The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-03-05
GOOD Day FOR D|SAS1R 5
THE OCEAN RACER NEW YORK
GOES AGROUND IN NEW
YORK HARBOR.
THE ATLAS LINE A|LSA WIS SUNK.
A French Liner Collided With Hor-Tbo
Timely Arrival of Wrecking Grew
Saves Many Lives-Other
Disaster in the Fog.


ing thick fog, the fast ocean racer
New York ran aground on the tail of the
west bank, mile to the south of Swim
burne island and about 1000 yards west
of the ship channel.
The first and second cabin passenpars
with their baggage, as well as the mails
were transferred by steamer from the
ship to the city. The Storage passen-
gers may be taken off later tonight, but
it is more than likely they will remain ON
board until tomorrow.
The Associated Press dispatched a rep
resentative on special tug, who found
the big steamer lying perfectly helpless.
headed northwest. She drew II feet aft
and 10 feet forward, leaving space of
several feet below her water line ylsln,e
One of the blades of the propeller was
half exposed above water, and from her
draught it would seem she is imbedded
about hive feet in the mud and sandy
Dank. Inc quickstep bell buoy lies east
northeast of the stranded steiner and
it is possible that the pilot might have
mistaken this buoy for the one placed
at the junction of the swash and shin
channels. SNIP
When the tug drew up alongside of the
vessel the passengers crowded to thn
rails and said they felt no uneasness and
tnere was no excitement on board. None
Oh the oncers nor the captain of the shin
could be induced to make any statement
IN reference to the accident. The name
of the pilot VINO had charge of the vessel
at the time she grounded is kent n nro-
found secret. Pi'
One OF me passengers, Robert Wood
mouse, said he was on deck at $3.50 this
morning when the pilot was taken
ABOARD. About an hour later the shin
came to n sudden stop while he was in
ms berth. When he went on deck again
ne was informed that she was aground.
III was raining heavily at the time and
the ship was enveloped in a thick fog.
which was so dense that objects on deck
could not be seen more than 20 feet away.
Mr.: Woodhouse said that the passen-
gers had taken the matter philosophically
and were thankful that nothing worse
had happened.
Inc work of transferring the baggage
ana mails begun at 4 o'clock by about
oo men VINO had been sent down from
the city by the company. This done. tbe
first and second-class passengers We're
transferred to the George Starr, reach
ing this city at O'Clock, delay of about
IL hours. The wrecking tugs are all in
readiness to make an attempt to haul the
steamer off at flood tide tonight. When
darkness set in the vessel was lying ON an
even keel and stood perfectly upright
without the slightest list.
THE AILSA SUNK.
New York, Feb. 29-The Atlas line
steamer Ailsa was run down at 2:3O
o. CLOCK today by Il French line steamer
supposed to be the Bourgorgne, while an
chored in the channel off Fort Hamilton.
The steamer which struck the Ailsa
pulled away from the vessel and disap-
peared in the mist. The Ailsa carried a
crew of 40 men, and there were II pas
sengers on board. three of whom were
women. All escaped without injury,
owing to the prompt arrival of a large
tug belonging to the Merritt Wrecking
company.
The Ailsa left her pier in this city at
noon for Kingston. Jamaica. She was
heavily laden with freight. A dense fog
prevailed early in the day, and Captain
): w. Morris, as precaution against
disaster, decided to anchor his vessel I'M
til the fog lifted. He came to standstill
about half mile off the Fort Hamilton
shore. The passengers had just finished
dinner when the crash came. There was
absolutely no warning.
The big. black hull of the French liner
suddenly doomed up out of the mist and
struck the anchored ship about 40 feet
from the port side. The greatest confu-
and crew. Captain Morris de-
cided that he would beach his vessel,
which commenced to fill rapidly. While
he was preparing to do so the rescuing
tug came in answer to the Ailsa's whistle
of distress and took off the passengers
and crew, who had taken refuge in the
rigging.
1t was at first reported that one of
the crew had been killed by the collision,
but this was found to he untrue.
Ten minutes after the last person had
left the vessel and 20 minutes after the
collision the Ailsa sank. Only her smoke
stack and spars are now visible Some
of the passengers landed at Fort Hamil-
ton and returned to this city, while the
remainder came to New York on tug
and were landed at the barge office. The
passengers included George III. Pierce,
postmaster general of Jamaica, who was
homeward bound accompanied by his
wife and a number of Newark and New
York people.
Captain Morris was not to be found
when reporter called at the Office of
the steamship company. Purser Luz
more was in the office, but was rather
communicative. He was unable to
give an exact account of the collision,
as he was not on deck when it occurred.
All he could say was that the Ailsa was
struck and sank in 20 minutes. The
only member of the crew that could give
a connected story of the disaster was
the cook, George Murray, an intelligent
of middle age. He said
that the Ailsa had proceeded early to
sea, but was fearful of meeting disaster
in the heavy fog, which was very thick
in the Narrows. The Ailsa anchored
and every now and then the blowing of
the steam fog horn took place. The
hold of the Ailsa swung around so that |
it pointed northeast.
"In that position she lay" said Muir
ray. "When l went on deck to see the
lay of things it was raining cats and |
dogs and not passenger was on deck, |
and no one but the captain and the men |
on watch were there and the fog was |
dense. Some little time after this the |
Ailsa got q laundering bounce on the |
port bow that sent all things shivering |
and dancing below.
Such scattering was there then to |
get on deck. Every man tried to get up |
the companion way at the same time. |
When he did get up he saw that a big |
steamship was looming up over the side.
But we had no time to waste. 1t was
plain to see that the Ailsa could not last |
/, boa, m