Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-29
DETAILS or THE COLLISION.

-apG Janney's ENpIanntton-St"ri
from the Crew and Passengers'
~r. Wvsroke left Richmond Monday
,s,sr1o5D AZ 8 o'clock with l07 passengers
3r hoard ana manned by a crew OF Tor
y.tV5 officers and seamen. No thought
" DANCER disturbed the minds OF those
81 board AS The vessel moved majestcal-
81 down the river. and all retired except
Doe master. Captain y. II. Jenney' ana
isreraI " his crew, expecting TO a"aheh
ait the vessel steaming out upon u'S
s..om of the broad Atlantic.
Their dreams Of peace and security were
r.aessy disturbed however Wheh' a.
l55 o'clock. the vessel. which was hoFIhs
long at e. eo0dly rate Of speed, cIasneu
INTO TIE ir0nclad Columbia ana began 10
'ette down in the water.
WHAT THE CAPTAIN SAYS.
Captain Jenney was at the wheel when
N- a...Iert occurred. and he gave the
Dispatch man al Newport News the fol-
owing version OF the catastrophe;
y had Just relieved the pilot at the
fte. shortly before the collision took
la-. The electric-lights on the pier
Eere .n d direct line with the lights Oh
t- Columbia. and confused ne consider
lty. ana I lid not see the Columbia until
i' atr l1 avoid a meeting. ] shifted the
wheel bot as the bow OF the Wyanoke
talrg a.ouud the exceedingly strong ebb
tide swept her over the anchor chains OF
i-e cruiser On 20 her iron bow. which
crashed hole al least feet in diameter
r uy vessel. lust forward OF the wheel
guard. on the starboard side. There was
A' 'os 40 the time"
TIE STORY IN DETAIL.
The story Of the accident in condensed
i'-m as learned from the passengers
ana crew by the Dispatch Correspondent
o.. Newport News. is that the captain
assumed control Of the wheel just as the
Nta1.kr passed the shipyard. but the
Isrt 90 the electric lights from the shore
Wa s7 strong and binding that IL was
impossible Tor him 10 see objects ahead
or h.m He sighted the faint form OF
iae cruiser only after IL was TOO late 10
STOP and was somewhat puzzled at first
es 20 which side Of the big iron hull he
s'.ld pass. Thinking the inside course
vas better. ne shifted the vessel towards
itf shore. and az once saw that he had
maze mistake. He worked hard al
'he wheel endeayoring 10 change the d.
tll tre next moment the WyanoNe
-tsaei into the cruiser. catching the lat
le' iron Prov forward Of the Wyanoke's
tlafbld-d wheel The steamship struck
no Columbia with such force that the
lai'ers Prov penetrated far into the
leImeIs SIDE rending large gap.
Wio1gh which water Immediately COM
h.n.ed rushing in great volumes.
4lt force Of che collision and the al
most simultane0us crash served TO awaken
al " The passengers. among whom
'-. widest confederation al once pre-
laAe1 orders Of the commanding Of
's were heard an OH sides: shrieks OF
.a'i's pierced the air. and the large mum
Df oi negro steeragc passengers. whose
s-aiitfs were very near the point OF
e9llsi0n, az once made break for the
anyway some shouting, some crying
He vessel rapidly filed with water. and
vas but a few minutes before the bow
wa discovered TO be sinking below the
surface
me SCENE MOST HEARTRENDING
tAe scene AZ this time. as described
members Of the crew ard scmc OF the