The sun., 1900-09-10
CROWDED STEAMER SUM.
Runs ON the Rock, Near hinots Light, but
Not Life Lost.

Boston, Sept 9-The sidc-wherl steam
ship John Endicott, plying between Boston
and Plymouth. with PAS passengers on board.
ran on rock near Minot's Light at $40 this
afternoon She was neached Just In time to
prevent terrible loss of life Every ore on
BOARD was landed in safety on the beach at
North Scituate and came 10 this city Oh II
special train
Atthe time the steamer struck she was cutting
through narrow passage, known a, the Gang
way Pass," about three-Quarter~ Of mile
shoreward from Minots Light. This was to
, save time. 80 some of the passengers say, aud
TO catch. II possible. the steamer of Il river
line which had left Plymouth ten minutes
earlier In the afternoon. The officers Of the
steamer say chat the inShoro route j. the one
always taken on u calm day and that had it
not been low water the vessel would not have
gone on the Rocks
The day was a delightful one for an ocean
trip and the passengers were enjoying them
selves thoroughly when suddenly they felt
the steamer strike with a crash on the rocks
AccOrdn ng TO all accounts the sharp ledge must
have torn u large hole in the planking aft OF
/ the starboard paddlebOx. 1t was almost low
water and Ola account Of the full moon the tide
was unusually low. The End colt was going
at full speed when she struck aud apparently
would have gone over the ledge had 1t not been
for the fact that her draught is greater aft Of
the paddle wheels than II Is forward. Water
began pouring through the cash In her side
She fioated clear of the rocks and she was i'm
mediately headed for the beach. a mile away, at
full speed.
The crew stuck to their posts and began TO
get the five life boats ready for launching The
passengers hustled for life preserverS There
was no panic among the latter. The women.
with a single exception. were "a cool a. could
have been wished, and Of the children only one
or two became frightened. The rising tide
In the hull gave warning Of what might be cX-
pected II steam was not kept up to its highest
point and the flromen hustled the coal into
the furnaces with rapidity. The pumps were
also started, but could do nothing against the
flood which poured into the hold.
As the steamer ucarrd safety the water hHd
risen Il a'InO~t to the furuac" doors but stu the
men al the boilers worked DESPERATELY, aud
when the Endicott ran upon III" beach Of Gun
Ledge, which jut- out from the Glade>, u club
summer resort at North SCltuatc, they uad To
swim to the iron ladder leading from the tre
Room In the engine room the sit uahon wa
almost ~ bad, although the water did not reach
the engines until the vessel was close In shore
The summer residents 81 North Sdtuate
Beach had witnessed the accident from shore
all sorts Of boats The North Sctuatr life
saving crew put or ia their surf boat but the
passengers were all safely ashore when they
arrived number ol snail fshlng uGa'.
owing 20 the light breeze their headwdy was
slow Nv the time the steamer was on the
beach the lie boats on boa I'd had been lowered
and the passengers were being transferred 10
the beach with the assistance of the fleet OF
small craft tnat Ipd nut ugt from tho ShOfn
The scramble for life ITeservcrs was a ludi-
Crous spectacle. One stout CpluTed woman
In her anxiety to keep a'oat, put two Of the
belts around her body 4 canoe came alCnCsid'
and she was pumped down In II. she refused
for some time TO let 20 the rope with which
she had been lowered and nnall (, , one OF the
crew cut II with hi- sheath knife.
The Endicott was half covered with water bv
the time tho uas~eugprs had all reached shore
and A. the tide was still rising then N will be-
hard lob for the wrrCkiug Compani"s to haul her
oil The steamer j. an ancient craft. although
she wa partly rebuilt In 1895. Since running
on the Plymouth Line she has had many aCCi-
dents to her Inachinery. One dav last week
she blew out several boiler tubes when of the
ClIructs N pl' mouth and the passer gers had
tn remain ON board all light Her cartair i
Frank VI IitChhpid AID her pilot Charles II
Fmrr-og The crew refused 20 state who had
the wheel at the time Of the accident.