The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-30
THE HARRINGTON PUBLISHING co.
ON CORMORANr REEF.
Bad Accident to the Norwich Liner City
 of Worcester.

of Worcester.
 New London, May 29.-The three hun
 dred passengers aboard the sound
 steamer City of Worcester of the Nor
 wich line, Captain Ward, had a long,
 aforementioned unpleasant experi-
 ence at an early hour this morning on
 account of the steamer running hard upon Cormorant Reef, two miles of
 this harbor, during the fog. The acci-
 dent proved so serious that 1t was nec-
 essary to put back and beach the boat sjust above the Pequot house. A panic
 ensued among the passengers, but the
 perfect discipline of the crew helped to
 allay their fears and no casualties re- suited. Later the passengers were talk ten off by the City of Lowell, sister ship, which at 8:30 this morning pro
 ceeded to New York. All the baggage
 was also transferred to the City of
 Lowell, as was also about six carloads
 of express freight, the latter somewhat
 damaged by water The boat has a
 rent in the hull directly under two of her boilers, about thirty feet in length, and it is estimated that the loss to the boat and cargo will be fully $50,000. The
 passenger list was the largest since the
 rush of last summer, while the cargo Of freight was the heaviest carried this season. The fog was not so dense this morning as has been frequently expe- rienced, and Captain Ward claims that the restrictions that have been placed on the sailing course since the harbor for the accident.
 The boat left this city at 11:3O last night on her regular trip. She gave the signal to Fort Trumbull in passage and took her regular course, which makes for the Groton side until well out when she makes for Bartlett's reef hghtship; after passing New London lighthouse, Captain Ward discerned what he thought was barge in tow, and turned to port to take the inside.
 He had proceeded but short distance and was about to turn again for deep water when he was startled by the vessel experiencing two hard jolts, plainly indicating that she had ground ed The point was about half mile west of New London lightship, known as Cormorant Reef, and with all pos- sible despatch Captain Ward turned the vessel hard about and started back for the harbor. As she passed in the vessel commenced to settle and the
 passengers to considerable degree be- came panic-stricken and there were many who did not hesitate to adjust life preservers, but Captain Ward sent all the passengers forward to the sa- loon deck, where they felt in a meas- ure safer, after the reassurances of the officers In the meantime the water ! was gaining such headway that it was apparent the wharf could not be reach ed and as the water reached the en-
 zines and extinguished the fires the vessel was beached. A short while
 previous, however, the City of Lowell returning from New York looned up and the boats exchanged signals. The City of Lowell slowed up prepared to render all necessary assistance, but as the City of Worcester appeared to be resting quite easily she at once pro-
 ceeded to her wharf and notified the company's officials and unloaded her cargo.
 Captain T. A. Scott of this city was on the scene with little delay, with a hotiila of tugs and lighters and at once
 commenced transferring the baggage
 and express freight to the City of Low eli, which had returned. The passen-
 gers were likewise transferred to the
 steamer without any excitement or mis-
 hap Soon afterwards the main deck was six feet under water, apparently
 settling in an easy position. Captain Scott succeeded in removing about one quarter of the freight to-day and by pumping lowered the water in the aft compartment about four feet. A diver | was sent down to ascertain the extent of the injury and tonight divers are at work snoring up the watertight bulk | heads, while the work of Tightening the cargo is being continued. Experienced steamboat men of this city say if the steamer was required to go ten minutes
 more before she was beached she would never reach shore and there would re- suit heavy loss of life.
 Among the passengers were forty
 members of the Wells Boat club of Cambridge Mass, who were going to New York for the Memorial day races on the Harlem river and they, with their two shells, continued the trip on the City of Lowell. The freight was
 almost wholly manufactured articles,
 which will be more or less damaged by | water.
 The City of Worcester was built in l Wilmington, Del, in 1881, her gross ton-
 mage is 2,4S9.S5 with net tonnage of 1921 93 tons: length, 32O feet; breadth, | 46 feet; depth, 14.5 feet.