The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-15
MANY NEEI DEATH
N FERRY collision
STATEN ISLAND BOAT NORTHFIELD
SUNK IN THE EAST RIVER
LAST NIGHT
CROWDED WITH PASSENGERS
EUMHER OF LIVES LOST IS VARI-
OUsLY ESTrMATED-No EX-
ACT FIGURES
TRANSPORT INGALLS, IS SUNK

TRANSPORT INGALLS, IS SUNK
NEW YORK, June 1.-THE wooden
side-wheeler Mortified, which has been
in the service of the Staten Island Ferry
company for the past thirty-eight years
was rammed tonight by the steel-hulIed
propeller Mauch Chunk, used as ferry
boat by the Central Railway of New
Jersey. The collision occurred just off
the Staten Island ferry slip. at the foot
OF Whitehall street.. and in less than
twenty minutes afterwards the North
field, which was crowded with passen-
gers, sank at the outer end of the Span
ish line pier, in the East river. The
Mauch Chunk, which was badly dam
aged, landed two dozen passengers who
were aboard her. Over a hundred passen-
gers Of the sunken Mortified were drag
ged out of the water by people along
shore and the crews Of the fleet Of river
tugs, which promptly responded to the
ferry boats call for help. A few of the
Northfeld's passengers were hurt in the
accident, and the police believe that some
lives were lost. Capt. Daniel Gully Of
y
boats crash together, says that imme-
diately after the collision between twenty
five and thirty of the passengers leaped
into the water, and that many Of these
perished. Capt. Gully also declares that
he is sure over a hundred Of the North
fields passengers were drowned. The
captains Of other tugboats, who were
early on the scene, however, are IN
clined to think that the disaster was not
so serious as regards the loss of life.
Thus far no dead bodies have been re-
covered.
PROMPT TO THE RESCUE.
The reason for such difference of
opinion as to the extent Of the disaster is
that the widest excitement prevailed on
the Northlield. The tug Mutual saved in
an about seVenty-five persons from the
Northheld, and the tugs Unity and Arrow
saved between them $50 persons. TWO
policemen of the Old slip station claim
to have rescued nearly thirty people be-
tween them. AS soon as the crowd which
had followed the sinking ferry boat along
the river front were able to render any
aid they responded with a will, and in
many cases men sprang into the water to
save life. The greatest service was rem
dered by the tug boats, which, as soon
as it was possible, closed around the
Northfield and made q bridge to the
Spanish line pier and men and women
clambered over the tugs to the shore. The
NOrthfeld sank to the bottom Of the
river, and then all who had not jumped
to the tugs found themselves in the
water. The swift running flood tide and
the question of which boat had the right
Of way was the cause of the disaster.
Capt. Abraham Johnson was in charge
of the Northfield, and Capt. S. G. Griffin
was in command of the Mauch Chunk.
Each lays the blame for the collision on
the other,
The Northfold with n load OF pas
sengers variously estimated at between
SO and 1900 at 6:01 p. m. started out Of
the West slip at Whitehall street for St.
George, Staten Island, and at 5:53 D. m.
the MauCh Chunk left the railroad slip
at Communipaw for Whitehall street.
The latter craft VAS abreast of the barge
Office at the battery when the North
field came out Of the slip. An exchange
of whistles between the boats was fol-
lowed by the crash. Capt Griffin ap-
parently believed that the Staten Island
ferry boat would be halted Until he had
worked his boat Into the upper slip, and
on the other hand Capt Johnson sup
posed that he would be allowed to cross
the Mauch Chunks bows.
TREMENDOUS CRASH.
When the accident appeared inevitable
the speed of the CommunipaW ferry boat
was reduced as much as possible under
the circumstances, but borne along by
the swift running flood tide head on. the
M2uch Chunk struck the Mortified on
the starboard side at the hood OF the for
ward ladies' cabin on the main deck
The blow was a. terrific one and the force
OF it wrecked the steering gear at the
forward end of the Mauch Chunk, tore
up about ten feet of the main deck,
wrecked the deck house on the port side
hp.N f1n,~pTT TTrrl, I Il
threw down the stanchions on the for
ward part Of the Central railway boat.
As the humping of ferry boats Is not
unusual in this harbor the passengers on
the Mortified did not realize for a min
ute or so the seriousness of the collision.
When, however, two firemen ran up on
deck to save themselves from the inflow
Of water and the Northfield was being
driven full speed up the East river, in
stead of down towards Staten Island and
all the time screeching for help. they
knew that something serious lad nap-
pened Then commenced the panic.
Which conl'2&ed until the Mortified
went down. At no time was the North
Held more than 500 feet out in the river
beyond the bullthead line. but the tide was
running with the velocity of a mill race
and had the vessel sunk out in the
stream only the tugs would have been
able to give assistance
SECOND FATAL HARBOR ACCIDENT
While the United States TRANSPORT In
gals was in the balance dry Cock at the
Erie basin, South Brooklyn, this after
noon, where she was about to undergo
extensive repairs, she suddenly Slipped
from the blocks and capsized One man
is known to have been killed and ,nany
injured. There were about 24O carpenters
machinists and other laborers at work
on the vessel and dock at the time II
Is supposed that the vessel was thrown
from an even keel by ballast improperly
placed, or by the shifting Of the blocks
on which she rested causing her to list
TO starboard, driving the snoring beams
through the rotten walls of the old float
ing dry dock in which she was Graded
Besides the mechanics and other work
men who crowded the vessel and dock
preparing her for a. voyage to Manila
there was supposed to have been about
thirty Italian laborers in the hold of the
ship, employed in shifting the pig iron
ballast. While the workmen were try
Ing to escape, the dock itself, overbal-
anced by the weight OF the ship, turned
on its side and sank in fifty feet of water
a number of men were borne down into
the water and jammed under anG be-
meath the wreckage, which rose to the
surface How many were caught could
not lie learned tonight. Mart,E Anderson