New-York tribune., 1901-06-15
TRANSPORT LISTS IN DOCK.
ONE MAN KILLED AND THIRTY-FOUR
HURT IN ACCIDENT To THE
INGALLS,.

At least one man was killed and thirty-fonr
were hurt by the sudden listing of the steam
ship Ingalls, of the United States Transport
Service yesterday in an old sectional dock at the
Erie Basin The accident occurred at $50 D.
m. and was believed to have been due TO negli-
gence and carelessness the part of the men
who employed at the dock. John y. Rob
ins. head of the firm of John y. Robins & Co,
controlling the drydOcks and sectional docks
the Erie Basin. made determined effort to
prevent newspaper men from investigating the
accident. and many employees of the firm joined
In the effort to suppress information. The po
lice made arrest. and there was no search
for bodies. although there We're reports that
men had been crushed under the steamship
The sectional dock was wrecked when the
ingalls, tipped over. and later the dock sank
under the steamship. allowing the water 70
run into the vessels hold through portfolios, and
the steamship lay last evening the broken
dock with her deck partly awash and listing at
an angle of about 10 degrees. Her upper works
had been damaged badly and the loss in money
by the accident said TO amount to many
thousands of dollars. To make matters worse
for John n. Robins & Co. the firm under
contract TO have the ingalls, ready to sail for
Manila in a few days.
The steamship had been lying at the Erie
before noon yesterday she towed into the
sectional dock known as No. >. the oldest of the
sectional docks there. which has been in service
many years. The Ingalls, taken into the
dock bow first and when the pumps had been
working more than three hours and she we'll
out of water IL was seen that she listing
considerable TO port.
In the docks on either side of her were the
Iona. a tramp steamer. and the Madiana. be-
longing to the Quebec Steamship Company. Men
on both steamers witnessed what happened
later and they were free TO tell newspaper men,
They said that men on Dock No. worked for
some time trying 10 straighten the ingalls, on
the blocks The shorers that reached out from
the sectional dock to steady the ship were buck
ling under the strain on the port side of the
ship and barely touched the hull on the star
board side.
STARBOARD SHORERs BREAK.
About thirty Italians were working in the hold
shifting the pig iron ballast which there
when the ship came last from Cuba. Some
tackle was used in the effort TO straghten the
shin on the blocks The steamship was worked
10 an upright position. and then began to list to
starboard. The change in position suddenly
threw a great strain the starboard shorers.
At first they buckled perceptibIy. and then one
suddenly broke Then the other starboard
shorers broke under the strain. There was a
succession of loud reports the beams were
broken and then the Ingalls, went over against
the side of the dock with crash that sent
splinters flying in all directions. The wooden
side of the dock wrecked instantly.
Many scrapers and painters were at work on
the hull of the steamship when she suddenly
listed Most of them spraHg out of danger at
the first warning 1t was estimated that about
tventy-four members of the ships crew. twenty
carpenters. seventy-fve scrapers and painters.
thirty-five boiermakers and twenty-five copper
smiths were at work in and beside the ship
when she began to list 1t was surprising that
more men were not killed. Immediately after the
crash men were seen running wildly from the
dock or clambering up the slanting deck From
hollow there were cries for help, and then men
be gan 10 climb out of holes. Soon score of men.
who were bleeding from cuts. appeared on the
pier.
The foremast of the Ingalls, struck against
the adjoining dock and was broken Her funnel
was bent out of shape by striking against the
side of her own dock. Lifeboats on the deck
were broken The starboard rail was smashed.
and the deck itself was splintered- The sudden
careenng caused the water tanks and the
ballast TO shift to starboard Many of the bilge
blocks slipped from under the vessels keel
Captain Cullen at the Hamton-ave- police
station. got word of the accident in a few min
utar after It occurred. and he sent out calls
for ambuIances and police reserves Seven am
nrIspces and five patrol wagons were at the
dock a quarter of hour later. The police
fcund one body the dock. Ii was that of
Martin Anderson a painter. of No. go Van
Dvke-st His skull had been crushed and the
upper part of his body had been torn badly.
Apparently Anderson was the only man who