Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-06-15
A FERRY DISASTER
Crowded Staten Island Ferry
Boat Goes to Bottom
of River.
! GREAT LOSS OF LIFE
More Than a Thousand Persons
We're On Boat When Fateful
Collision Occurred.
How Many Were Plunged To a Sud-
den Death Can As Yet Only
BE Estimated.

New York. June l3.-The wooden
side-wheeler Mortified. which has been
in the service OF the Staten Island
Ferry company for the past IS years
was rammed last night hy the steel
hulled propeller Mauch Chunk. used
as ferry boat by the Central Railroad
OF New Jersey The collision occurred
just off the Staten Island ferry slip
ar the foot of Whitehall street. and
In less than - minutes aftcrward the
Northneld which was crowded with
Passengers, the number being various
iy estimated at between 500 and 200
sank al the outer end OF the Spanish
line pier in the East river. The Mauch
Chunk, which was badly damaged,
landed two dozen passengers who We're
aboard of her. over Io0 of the pas
sengers of the Sunktn Northheld were
dragged out OF the water by people
alongshore. and the crews of the fleet
of river tugs which promptly respond
Ell 10 the fcrryb9at's call for help.
\ few OF the Northneld's passengers
were hurt ia the accident. and the
police believe thai some lives were
lost. Captain Daniel Gully OF the tug
boat Mutual. who saw the ferries
crash together. says that Immediately
after the collision between - and 80
OF the passengers leapcd into the
water ana that many OF those perish
Ell. Captain Gully also says he is
sure over leo of the Nurthheld'S pas
sengers We're dro1s ned. The captains
of other tu-boa-~ who were early on
the scene, however. are inclined to
think that the disaster was not SO
serious as regards loss OF life.
The reason for such "A difference of
opinion is that the Widest excitement
prevailed on the Northheld. The tug
Mutual saved in all about - persons
from the Northiieid, and the tugs
Unity and Arrow saved between them
$50 persons Two policemen Of the
Old Slip station claim to have rescued
nearly 30 people between them. As
soon rs the crowd which had followed
the sinking ferry boat along the river
front were able to render any aid they
worked with "A viii, and in many in
stances men sprang into the watey Ia
a,ve Iifej The greatest service was
rAndercd by the tugboats, which as
soon rs it was possible, circlcd arodnd
the Northfield and made a bridge to
the Spanish line pier, and men and
women clambcred over the tugs to
the shore
While the Mortified was wei sup
piled with life prcServers which were
slowed III out-of-the-way places, not
more than two dozen ri the endanger-
ed passengers We're able to get the
life belts on. his state of affairs
was because the life preservers were
not handiIy obtanahlc and the widest
sort of n panic followed When the
hundreds of passengers realized their
danger. This was few minutes he
fore the Northfield sank TO the bot
tom of the river, and then all who had
not jumped to the tugs found them
selves in the water.
The swift-ruuniug foodtide and the
question Of which boat has the right
of-way was the cause of the disaster.
Captain Abraham Johnson was in
charge OF the Northfield aud Captain
s. c. Griffin was in command of the
Mauch Chunk. Eacn lays the blame
for the collision on the other.
New York, y Y. June IL. Divers
were working all night end continue
working today on the wrecked ferry
boat Mortified Only one body has
been recovered. Officers Of the
Mauch Chunk as well as officers Of
Northfield insist that most of tht
passengers We're saved
New York, \ Y, June 15.-Fur
ther investigation shows that ont
life was lost and thirty were injured
in the sinking Of the transport In
gals yesterday. Many of the in
lured are In serious condition.