The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1901-12-07
FERRYBOATS COLLIDE N FOG
TWENTY PEOPLE DROWNED.
San FraBeiHco the Scene of n Terri
BILE CatRstFophe-Dcnse Fog over
All and Thicker nj NIghf-WoFst
Ever Kno~n-Greaf Excitement I'm
the CIty-Other Accidents.

the CIty-OtheF Accidents.
San Francisco, Dec. 1.-The ferry
boats San Rafael and SausaIito col
lided tonight In dense fog and the
San Rafael sank in between 10 and
Is minutes. II is thought that not
more than 20 people were drowned,
although the San Rafael carried be-
tween $50 and 200 passengers.
The Sausalito was not seriously in
jured and after rescuing all the pas
sengers on the san Rafael that she
could find, proceeded 10 San Francisco
Under her own steam. The Sausalito
and San Rafael belong to the San
Francisco & North Pacific Coast Rail-
way. They ply between San Francisco
and Sausaiito, a suburb across the bay
in Marin county. AT Sausslito a train
connects for Ross Valley and San
Rafael, where many San Francisco
business men make their summer and
winter homes.
The San Rafael left San Francisco
at els p. m with between $50 and 200
passengers. There had been a dense
/ fog on the bay all day long and as
night fell IL seemed TO thicken. Cap
tain Mckenzie Of the San Rafael sent
his ship along under a slow bell.
He was somewhere near Alcatraz
Island when the SausaIito, coming
from Sausalito TO San Francisco
crashed into her. There were but few
passengers on the Sausalito, but they
we're badly scared and for a few mo
ments il looked as If both boats were
going down. When it was seen thai
the Sausalito was not badly injured
she stood by the San Rafael. and Off
GERS. crew and passengers engaged
in the rescue Of the unfortunate pas
sengers Of the sinking vessel.
Both boats are side wheeiers anC
ordinarily carry many hundred pas
sengers. Fortunately this was tbs
winter season and the last trip. s.
there were not SO many passenger
< usual.
Marin county. from Sausalito to San
Rafael, a distance Of 90 miles. is line
with homes Of wealthy people. Durini
he summer the ferryboat traffic i
very heavy. but in the winter it light
ms and there are comparatively FEY
Deople who travel on the boats durin
he winter season.
News Of the disaster did not reac
he city until o'clock and the new
|, spread with great rapidity. There wa
intense excitement at the opera houst
p Khere an immense crowd was lister
ing to CaIve in Carmen" Many pc,
pie left the house and rushed to tn
} newspaper Offices to obtain informs
ton about friends and relatives VIII
,, might have been on board OF one {
! the vessels.
! Never has the fog been thicker !
Y San Francisco and on the bay.
+ vas a day and night of anxiety.
+ The early hours the fog came up "a
; thick as mush." and tonight it wa
almost impossible to see a boat
J length.
The steam schooner Arctic ran dow
the French bark Edmond Rost. an
A in the early morning hours the E
n cinal and Albatross came together
the fog Many a vessel had a mario
escape and the fog signals were blow
il all directions.
Most Of the ferry steamers escape
but one or two Of them got into tro
: BILE. The Tiburon had to make
= second attempt at her first landin
n The Encinal was nearly half an no,
Il reaching her dock and the Piedmoi
Il had similar experience. The Oaklar
and the San Rafael came very mel
l. colliding when they reached this eli
a at 5 O'Clock in the evening. Each boz
! missed her slip. one going too his
and the other too low.
"a The Kimball Steamship company
. Arctic arrived from Nome and Wa
ports early in the morning. On h
way down the coast she stopped
Astoria and after leaving the ColuI
n bia river was caught in a southeast
= and had a very rough expeTienc
. Making port in the fog. Captain Eric
% son decided that It was better to con
I. to anchor. The Arctic was accordin
n " hove to and the anchor droppe
N When she swung with the tide, no
n ever. she was right in under the Gus
,e ter of the French ship Edmond Roi
H. The latter was raked and the Arct
e suffered considerably about her upp
= works and rigging. but apart from tn
- she is as sound as a dollar. The Re
7, nay have to be sent to dry dock
or overhauling.
to Captain Mckenzie Of the San RafS
e: was the last one to leave the boat.
ch she was going down he seized a re
tn flung to him from the Sausalito a
en- was pulled on board. He thinks Il
IN most Of his passengers were saved,
W many of them jumped to the Sausal
and others went on the gangplank 7
"a between the two boats to safety, I
m list of those lost will probably not
on available tonight II is safe to S
SIS however, that those lost were
We prominent people in the community
ea Government Sustained.
"a Washington, Dec. S.-The Uni
- Saates supren,e court decided the seS