New-York tribune., 1901-07-03
SQUALL SCARES COMMUTERS.
PASSENGERS on THE STATEN ISLAND
BOAT SOUTHFIELD IN PANIC
FROM STORM

With the Mortified disaster fresh in their
minds, fifteen hundred passengers the Staten
Island ferryboat Southield had a bad scare yes
terday afternoon, when the boat ran into
squall and for a few minutes drifted before the
storm. The Southfeld left Whitehall-st. at
5:45 O'Clock, bound for st. George with the
usual crowd of commuters, augmented by hun
dreds of men. and children bound for
the Staten Island beaches to escape the heat
Among the passengers We're many who had been
on the Mortified when it was sunk. There
also heavy load of teams. and the boat was
low in the water.
AS the Southfied rounded Castle Williams on
Governors Island the passengers the squan
driving up the bay from the south. IT was
black and threatening, and in a few minutes
the boat ran into It. For a brief time the
gale terrific, and the waves dashed against
the boat with force that made 1t tremble
while the water washed over the deck driving
the passengers to the upper cabin. The spray
from the which broke carried clear
up the upper deck. Added to the pounding
OF the waves there fierce hailstorm, and
continuous flashes of lightning and crashes of
thunder.
The boat rolled so badly In the sea that the
engines had to be stopped and the boat was
driven directly toward the sea wall at the south
erly side of Governors Island, against which
the dashing and sending spray
twenty feet into the air.
With the first rush of the water upon the
ferrybo deck the great ma ajority of the pas
sengers became panic stricken. Those from the
lower deck rushed up the stairways to escape
the water, and some of the more timid men ran
to the life preserver racks overhead In the upper
cabin and began pulling them down This ac-
| tion convinced the crowd that the boat was
of 1N sink md he ia
| with fear The stronger minded men attempted
| to aid the of the boat in quiettng the fears
| of the crowd. but the panic stricken men and
women would not listen to their entreaties to be
| quiet.
The upper cabin was packed with shouting
| men, crying women and children and desper-
! ate struggle was in progress for life preservers
Several women tainted, men threw off their
| coats, and one was noticed removing his shoes
and socks. The squa not more than five
to eight minutes in passing. and when the waves
| fell and the sun came out brightly the panic
| quickly subsided and a semblance of order was
| restored. The boat was got under way again
| and continued its journey. When off St George
| another storm was encountered and while tbara
| was slight renewal of the panic 1t was quickly
quieted and the landing at St George was safely
| made.
EXCESSIVE HEAT AGAIN IN BALTIMORE
| iohitihioit' 1uiy e MS city was again at the
head of the list of hottest cities to-day At a m
| the Weather Bureau thermometer recorded a tenn
perature OF 81 degrees. which Director Fassig an
| nounced was without parallel In local records. The
highest point reached by the mercury to-day was at
p. m. when it touched 103 degrees. the maximum
| temperature of yesterday, and remained stationary
for an hour. slight breeze between and o. clock
| brought Ii down to Sc degrees and the minimum
temperature of the day, so degrees, recorded al
s p. m Up to Il o'clock tonight thirteen deaths
and thirty-nine prostrations had been reported.
lalty WA ma de nv leffc -Ja
Notwithstanding which several OF them succumbed
to the heat.