The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-08
FERRY BOAT SMASHUP.
The Big Mccullough Of the
Erie Line Crashes
Into Her Slip.
SEVERAL SEVERELY INJURED
Pilot and Engineer Both Deny
Responsibility for the
Accident.

The big Erie ferryboat John G. Nc
.Cullough got beyond control of her pilot
yesterday afternoon while entering the
slip at Paveria ferry. crashed into the
bridge. damaged herself. and what was
worse. injured some of her passengers.
one of whom may die.
II was quarter to two yesterday after
noon when the boat left Chambers street
with a big crowd of passengers bound
for New Jersey to spend the holiday. As
she steamed across the river it was OBJ
served hat she was going al a much
more rapid rate than usual. No one
imagined anything wrong until the at
tsption of all was attracted by the ciang-
ing of bells. the shouts of The man at
the wheel. and the answering shouts of
the deck hands, She had banged into the
piling at the south side of the entrance
to the slip. The pili7g veered to the
right. the Mccullough swung off TO the
left and giided Into ths slip. The man
at the wheel had given the usual sig
nails to the engineer when drawing near
the slip. but the boat did not slow down.
The signals were repeated and still the
boa went on. Then the pilot knew that
something was the matter and that the
Mccullough must crash into the bridge
leading to the ferry house.
: A terrific crash came, and the boat car
ried way a guard rail as she struck
The impact forced loose the heavy plank
ing beyond the bridge. These planks
are fully three inches thick and o
ten fest long. Some 500 persons were
standing in that part of the ferry house
where the planks were torn loose. So
great was the force of the collision that
men, women and children were thrown
from their feet and dropped in a struggl-
ing mass over which fell splinters and
broken timbers.
On board were Mr.. and Mrs. Patrick
Hoffman and their four year old daugh-
ter Elsie of No. 753 River street, Pater-
sen. The child was borne down in the
crash, and before she could rise or be
picked up a big plank fell across her left
leg. The child gave a little cry and then
tainted. Near her stood Mrs. John
Evans, of No. 31sk Pavonia avenue. this
city. When the shock came Mrs. Evans
was thrown to the floor, and W. L. Lock
wood of No. 259 Sackett street, Brooklyn,
stopped to pick her up. Lockwood was
just reaching for Mrs. Evans when : a
heavy timber in falling struck him on
the left side of the head. He fell as II
dead. Nicholas Weiss. 81 years old, of No.
l22 Wavef1y place, New York city, was
hit by a splintered plank, the right leg OF
his trousers was torn nearly off and his
leg was lacerated from the hip 10 the
knee. Several others were more or less
injured, and their cries caused a small
panic. Policemen hurried to the scene,
and reserves in patrol wagons were sum
uloned from the First and Second pre-
cincls. When order had been restored,
Lockwood, Weiss, Mrs Evans and Elsie
Hoffman were picked up and carried 70
the waiting room Of the Erie Railway:
Lockwood was still unconscious, and all
the efforts of the policemen failed to re-
pive him.. Hurry calls for ambulances
were sent to ST. Francis Hospital, and
soon two ambulances arrived. The wom-
an, child and the two men were taken
10 the hospital.
mans leg had been broken In tWo places
Mrs. Evans right ankle was disiocated.
and Weiss was suffering from contuslons
about the face and chest, and also from. a
deep cut, about seven inches long, in the
| right leg. After their injuries had been
| dressed these three were sent home
Meantime other physicians were at work
upon Mr.. Lockwood. 1t was seen tnat
his skull was crushed in from the left
| eve almost to the back of the head. 1t
is impossible to restore him to conscious
ness. After a careful examination the
physicians expressed the belief that LOCK-
| wood would die before morning.
immediately after the accident, Captain
Cherry, Superintendent of the ferry, MADE
| an investigation. The pilot insisted that
| it was no fault of his, since he ~signalled
to the engineer, as he usually does. to
| slow down when the boat was about 100
yards east of the entrance to the slip.
The pilot said that after he ~signalled the
boat did not slow down, and the rudder
would not respond when he turned the
wheel He gave it as his opinion that
the boilers were too heavily charged with
from slowing down. The engineer, when
questioned, denied that there was too
much steam on. He said that there was
no more than is usually carried. He said
that the accident must have been caused
by the rudder's being out of order, or
perhaps there might have been something
wrong with the wheel. What conclusion
saw last night. He said that his first re-
port must be made 10 the officers of the
William L. Lockwood, who is expected
10 die. is AZ years Did, and lives in a ffat
at No. 259 Sackett street, Brooklyn. with
his wife and two children. He had been
employed for some years in the Long
Dock mill and elevator IN Jersey City
Late last night Mrs. Lockwood was mott
fed of the accident and started in a car
rage for St. Francis Hospital
The wreckage was all cleared away By
noon today, and but for the broken sur
porting beam over the floating dock nc
traces of the accident is discernible
Lockwood, who was badly hurt about the
head, lies in st. Francis Hospital in q
precarious condition, but the doctors en-
/ 1.+a;. hapar Of his rannuarU