The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-06-19
FERRY BOAT SINKS
With One Thusands People On
Board of Her.
SEVERAL LIVES WERE LOST.
Many Boats Rushed to the Res.
cuo and Savsd Hun.
drsds of Lives. How
II Happened.

The wooden side wheeler Northfeld
which has been in the service of the
Staten Island Ferry company plying
between New York and Jersey City
for the past 38 years, was rammed Fri
day night by the steel huued propeller
Mauchchunk, used as a ferry boat by
the Central railroad Of Now Jersey.
The collision occurred Just off the
;aten Island ferry slip at the foot of
Whitehall street and In less than ten
minutes after the Northfeld, which
was crowded with passengers, sank at
the outer end of the Spanish Line pier
Ia tho East river. The Mauchchunk.
which was badly damaged, landed the
Two dozen passengers who whers aboard
OF her. Over hundred of the psssen-
gers OF the sunkeu Northfeld were
dragged out of the water by people
along shore and crews of the fleet Of
river tugs whi ,h promptly responded to
the ferry boats call for help. A few
OF the Northtield's passengers were hurt
Ia the ,cident aud the police belieye
that some lives were lost. Can't. Dan
lei Gully OF the tugboat Mutual, who
saw the ferry boats crash together,
says that Immediately after the COL
iislon between 20 aud 30 of the pas
sengers leaped into the wster and that
many of those perished. Capt. Gully
also declares that he is sure over hun
dred of the North6eld' 8 passengers were
drowned. The captains of other tug
boats who were early on the scene,
however, are inclined to think that the
disaster was not 80 serious as regards
loss of life. Thus far no dead bodies
have been recovered.
The reason for such difference OF
opinion as to the eztent Of the disaster
is that the widest excitement prevailed
on the Northfeld. The tug Mutual
] saved In all about 3 persons from the
Northheld and the tugs Unity and
Arrow saved between them 100 per-
sons. Two policemen of the Old Slip
station claim to have rescued nearly 80
people between them. As soon as the
crowd which had followed the sinking
ferry boat along the river front were
! able to render any aid they worked with
will and In many instances man
sprsng into the water to save Iifn pos
tugboats, WHICH as soyl
sible oircled around the NofcnN and
made bridge to the Spanish line pier
and men and women clambored over
the tugs to the shore. The swift run
ming flood tide and the question of
which boat has the right of way was
the cause of the disaster. Capt. Abra-
ham johnson was in charge of the
Ncrthfeld and Capt. s. @. Griffin was
In command of the Mauchchunk. Esch
lays the blame for the collision on the
other.
The Northfeld, with load Of pas
sengers, variously estimated at be-
tween 800 and 1000 at col o. m.
started out of the west slip at White
hall street for st. George, Staten
Island, and at D. SO p. IN. the Mauch-
| chunk left the railroad slip at Commu-
nipsw for Whitehall street. The later
craft was abreast of the barge Office sc
the Battery when the North6eld came
out OF the slip. An exchange of
whistles between the poats was follow
ed by the crash. Capt. Griffin appar-
emily believed that the Staten Island
ferrYboat 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 Msunchchunk's bows. When the
accident appeared inevitable the speed
OF the Communipaw ferrybOat was re-
duceded as much as possible under the
circumstances, but borne along by the
swift running food tide, head on, the
Msuchchunk struck the Northfeld on
the starboard side at the hood of the
1 fnrUard lantac' hin . H.
The blow was terrific one and the
force of 1t wrecked the steering gear at
the forward end of the Mauch-
chunk, to up about 10 feet of the main
deck, wrecked the deckhouse on the
port side and broke through the deck
rail- and threw down the stanchions on
the forward part OF the Central railroad
boat.
AS the humping of ferryboats is not
unusual In this harbor the passengers
on the Northield did not for a minute
or so realize the seriousness of the COL
ilslon. When, however, two fremen
ran upon deck to save themselves from
the Inflow of water and the Northfield
was being driven full speed up the T. ,st
TlVer instead of down towards Staten
islsnd and all the time schreeching for
nelp they knew that something serious
nau hsppened. Then commenced the
panic which continued until the North
nelo went down. At no time was the
Nortnheld more than 500 feet out in the
river beyond the bulkhesd line but the
tlde was running with the velocity Of 8
mill race and had the vessel sunk out
In the stream only the tugs would have
been able to give assistance.