The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-19
SAVANNAH STEAMSHIP SUNK.
THE DECATUR II. MILLER run
DOWN At BALTIMORE.

She Was just Moving Out of Her
Wharf in Tow oG a Tug when the
steamer BOWdcn Crashed Into Her
Port Side Amidships-NNcn 10 the
Bottom in Ten Hinutes-SevernI
Narrow Escapes From Drowning.
Baltimore. May 1S-The Merchants and
Miners steamer Decatur IT. Miller was run
down and sunk to-day In the harbor OF the
foot Of East Falls Avenue by the Amer
lean steamship Bowden OF tho Buckman
Fruit Company. The Bowden was bound
from Port Antonio, Jamaica. with car
80 Of bananas, ana the Miller was IN tow
Of the tug Venus. shifting from her pier.
at the foot OF East Fails avenue. 70 Cam
ton. TO discharge about 500 tons of general
cargo. consisting largely of rosln. cotton.
oil and lumber. She was not under steam
at the time of the collision, and was help
less. save for the tug.
\ hole about eight feet long by four
feet wide was knocked In the Mmer's
port side amidships and she sunk I'm about
ten minutes. The Bowdeu had her bow
plates stove in ana sustained other dam
age, which, however. 10 Is believed will
prove slight I'm comparison with that done
the Miller.
The stories Of the officers of both steam
ers vary, and each claims that the other
was at fault
Chief officer Edwin L. Laurie Of the
Bowden made this statement: I'VE were
going a a rate of speed not exceeding four
miles an hour, when we blew one whistle
to the Miller, which was coming down tho
harbor about $50 yards distant, In tow Of
the tug Venus. which was on her star
r.esH ..t..
should have done but we supposed our
signal that We would pass her on the port
side was understood. and We kent on until
We We're quite close TO her. Suddenly she
VeerCd around, and Capt. Wilklo rang the
signal full speed astern. our engines We're
Instantly reversed but too late. and into
the Miliers port side we crashed. II was
one of those unavoidable affairs which
could not be helped and which are bound
Chief OFFICER Enos Foster, who was in
charge OF the Miller, said. The Venus
pulled us out from the pier. ana was turn-
ing us around when the BoWden crashed
into us. saw the BOwden when she was
fully "a half mile distant, and as we were
helpNss and lying almost still ] do not
see why she could not have kept clear Of
us. She was going fully eight miles an
| hour when she struck us. Her engines did
not seem to be reversed until she struck
As soon as the Bowden struck the Mil
ler the latter steamer lurched heavily to
| Itself as she rolled away from the sharp
| bow of the little steamer. She began TO
| fill rapidly and the tug hurried her along
| side the pier. Efforts were made to keep
! her anOat by stufhng the ragged hole in
| her side with mattresses, but they We're
| Of no avail, and she slowy settled until
! she rested on the bottom of the harbor
| In twentY-fOur feet of water, with her
upper deck just above the water. The
holds, engine room, saloon and state
A number Of men, who were at work
below, came very near drowning. Sew
eral Of the engineers and oilers were In
| the engine room, shaft alley and crank
| pits at the time, and they scrambled up
| the ladders Just In time TO save their
| lives, when the torrent Of water poured
| IN upon them.
Frank Balm. one OF the seamen, was
| Knocked overheard by the shock OF the
collision S..5ie IA ana & struck ,2 wooden fender
| He was painfully injured, and a rope was
thrown 10 him and he was hauled aboard,
and afterward sent to The city hospital
The sinking Of the Miller Is somewhat
| similar to mat of the North German Line
| steamer lcNbe by the British tramp steam
/ er Crathe in the North sea last year.
| steamships were vastly larger than those
| which sunk them, both were struck in the
| weakest part, both had water tight COM
/ partments, which failed to save them, and
| both sank in q very few minutes after
| being struck
The Bowden was formerly the British
! steamship MarmiOn and was built at
| Bowling, Scotland, in 1856. Her dimen-
/ siOns are: Length, l99 feet; breadth Of
beam q feet depth Of hold. 19 feet;
| tonnage, 1860 gross, 1880 net. She is
| owned by the Boston Fruit Company of
| Boston, but has been under charter 70 the
| Buckman Fruit Company Of this city for
two years.
! The Decatur H. Miller was one Of the
! finest steamers Of the line. She was built
| at Wilmington, Del, in 1879, and Ia Of
| the following dimensions: Length, 275
| feet; breadth Of beam, 80 feet; depth OF
| hold 16 feet; the registered tonnage is
! 1896 gross, 1873 net. The Miller is nearly
five times as large as the BoWden, and
has once before been In collision.
| About ten years ago the William Law
! renee Of the same line ran her down Off
| Sandy Point, and she sank in a few min
| utes. She was afterward raised. The
work Of raising the sunken steamer Will
/ be begun at once by the Merritt Wrecking
| engaged to do the work, and whose big
| tugs and other equipments necessary are
/ expected to arrive tomorrow morning.
The first news received here Of the sink
| ing of the Miller was an Associated
| Press dispatch. Inquiry was at once made
at the Merchants and Miners office, but
| no information had then been received
/ there Of any accident. Later on a tele-
| gram was received stating that the Miller
had been sunk near her wharf in Balti-
more. and in consequence there would be
/ no sailing from Savannah next Saturday,
| which is the Miller's advertised sailing
I date
| Until the news had been received that
] there was no loss Of life by the disaster,
| which was at the hrst reported to have
| been through a collision, there was much
| anxiety felt for those on board Capt
BiIups who commands the Miller, is
! one Of the best known and most popular
| captains sailing from Savannah, and there
| is much regret that any accident should
! have befallen his vessel.
The steamship Decatur II. Miller has
| been running between Savannah and Bal
timore on the Merchants and Miners
| TRANSPORTATION COmpany's line for a num-
| ber of years. She is one Of the staunchest
vessels on the line. She was built in 1879
| at Wilmington, Del, and is an iron screw
| steamer, 257 feet long, 38 feet breadth and
| 16 feet depth Her gross tonnage Is 1896
| tons and her net tonnage 1874 tons reg
/ lister.
PORT ROYAL AND AUGUSTA.