The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-31
and took thirty-4ive people from the ferry

and took thirty-1ve people from the ferry
boat and out of the water
| The fireboat, the policeboat patrol and
Pseveral launches were called to the scene
and did valuable work in rescuing people
| Several small boats were sent out from
! the neighboring piers and in ones and
| twos and threes the drenched, chilled and
sometimes unconscious passengers were
brought into the piers where they received
| needed attention.
| John Bryson, who was drowned, was the
driver of a United States mail van going
| to the New York post office Besides the
vehicle in Bryson's charge there were on
| the Chicago a truck belonging to the
Adams Express Company containing $1,000
| in silver bars, two produce trucks, two
milk trucks and one other wagon.
H. w Bible, editor of the American
Knit Goods Review" one of the passep-
gers on the ferryboat, said
sI started for Philadelphia last night
| and intended to attend at Reading, Pa,
| convention of the Hosiery Association.
When reached the New Jersey side
learned that could not secure berth In
the sleeping car and came back to this
| city on the Chicago, intending to take
later train over the Jersey Central Rail-
road.
GAS near as l can remember the
| Chicago was about one hundred YARDS
from the Cortlandt street dock when the
crash came I noticed that the Chicago
was headed up stream and thought 1t was
strange l was in the lower cabin and
was seated when the crash occurred. The
Chicago leaned far over to one side and
almost fell over. Then three or four men
who were nearby as well as myself, man
aged to get located and we were putting
on life belts when a deckhand cried to
everybody to go on the upper deck. The
next thing l remember was in the water.
had on my overcoat and gloves and was
greatly hampered. struggled in the water
for fifteen minutes when a life boat came
ard picked me up. Before this I heard
the cries of several persons who were in
the water and believe that all of these
were drowned, because their cries ceased
before 1 was picked up.
After taking me UP the boat went
around and picked up two women, two
men and boy Before / was put ashore
two more men who were trying to climb
up the piles from the water were also
rescued"
Captain William Durham of the Chicago
said:-'I was due at the Manhattan pier
at 1910 A. M; we had almost reached it
when 1 saw vessel bearing down on u.s.
I gave two blasts of my whistle, signify
ing my intention to go to starboard and
put my helm hard aport. The other boat
did not whistle in answer to my signal.
Before we could get away she crashed
into u.s. just aft of our paddle wheels.
The woodwork was driven into the en-
gine room. Had the vessel been able
to draw out Immediately l could have
got the Chicago into her slip.
IT think there were $50 passengers on
the Chicago I saw but three women.
There were life preservers for all There
was plenty of time for everybody to put
them on I do not think that any lives
were lost unless that of Fireman Vroom.
1 have accounted for all my men save
him.
Chief Engineer John Penfeld, Of the
Chicago, said:-"I was in the engine room
when the crash came; I had narrow
escape. A splinter, six inches thick and
sharp as lance, was thrust through the
wall less than a foot from where | was
leaning, watching my engine. / stayed
until the water put out the fires. Then
/ crawled out over the cylinder head
and got aboard the tugboat Depew-
John Mcnamara, a deckhand on the
Chicago. said:-"I was for'ard when she
TANNED into us. A woman standing near
me set up an awful howl. said, Don't
worry lady, there's plenty of time
nut a life preseryer on her and saw her
Jump overload. She was fished aboard
tbe tug Depew. I got out myself all
right next. 1 think everybody was picked
up all right
John F. Coyne, Of the District Attor-
ney's office, Kings county. said:-l was
in the smoking cabin on the lower deck
with Alexander Weir, coal dealer OF
No. 472 Hudson avenue, Brooklyn. I was
having my shoes polished. saw the nose
of the big steamer coming through the
side of the Chicago. I jumped to my
feet. and by the time I reached the bow
of the ferryboat nearest the New York
side I noticed that the boat was Begin
ming to sink I saw good many people
on the decks of the sinking boat. Every
body was excited and rushing about. /
saw a number of people jump into the
water and then l did the same thing, as
7 saw it was no use trying to remain on
the ferryboat
.sWhen had been in the water about
three minutes I was picked up by small
boat and landed at the foot of Liberty
street. Then 1 saw a number of other
people get picked up. do not know what
become of Weir but suppose he is lost"
Anthony wahl, and his wife, of No. 1o1
West Nfnety-sixth street, were on the
boat. In telling of his experience Mr.
Wahl said
I'VE were seated in the forward ladies'
cabin when the collision happened. The
Chicago was on to her beam ends and 80
terrific was the shock that we were
thrown to the floor. There were a dozen
or more men and women near US.
st am a good swimmer and fortunately
nv wife is a small woman. I kept her
courage up after we got into the water.
l napaged to swim in. but I will never
forget it. Several times thought 1t was
all up with me- But I made it,"
Mr. Walhl and his wife were warmed and
cared for at the Glen Island Hotel and
then taken home. Mrs. Wahl is very Ill
from the shock A physician is in con-
slant attendance.
The Chicago is 302 feet long and only re-
Gently was entirely refitted and redec-
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