The sun., 1898-02-17
ER|CSS0N'S AWFUL N|SAAP
Blown Over Durin, q Gale on
the Delaware.
NO LIVES KNOWN TO BE LOST
Passengers Suffer Great Hardship
While Being Taken From the
Wrecked Steamer.

The steel screw steamer Ericsson, re-
Gently added to the Baltimore and Phila.
de!phia Steamship Company, sunk off
this city early yesterday morning.
No lives We're lost but it is thought the
steamer is a total wreck.
A heavy northwest gale swept over
the Delaware river yesterday morning.
The wind was blowing at the rate Of
60 knots an hour.
The large steamer Ericsson. which
plies between Philadelphia and Bulti.
more, cleared from Baltimore at ju'cl,ck
on Tuesday.
The voyage was made in safety until
they were off Wilmington when Il heavy
blast Of wind struck the vessel amilsllips
shr listed slightly and shipped glra.
quantity "i water in her coal bunkcrS.
The captain saw the dnngcranl turnr',
the steamer toward the shore but was
too late to avoid the catastrophe She
listed again and this time carecncd over
on her beam ends. One ui the pussen-
gers cried oct the ship is going over.
The excited passengers graSping any
thing that came in their hands made an
attack an the Windows and soon had
made a clear raSSagrway to the upper
deck.
They graSpd what clothing they
could lay their hands ON in their haste
from the cabins
They soon reached the deck, bnt the
water which washed over the decks and
freezing as it struck made it difficult to
stand there. They managed to do 50 by
clinging to the ratings.
Tie steamer Ericsson, which cleared
from Baltimore yesterday, her destina-
ton being Philadelphia, now lies in
twenty feet Of water off Wilmington.
Sixty.five passengers who were on
board were all rescued.
Many OF the passengers were compelled
to break through the windows in their
haste to reach the upptr deck, many Of
them losing their clothing and footwear,
but were afterwards supplied with
blankets.
About fifteen women, one Of them
having child in her arms, stood IN the
icy deck where, the wind was blowing
sixty knots an hour, until they were
rescued from their peril.
1t was reported that a man aged about
seventy.tive, who had remained below
to look after Il horse which had been
placed in his care, was drowned when
the vessel sank, but tins report has not
been verified as yet
This vessel has been built lately and
has for some time been the pride Of the
Ericsson line, but many old watcrn.en
did not agree with the Ericsson Com
pany in their ideas.
This vessel was built with only a
twenty.three foot beam and draws nine
feet of water when loaded.
The Delaware and Chesapeake canal is
about twenty-five feet in width and, ,ther'-
fore, the boat was made narrow to allow
it to pass through the canal.
The height from her water line 10 her
upper deck measures twenty-five feet
and Old seamen think that this was the
cause Of the disaster, as Il heavy wiud
striking the side Of her would naturally
drive her over on her beam ends.
The tug. Fred Jansen. which was ly-
ing at the Wilmington and Northern
pier went to the assistance ni the sunken
vessel, after which the tug Laura b.,
Captain Sparks; tug Emily, Captain
Denny, and the steamer Brandywinc
were soon to the rescue.
The Taurus. Captain Davis, came along
about this time with one of the Warner
lalges in tow and made the barge fast
TO the steamer, after which the passcn.
gers were transferred from the submerged
vessel to the Laura B.
The captain OF the Brandywinc made
an effort To bring his vessel along side,
but the wind which was blowing stronger
than before, prevented and all his efforts
were in vain. When the Laura i. had
all the passengers ON board she started
for Philadelphia and landed them at the
Ericsson Lines wharf.
The sinking of the vessel created much
excitement in this city, and many per.
sons took view of her from the Federal
and Equitable buildings, and other high
points over the city. The tug Laura B.
carried ont stoves and provisions for the
crew, as the fires in the engine room had
been extingusllcd at the time OF her sub
IncrsiOn.
This vessel is over two hundred feet in
length, and had large quantity "f
freight on board. The total loss will
amount to the value of the vessel. She
will be raised as soon as possible.
She presents quite picturesque ap-
pearance as the water has washed over
her upper deck and frozen, thus giving
her the appearance of being made Of
glass.
The value OF the vessel is estimated at
$lOO,OOO.
+. $. Groves, who thought the boat to
be one Of the finest on the river Of its
kind, feels the loss greatly. Srme Of the
passengers were brought in by the tug
Emily and sent to their different homes
by rail. The captain and several Of the
crew went to Philadelphia on the Laura
B.
The engineer and fireman remained in
the engine room until the water forced
them to leave. Eight of the crew re-
maincd aboard the vessel all day. The
steamer was built at Neatie 4 1evys
ship-yard in Philadelphia about Il year
ago and has been running ON the line
since last August.
The company will have the decking
cut down us soon as she is raised and
pumped out. The tug Jansen made sew
tral trips back and forth from the wreck
to this city, carrying provisions to the
men who stayed on the vessel all day i'll