New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-08
PONCE HITS THE AUBRIDGE.
COLLISION AT THE YACHT RACE N
WHICH THE LATTER VESSEL
WAS DAM AGED.

~, -,au rroreuer c,rnbrllgo ~ Baltimore.
and tho steamer Ponce wore I'm collision just before
the start Of tho yacht race yesterday. ana ior p
fou moments n looked as II the Cambridge would
fare badly As T. was. biz boil" was 'ui I'D nor
uppor works. and the Ponce carried away some
small tmhors on her port anchor. There vas
great excitement on both boats for fow minutes
particularly on the small Cambridge, when the
bow OF tho Ponce lowered above her and n minute
later crashed into her the starhoard side. JNst
ar amhships
The accident happened tust after both boats bad
arrived near tho starting line The Ponce vas
moving slowly. tho engines having been STOPPED
several minutes before tho collision occurred The
Cambridge was fov few minutes moving along
parallel with tho Ponce % the latter Fess'is port
bow. without apparent reason the cam ''l' "'
swung around 10 etarboard heading directly across
the bow o, Che Ponce Two warning Whistles were
sounded from tho larger bort. and the Cambridge
instead og backing or turning away. merely re-
Piled with another warning whistle.
In loss than thirty seconds after tho second warn
Ing Il bcc.~nc obvious 10 those on board the ron
that "A collision was inevitable. The engine Of the
Ponce was put ful speed as'crn. and she was
swung to etarhoard as mnch IS e was possible
with tho Roadway she had r. seem"i 10 those on
the Ponce that the Cambridge might have avoided
tho Incident by backing away. but. instead OF doing
this she kept on ahead In nm attempt apparently
70 get ont Of the way.
The two boats were too close together. however.
10 mako this possible ard the Ponce crashed iuio
tho CAMBRIDGE There were from sovcnty-hre 30
a hun red persons on the Cam II lse. and many 't
them wore not aware that a collision was l1mI-
nerf until Just before the crash came. Several
women sitting on the hurricane dock Of the came
bridge were looking 30 the direction OF the yachts
and away from the Ponce. Those who e." the
Ponce bearing down yorcd md the women. turn
ing just a. tho crash came screamed and jumped
from their seats.
For n moment there was considerable X a panic.
The captain ~ tho Cambridge. however. called ONT
lu a commanding tone for Size people TO Keep F''''
as there WAS no danger. and this seemed 10 cam"
their fears. \ minute or two elapsed "'i''' ''
boats could bo separated. Tic Roadway az th"
Ponce prevented the steamer from backing away.
and she pushed the smaller steamer sideways i'r
some minutes and careencd her 10 port Ia dam
eerous WY before they foated apart.
80 damage was done to the Ponce except 20
scratch Of little paint. The bow OF the Ponce
cat an ugly looking hole in the upper work Of ihe
Cambridge. ana the port anchor on he steamer
got caught in the woodwork and tore Of consider
able Of H. when the Ponce began 10 move ee-'lh.
A. soon as the boats had separated the captain or
Tie Ponce called 20 the other boat and offered 10
take al her PASSENGERS on uo'5n Inc ~ ''
no damate nad oeen uyne. 10 ,'e H''. w..
the Ponce when the acciien, happened. was seen
by Tribune reporter after the collision ar "e
0ar eafinss he'd been stoPPea1 e" or af teen
bow moving slowly In the Same direction that We
,I MIN vStio rbe c'r5,nanGcr ~ the cam
bridge paid attention 20 the whistle and sound
coming So close rang for the engines OF the
turned the vessels nose 10 starDoarl. II had
not done This we would H. al proba biiity, h1ve
back as think she should have done, but con-
tnued ahead across our boy. and In tas position
the accident unavoidable.