New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
ROCKS HOLD OLD DOMINION
WHALEBOATS LAND ALL THE PAS
SENGERS IN SAFETY.


JOY LINE STEAMER RUNS ON RACE ROCK IN
DENSE FoG-CAPTAIN AND CREW QUIET
EXCITED MEN AND WOMEN
The steamship Old Dominion. of the Joy Line.
with one hundred passengers aboard. while on
her way to New-York went ashore at Pine ISL
and, near Rye, on the Sound, at o'clock yes
terday morning. The pilot had evidently lost his
course in the fog, which was so dense that 1t
seemed like a solid barrier. The vessel lays
straight on her keel in two feet of water at low
tide. and is tightly wedged In the rocks which
pierced her hull that three tugs. working about
her all day. have been unable to bulge her
inch. Had she gone one hundred yards further
she would have reached Pine Island and bumped
sQuarely into the summer home of w. r. Grove.
a wealthy real estate owner of Harlem
The steward and employees of the American
Yacht Club. which is on Milton Point. just off
the wreck, say that they were awakened shortly
after 2 O'Clock this morning by the blowing OF
the whistle of the distressed vessel. but were
unable to see her until o'clock. when the fog
lifted slightly. The also sent up rockets.
which were seen by some of the wealthy resi-
dents along the Sound The passengers were put
ashore in whaleboats early this morning at Mil
ton Point and took trolley to the Rye sta
tion where they left for NewYork by trains on
the New-York New-Haven and Hartford Rail-
road. There were about one hundred Of them
The passengers say that they felt the vessel
going slow for quite while before she struck
and that the engineer was blowing the whistle
continually. Suddenly there was a terrific
crash that shook every timber In the boat. this
was followed by a rasping noise If the steam
er dragging the rocks. People rushed
frcm their staterooms to the decks. and wild
excitement reigned for time. The boat had
listed TO the port side. and 1t was with diff
1culty that the passenstr rs kept their feet. The
captain and crew were already on deck In their
oilskins, and they assured the passengers that
they were close to land and that there was no
danger The captain had difficulty in persuad-
ing some of the men TO abstain from putting
on life preservers and attempting to go ashore
ia boats. They finally returned to the cabins
where they counted the minutes until day
broke. and they made sure that their lives were
safe. In the morning every was taken off in
safety. The captain and crew remained on
board 10 assist the wreckers who arrived later
in the day. The stranded boat is in about thir-
teen feet of water at high tide. Late yesterday
afternoon a heavy storm set In. and the tugs
were obliged to abandon her until to-day. when
another attempt will be made The captain and
crew still aboard, they believe that she
is so tightly wedged that she will not go to
pieces. The fog continued dense all day that
the regatta of the American Yacht Club had
to be postponed owing the inability of the
yachtsmen to see the buoys
The Old Dominion left Providence on her reg
uar trip on Friday night. Soon after starting a
heavy fog set in. and the steamer was obliged
to slow down. She came through at half speed
and made frequent stops. Captain w. S. Dur
kee was In the wheelhouse. About 3 o'clock,
when it too thick to two hundred feet
ahead. the boat struck Race Rock the end
of Parsonage Point =
President Dunbraugh OF the Joy Line was
still at his office the pier at a late hour last
night lie said General Manager Diamond had
been sent TO the of the wreck TO take
charge of the rescue work. The Merritt Chap
man Wreckins Companys wrecking tug W. E.
Chapman, which sent TO the assistance of
the vessel. will stand by her during the night.
Besides the Chapman. the Charles r. Flint and
the John s. Nichols were sent up to assist in
President Dunbraugh last night admitted that
there is a hole in the steamers starboard bow,
through which a sharp rock has penetrated into
the hull, and that she only be kept afioat
by constant pumping.
It was said that the point where the steam
ship stranded is full OF dangerous rocks, and
that if a southeastery storm should arise in the
night the vessel might be in danger OF pounding
10 pieces the rocks
Boston last night The company had extra
boat at its pier. the Seaboard. and this vessel
was cleared instead of the Old Dominion She
Is only freighter and carried no passengers.
The Old Dominion is a sidewheel steamer, and
formerly ran between New-York and Old Point
Comfort. When the JOY Line started its Bos-
ton service the Old Dominion purchased.
She is iron vessel of l II6 tons. and was built
at Wilmington. Del. in 1872.
Captain William Durkee said last night that
they struck rock off Stamford. Conn. and were
trying to close to the shore as possible
when they went aground. The pilot declares
that ne could barely the light at Captains
Island. just above the place where the vessel is
wrecked. and that he could not hear the fog
horn. In striking the reef the steamer stove
half a dozen holes in her side.
The Old Dominion Is a large iron side wheeler,
about two hundred feet long, and draws about
thirteen feet of water. She is the only of her
type in commission. She makes what is known
as the outside course between Boston and New
York. stopping at Providence. She left Provi-
denCe last evening and encountered a heavy fog
all the way down the Sound. The pilot was
constantly blowing the whistle and there was a
double lookout the bridge. but they could see
only a few feet ahead OF them. The Old Do
minon has been stranded twice before. and has
been on fire once. The fire occurred at her dock
IN cf