Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-01
SUNK BY THE POTOMAC
Fatal Collision in the Chesapeake Below
Baltimore.
Course of a Small Schooner Suddenly
Changed-Attemptcd to Cross a
Steamers Bows.

Passengers on the steamer Potomac,
which left here Sunday afternoon, were
aroused early yesterday morning, when the
steamer was off Seven-Foot Knoll, about
seventeen miles below Baltimore, by a col
lision with the two-masted schooner Three
Brothers, in which the schooner was sunk
and it's captain drowned. Most of the
steamers passengers were Washington
ians. At the time the steamer was headed
for Baltimore. Capt. William Geoghe gan Of
the Potomac was asleep at the time. and
Mate Douglass was in charge, with Quar-
termaster Robert Carter at the wheel and
Thomas r. King on the lookout. Captain
Thomas Hart of the Three Brothers was
at the wheel of his vessel. The force of
the collision knocked him overheard. He
was not seen again by his crew. young
lady passenger on the Potomac saw him in
the water from her state room window and
heard him calling for assistance.
The schooner Three Brothers was en-
gagged in hauling produce from truck farms
and was on her way down the bay.
The Collision.
Quartermaster Carter changed the course
of the steamer to avoid a collision, but the
man at the helm of the Three Brothers
also made a change and vainly tried to
cross the steamers bows. The steamers
engine was reversed and in a few seconds
the lifeboat was lowered. Two members
of the SchoonerS crew were picked up and
two scrambled aboard by the schooner'S
mast, that had fallen over on the steamer.
Those saved were James Daley, first mate;
Frank Miller. William Wurst and Fred
erick Wildanger.
When it was certain that Capt. Hart had
been drowned search for his body was
made, but without success, and the steamer
left for Baltimore after putting light on
the mast of the sunken boat
Capt. GeOghesan's Report.
Soon after reaching Baltimore Captain
Geoghegan made a report to the local
steamboat inspectors of the affair, as fol-
lows:
AT $3.50 am. we saw a vessel coming
down the bay, with the wind northeast,
showing her port light, about a mile and
half below the Seven-Foot Knoll light,
and when within a hundred yards the helm
of the vessel was put hard a starboard and
she came right across the steamer Poto-
macs bows, striking the vessel aniidshfp.-
The steamer was backing when the vessels
came together.
Il Immediately lowered a lifeboat to
rescue the crew, as the vessel sank mime
diately In five minutes l had the life
boat in the water and rescued two men,
who were still on the wreck. Two of the
crew came aboard without any assistance
and the captain was drowned At the time
of the collision the weather was fair, with
the wind from the northeast blowing about
seven miles an hour.
Mate Douglass in his report of the acct
dent said that two vessels were sighted
as the steamer approached Seven-Foot
Knoll, the one in front showing green
light while the other, close behind it,
showed a red light
''Tne Potomac cleared the vessel show
ing the green light, said the mate, and
our helm was put to port in order to clear
the vessel showing the red light. To our
dsmay the helmsman of the sailing vessel
put his helm hard down, and in an instant
shot across the bow of the Potomac. The
Potomac was stopped and backed, but the
steamer and the schooner came together
and the schooner began to sink
Sergeant John Daily of the police depart
ment was a passenger on the boat His
wife aroused him as soon as she was
awakened by the force of the collision and
he went down stairs soon possible,
but before he had reached there the life
boats had been lowered and the two men,
bers of the schooners crew saved by them.
Mr.. w. F. Carne of River View, who was
also passenger on the Potomac, said that
the shock of the collision was very slight.
He believed that the schooners people
were wholly TO blame. That vessels course
was suddenly changed, for no apparent
reason. She was cut down amidships. The
steamer was well handled, he said, and he
regarded Mate Douglass as very careful
officer.
Capt Hart, who was drowned, was fifty
two years old and lived at No. 81 East
York street, Baltimore. He leaves a wife
and three children. Yesterday his son, ac-
companied by two friends, went to- the
scene of the sad accident to search for the
body. The deceased owned the schooner
Three Brothers, which he purchased
twenty-five years ago. In winter he
dredged for oysters and in summer he
ran truck from the farms along the Mag
othy river. He was bound to Magothy
river for watermelonS and peaches when
the schooner was sunk.