The Portland daily press., 1895-06-20
COLLISION IN THE HARBoR.
The Jeanette Run Into by the Forest
neutrality-suspicious. on Both Sides.

Ihere was a performance in the harbof
yesterday morning that is not reassuring
to those who travel on the island boats.
While the steamers Jeanette and the
Forest Queen were coming up to the city
from Peaks Island ON their 80 o'clock
trips when near Bug light, the Forest
Queen ran into the Jeanette, striking
her full on the rail and nearly capsizing
her. On the Jeanette were a dozen or
fourteen passengers, most of them ladies
When the steamer began to go over, the
ladies We're SO stricken with terror that
several of them tainted Fortunately the
Jeanette did not capsize, but after she
sheered off and her stern was thrown
around by the Queen, she righted and
comparatively little harm was done.
Among the passengers on the Jeanette
was DIR. r. H. Knowles of Peaks Island.
He tells the PRESS that he was sitting
in the stern when the accident happened
He says that the Forest Queen came up
behind the Jeanette and struck her on
the port side near the stern. The
Jea nette heeled over as if she were about
to capsize. There was panic among the
passengers, several women fainting.
The captains of the two steamers have
made statements. Captain Oliver of the
Forest Queen, says: "We were due to
leave Peaks Island for the city at S.30
The Jeanette was due to leave at the
same time from her wharf, which is
north of the Casco Bay companys wharf.
The Jeanette got away before we did
We steamed along behind her and con-
stantly gained on her. We were making
a course3 which would bring us outside
the bouy near Bug light. The Jeanette
was on our starboard and our bow was
about on her port quarter All at once
the Jeanette changed her course, made
for the inside of the buoy and ran direct
ly across our bow. Inside of five seconds,
before had time to stop the Queen, we
had struck her on the port quarter. She
began to tip over and I stopped the
Queen as soon as possible The passengers
on the Jeanette screamed at their
danger. The Jeanette finally righted
and sheered round, so that her stern was
toward the city and her PROV was pointed
toward Peaks island. If the captain of
the Jeanette had not changed his course,
there would have been no trouble
Captain Howard of the Jeanette, says:
" Yesterday morning, on the s. 80 trip up
from Peaks island, left in advance Of
the Forest Queen. took my usual course
steering directly for the buoy near Bug
light. I don't know whether I should
have gone inside the buoy or outside;
that would have depended on what was
ahead of me, when l got to the buoy.
paid no attention to the Forest Queen.
She was in my rear and no boat ever
looks out for the craft behind her The
first knew that the Queen was near me
was when she struck my boat on the port
quarter. The Jeanette began to go over
Several ladies screamed and tainted I
was thinking how / could aid the
passengers, when the Jeanette, having
been pushed completely around so that
she headed towards Peaks island, slowly
righted. I did not change my course in
the least on my way up, and the only
way I can account for the collision is
an attempt to run me down by the
Queen. One of my stancheons was broken
and the rail was badly Scared The
steamer was also badly wrenched, so that
she has been leaking some since the
collision. I shall beach her tonight to
ascertain the extent of the damage. /
have been up to see the inspectors, in
order to find out if am to be protected
in this harbor or not shall libel the
Forest Queen for the amount of damage
I have sustained -
A prominent professional man informs
the PRESS he was on the Queen and
was watching the other steamer. He de-
clares the Jeanette without warning of
any kind sheered off and started across
the bow of the Queen, when the boats
were SO near that the danger was evident
to all.