Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-15
The MauCh Chunk Sinks the
Mortified,
IN EAST RIVER, NEW YORK.
There Were From 500 20 1900 Pas
sengcrs None Drowned Capt
johnson Arrested,

NEW 10TH June H,-Ine wooden
sde-wheeler Northheld which has
been In the service of the Staten
Island Ferry company for the past
thirty-hye years, was rammed tonight
by the steel-hulled propeller Mauch
Chunk, used as "a ferryboat by the
Central Railroad Of New Jersey The
collision occurred just off the staten
Island ferry slip at the foot of White
hall street, and in less than twenty
minutes afterward the Mortified,
which was crowded with passengers,
the number yariously estimated at 500
and 200 sank at the outer end OF the
Spanish line pier in the East river
The Mauch Chunk, which was badly
damaged, landed two dozen passengers
who were aboard of her
over a hundred Of the passengers OF
the sunken Mortified were dragged
out Of the water by people along shore
and the crews of the fleet of river
tugs, which promptly responded to the
ferryboats call for help few OF the
Northdeld's passengers were hurt in
the accident and the police believe that
some lives were lost
Capt Daniel Gully Of the tugboat
Mutual, who saw the ferryboats
crash together, says that Immediately
after the collision between twenty-five
and thirty passengers leaped into the
water and that many OF those per-
ished. Capt. Gully also declared that
mo-
drowned. The captains Of other tug
boats, who were early on the scene,
are inclined, however, TO think that
the disaster was not so serious as re-
CARDS loss Of life. Thus far no dead
bodies have been recovered
The reason for such difference Of
opinion as to the extent of the disaster
Is that the widest excitement pre-
vailed on the Mortified, The tug
Mutual saved in all about seventy
five persons from the Mortified, and
the tugs Unity and Arrow saved
between them $50 persons Two police
men Of the Old slip station claim TO
have rescued nearly thirty people be-
tween them
As soon as the crowd which had fol-
lowed the sinking ferryboat along the
river front were able to render any
aid they worked with a VIII and in
many instances men sprang into the
water TO save life The greatest service
was rendered by the tugboats which
circled around the Mortified ami
made a bridge 20 the Spanish line pier.
Men and women clambered over the
tugs TO the shore
While the Mortified was well sup
piled with life-preseryers, which were
slowed in out Of the way places, not
more than two dozen Of the endangered
passengers We're able TO get the llfe-
belts on This state Of affairs was
because the life-preseryers were not
handily obtainabe and the widest
sort Of a panic followed when the hun
dreds OF passengers realized their
danger This was only a few minutes
before the Mortified sank to the
bottom Of the river and then all who
had not jumped to the tugs found
themselves in the water
The swift-runnng food 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 Mortified and Capt. c. s,
Griffin was in command OF he Mauch
Chunk Each laws the blame for the
collision on the other,
As the humping OF the ferryboats
Is not unusual in this harbor the pas
sengers on the Mortified did not for
a minute or so realize the seriousness
OF the collision, When, however, two
flremen ran up on deck 10 save them
selves from the inflow Of water and
the Mortified was being driven full
speed up the East river instead Of
down toward staten island and all the
time screeching for help, they knew
that something serious had happened.
Then commenced the panic, which con-
tlnued until the Mortified went down,
At no time was the Mortified more
than 500 feet out In the river beyond
the bulkhead line, but the tide was run
ming with the velocity Of a millrace
and had the vessel sunk out In the
stream only the tugs would have been
able to give assistance.
Capt. Abraham Johnson OF the
Mortified was arrested about mid
night on a charge OF criminal negli-
gence. He is held without bail and
will be arraigned tomorrow.
Capt. Griffin Of the Mauch Chunk
went to his home IN Jersey City not
long after the accident occurred. Off
GERS OF the Jersey Central railroad gave
assurances that Capt Griffin would
make his appearance in court to an
swer TO a technical charge Of man
slaughter
The only person reported missing up
10 midnight was George II. Hopper,
ianltor OF the criminal court building,
The officials Of the staten Island
ferryboat said that there were prob
ably not over 600 passengers on the
Mortified at the time OF the coli
lision. The passengers say that the
usual rush hour crowd was aboard and
that It numbered fully 1900 men, wo-
men and children.
There were twelve teams on the
Nf.r,h0ald and they all perished,