The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-06
THOS. S. BRENNAN ASHORE.
SHB DRIFTS ON THE ROCKS AT
EAST FIFTY NINTH Street

we Captain was Below. ThinlinE tho Pilot
Yves at the Whsel-workheuse Prisoners,
Forming the Crew, saw That tho uont
was Adrirt. but Did Nothing to save Her.
The steamboat Thomas S. Brennan, which Is
used by the Department Of Public Charities for
the transfer of hospital patients. ran ashore yes
terday morning on the rocks at tho foot OF East
Yifty.ninth street. The accident was apparently
due TO the care ossness Of one Of tho boats ON.
GERS.
The Thomas 6. Brennan IL a long side-whecler,
built on the plan Of q forryboat. having two pilot
houses and two rudders. She started out on her
usual trip yesterday morning. the Captain, John
Mccarthy. being In ono pilothousc, and Pilot
Charles p. Everett in the other. The boat went
FIRST to Harlem, and there took two patients
from the Harlem Hospital consigned to the City
Hospital on Blackwells Island. Tho Brennan
thon went TO tho storehouse dock on Blackwell's
island, opposite Seventeen street.
The Captain was at that time In what was
temporarily the after pilothouse. Whom tho
noorings were cast of and tho boat was ready
70 20 on down the river. Capt. Mccarthy
threw over the lever which let his rudder run
loose, and gave the signal to the engineer to 60
on at half-speed. Then tho Captain. supposing
that Pilot Everett was In his place in the other
pilothouse. went below, intending to go to tho
forward pilothousc. He was detained below
somewhat less than two minutes and then went
TO Pilot Everett's usual station.
"What in thunder 10 this o. he shouted, a. ho
saw tho Brennan almost on the rocks at tho
foot OF East Fifty-ninth street. Just then tho
pilot entered tho pilothouse. In less than two
seconds the boat crashed. bow on, on tho rocks.
The boat slid over the rocks about ton feet, and
her forward deck was smashed badly. Further
examination showed that the forward rudder
had been broken to pieces.
Word was at once sent to tho Headquarters of
the department, and the tug Fidelity came up.
As the Brennan was in no danger, her hull not
having been injured, the Fidelity took the two
patients to the City Hospital and returned to
aid the grounded boat. The Brennan was hauled
of tho rocks at 5 P. NJ. Word was meanwhile
sent to the Merritt & Chapman wreckinr Com
pany. and q tug was ordered up.
Tho Captain places the blame on the pilot,
who. he says, ought to have heen in the other
pilothouse. Tho pilot would have nothing to
say about the matter, except that he did not
know that the boat was moving at all until lust
before she struck. Mono OF the twenty work.
house prisoners who comprise tho crew seemed
to. know or caro- anything about tho ac-
cident, although they must have seen the
boat drifting across the river to tho rocks.
William #. Yates, supervising engineer Of
the department, and Commissioner John p.
Faure came VI carly to investigate. The for
mer estimated the damage to the boat as about
$4,000. Mr.. Yates and Mr.. Faure said that both
the CAPTAIN and the pilot had good records. The
former has boon Captain of the Brennan for over
ten years, and the latter was promoted to his
present post from the Captaincy of the William
II. Wickham. one of the departments tugs.