The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-31
Chicago Cut Down in Mi&trGan
With Loss Of Life.
CITY Of AUGUSTA SANK HER.
Some Passengers Swim Ashore Tugs
Pick Up Many More.

About n Hundred Were on Board, Many of
Them from the Midnight Train-Truck-
men See That Every Woman Gets n Life
Pressrver-The Boat Went Down Very
Quickly After She Was Hit-Tugs Flock
TO the Rescue and Pick Up Floating
Passengers and One Dead Body.
The Pennsylvania Railroad ferryboat Chi
cago, which left Jersey City at 1925 O'Clock
this morning with the passengers OF the ex-
press train which left Philadelphia at 10
o'clock. was struck in midstream about $50
yards southwest OF the Starin pier by
the steamship City Of Augusta. Savannah.
coming in The steamship hit her on the star
board side and cut hole in her. going clear
through her guard rail and knocking a big
holo in her hull. Tho ferry boat began to
sink Immediately and before assistance
could reach her sho had gone down in seventy
feet Of water. The whistles of the boat and OF
the City Of Augusta called a fleet of tugs
At 2:30 O'Clock this morning the City of
Augusta was coming into her pier at the foot
of Spring street On the pier 1t was acknowl-
the Chicago. Whether she had survivors
aboard was not known.
At the moment OF the collision there was
panic among the Chcago's passengers. How
many passengers there were is not certain.
but w. II. Smith. who was in the
ladies cabin. and who swan ashore
after the accident SAYS that there were thirty
in the ladies' cabin. Immed lately after tho
collision the ocean going boat backed.
the pilot and Captain OF tho Chicago realizing
the seriousness OF the accident. yelled down
to the engine room to put on all steam,
and every effort was made to reach this shore
She succeeded in getting within about 100
yards OF the shore when she lurched forward
and began to 60 down. She settled forward
first. and in almost less time than it
takes to tell it her decks were I'M
der water and she went to the bottom. She
sank about 100 yards southwest OF the Starln
Transportation Company's pier. which adJoins
the slips OF the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany ferry.
The employees in the ferryhouse and
on tHe uOChb dlOHk TlNeT front VINO
were attracted by the noise OF the blow
ing whistles. and who were close enough
almost to hear the cries OF the passengers on
the sinking boat notified the police word went
to tho Liberty street station. and calls were
sent from that station instantly for five ambul-
ances from the Hudson Street Hospital. New
York. Bellevue and Gouveneur hospitals.
At half past l o'clock this morning the Of
ficials OF the Pennsylvania Railroad at Jersey
City said that when the boat left the Jersey
City side there were about ono hundred pas
sengers aboard. but they were not all from
the train. Some Of them were Jersey City
people bound for New York. or New Workers
who had spent the evening in Jersey City
bound home.
The boat was fully equipped with life pre-
servers and whom the smash in the river
came the passengers made wild rush
for them. They were under the
seats. Some OF them got them
and some OF them didn't. One OF tina passsn-
gers who did get them was Augustus Winter
burn. who is In THE SUNS mailing department.
He managed to get the preserver fastened
around his waist and then to reach the shore
at the foot OF Liberty street.
Capt. Durham OF the Chicago was ono OF the
folks picked out OF the water by a tug boat and
landed at thu foot OF Cortland street. He says
that he was coming across the river. that this
shin. which he thinks was an Old Dominion
liner. was coming up tho river. The Old
Dominion people say no boat OF theirs got
In after the jamestown came in in the
afternoon. He said he gave her two
whistles to indicate that he was going to
|
responded. He turned his own boat all right,
but abe disobeyed tho signal and camo on.
He did not realize until it was too late to avert
a collision. that a collision was inevitable
Then he rang his Jingle bells to 60 ahead full
speed. He had slowed down and was going
half speed. The steamship crashed into his
boat Just abaft the paddle box on the star board
aide. The Chicago began to wobble and Ill at
once.
There was wild rush in both cabins to get
at life preservers. The men in the cabins at
first were for grabbing everything and not
giving tho women. OF whom there Were quite a
number aboard. chance. but there was n
crowd OF husky truckmen from Newark
aboard. who ran through the women's cabin
| yelling. The ladies first: ladies first" They
| showed the men aside. Then the men pitched
| In. life preserVers were dragged from under
| the seats: every woman was provided with one.
and the men took what was loft.
| BY the time these were adj listed the Chicago
was lying very low at the stern and was pitch
| ing from side to side. Two minutes later
| she swung around in the stream and sank with
her stern pointing straight up the river As
she sank most Of her passengers leapSd into
the water. Capt Durham said that he believed
all OF the passengers were saved. and he thinks
| the only person missing was one Of his fire.
men, man named Broome