blunder of one of the
\ pilots the British steamer Allegheny,
with her cargo of more than million
gallons of oil, was run into by the Bel
gian steamer Caucase just before dawn
Monday morning, and sent to the bot
tom of the Delaware bay; two miles
u DtlOW DHlp JOuu llft CTCW Vi
| 80 men managed, by hard work, to
N the sinking ship by passing tug. The
danger was increased by the escaping
oil catching fire, and for u time illumi-
mating the bay and threatening what
ever shipping that came into its fiery
path.
The Allegheny was bound for Nor
A way, and having left its Point Breeze
dock at 1880 O'Clock on Sunday night,
was proceeding down the bay ia charge
of Pilot Horatio Church, when the in-
ward bound steamer Caucase from
d Calais was sighted. A small schooner
was between the two steamers, and
through some misunderstanding of the
signals, they were right on each other
and before the course of either could be
changed the bow of the Caucase crashed
into the port quarter of the Allegheny.
Immediately the water poured in, and
the crew, most of whom were asleep,
rushed out on deck as they were. There
was not minute to spare, for at first
slowly and then rapidly, listing to hei
port side, the steamer turned and in 2t
minutes had sunk in eight fathoms OF
water.
THE CREWS NARROW ESCAPE.
In the meantime the crew, with
scarcely any clothing but what they
could snatch in their wild rush to tn,
deck, were running aboutin the creates
excitement.
The third engineer, John Lawson
was down in the engine room when tn,
I 4 sharp stem of the Caucase pushed righ
into his compartment, striking th
dynamo, knocking it out of place ant
extinguishing every electric light.
The next instant the terrified MAI
was overwhelmed with n fearful rush 0
water, which poured down the com
panion way. He made his way frantic
ally to the ladder and, bearing up unde
A the tons of water falling upon him
managed to gain the deck just as hi
4 companions flew to the rigging. Th
n firemen and the watchman below hat
III made their way to the deck, Dut in
IN few minutes all would have been carre'
YAH @under but for the timely arrival OF th
y( tug Pioneer. Its appearance was halle
k&a as a godsend by Ihe badly-frightene
n men, and though the Allegheny wa
then listing far to port they shouted tina
II there was no danger.
N8 Captain William Minford boldly ra
his tug to the side OF the steamer, evel
NM Enough his own boat and crew mu'
iii have been sucked under the water ha
EjIg the steamer gone Down. Inc men Ieape
NI aboard the tug, Captain Tucker an
4H Pilot Church being the last to leave, an
3E were quickly carried out of possibl
III danger of being sucked down with ii
I'M sinking boat.
EV THE BAY SHEET OF FLAME.
3U A new element, which added weir
&t horror to the great danger they had ju
4 N escaped, now appeared, for the light 0
II the masthead, sinking to the level |
tile water as the masts fell, ignited u
&N mass of petroleum which had run froI
NM the compartment broken in by the co
kl lision and spread over the surface of IL
u bay. The oil ignited with flash thu
ypread over the wide surface Of Il
n water, lighting it up in a strangely VI
canny way. The tide running rapid
but drew the flames tsDwn distance
& several miles.
B Destitute as they were, the rescue
men now thought of the crew OF Il
caucase, which in such an awful shot
mus have been badly damaged. II
lug steamed for the Caucase, which HI
W. eyersed her engines Immediately beIo
NE crash, but she was found To
amply able to take care of herself al
lWuF Raaa