New-York tribune., 1896-11-27
ALL PASSENGERS. WHO HAD HIRED THE YES
Sell FOR SAIL. TO THE FISHING BANKS.
SAVED AFTER A THRILLING TIME
ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FOG AND
AZ FALSE COMPAss-THE BOAT
LIKELY TO BE LOST.

hor Towboat Company at No ~ State-st.. when
owned the John f.. Moore. has less cause Tor
thankfulness because 1t Is a boat snort. Inc
loss of the old steamboat was complete She
wiIl never carry immigrants from Ellis Island
again.
The wrecking Of the John +. Moore was the
,,osa ser,ous Of a number OF accidents in the
harhor on account Of the fog yesterday so
thick and heavy was the fog on the waters aoou'
New-York that 1t almost foolhardy LOT
fishing boat to start down the bay. FROM t"e
Battery wall people could see the water only ior
n distance of a few yards part OF the t'fhe' anu
could distinguish boats 200 feet away Only ""eh
tho for lifted AT intervals. There was a constant
screeching of steamboat whistles, win rihs'"s
q, fog bells as the boats made their way eau
,iouslv in the rivers and upper bay. DOWN 'he
hay the fog was even thicker than 1t was near
,,a ci,v and men on ships could not see one an
,hor whom they were fifty feet apart. NaViga-
rio, therefore was as dangerous as 1t was dill
cult
CHARTERED FOR SAIL.
Tho Moore was chartered at short notice oy t'e
clinton Fishing Club an aggregation OF amateur
fishermen living east of the Bowery. Tor a lharN'
giving sail to the fishing banks Most OF 'he
men are known at a saloon at Cnntoh anu I''u'
ION sts and they had an abundance OF oa'' III
ho,,Ies when they started out on their expected
fishing trip yesterday morning. They had III
tended 10 go on the steamer George starr pu'
i,s engines were out Of order. and so they went
~, IN. Moore. which was commanded for the oc-
casion by Captain Morrell. of the starr.
snecial permit had to be obtained before the Ola
steamboat could go out In the fog but nopou'
wanted to turn back. Some OF the fishermen
found that the fog getting into their lungs
as the steamboat proceeded down the Bay, ana
they poured the contents Of TASKS down their
throats 10 countcract the fog. Some or them
were IN proper condition to fall overheard at
short notice before the real excitement or the
day began.
Tho compass ~ the Moore out OF order.
or Captaln Morrell did not understand its pecul-
iarlties and that added new difficulty to the
task OF steering the ship through the white
blanket which covered the Bay. a few minutes
h.rore noon there was sudden shock. and the
Moore stopped short the elbow of Romer
shoal with 4 hole i'm her hull through which the
salt sea poured In a torrent. The steamboat
began - settle In the water instantly. Merrl-
mon, among the fishermen on deck ceased. There
were several splashes as men fell overheard
Jumped overheard In fright. Some Of the fisher
men had been nearly paralyzed before the
steamer struck because the contents Of the
nasks had taken effect. Others were paralyzed
with fear when they that the steamer was
sinking Others made frantic rush for the small
boats and for life-preservers.
A few men on the sinking steamer kept their
presence OF mind or some Of the men who went
overheard would have been drowned. Lines
with iifc- -prcscrvers were thrown to the men In
the water and they were drawn back on the
steamer. Then the water that came In through
the hole in the Moorc's hull reached the boilers,
and sent up clouds Of steam that added new ter
ror to the scared crowd on deck. Some Of the
men thought the boat was aire and wanted to
lump overheard but they were restrained. TWO
Of the small boats on the Moore were upset in a
minute one boat on deck and belonged 70
one Of the fishermen. other men filled 1t full. al
though IL would not float the deck where
there was no water. The owner yelled at them
To get out but they wouldn't He wanted to
have the use Of his boat. but they defed
him He spilled some OF them overheard as he
showed the boat into the water. and then con-
siderately helped to rescue them again.
The stern Of the Moore settled until her lower
deck was covered with water. and the men there
had TO wade out after they were wet to the
waists Everybody climbed on the upper deck
and some excited men climbed into the rigging
and on the tops OF the Warehouses;. Some even
tried to climb the smokestack Fortunately. the
sea was calm and there was little motion OF the
wrecked steamer. After the crowd had huddled
ON the upper deck and II that the ship
had sunk as far as she could go on the shoa the
men began to get calmer but some Of them
numbering and all were anxious. All agreed
that their fishing trip was to be indefinitely post
poned. ~ ,r,,,, n,,,c,r
one Of the boats put off for the shore before
the Yelling Of the men on the upper deck attract
ed the attention Of the crew on the steam pilot
hoat Walter II. Adams which was cruising near
NJ hand The Adams went bravey to the res
emo and after some trouble the shipwrecked
fishermen and the remaining members OF the
crew Of the Moore were transferred to the pilot
boat. which carried most Of them To the At
,antic Dock in Brooklyn The Moore was left to
he smashed by the first tide that would come
along and pound her on the shoaL
The Clinton Fishing Club had advertised its
Tb,pkspiving Day excursion for several weeks
in advance and had chartered the steamer
ceorpe Starr for the day. on Wednesday.
,rben the STAIRS engines were found 10 be out
of order il was decided TO secure the John r.
Moore Captain Samuel Morrell of the Starr.
who agreed to take til, party outside. replaced
the regular captain of the Moore early yester-
d,v morning at the East Third-st. pier.
eoodly-sized party was gathered In there. and
the boat went down the river to South Fifth-st..
Rrooklyn. where more members were taken on.
Another stop was made at the Battery where
the last contingent boarded the venerable craft.
saveral members OF the club who learned that
the Moore was built in 1913 refused to go on the
fishing trip.
rha hoat Left the Battery at about 0:3O q. m.