The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-09
MAD RUSH FOR
LIFE BELTS
Pleasure Steamer Disabled and
Women Terrified.
PANIC PREVENTED BY HERO
Walking Beam Falls, Smashing the Engine
and All The Machinery
ColIapsss.
PANIC PREVENTED BY HERO

ANtW tVkhs NUS s-Ah' aNtth INV
steamboat Little Silver. plying between
Pleasure Bay and New York. had an ac-
cident yesterday which wrecked the en-
gines and caused a panic among ESQ pas
sengers, most OF them women.
The Little Silver left Pleasure Bay a
7.20 a. m. having on board besides her
passengers many horses and carriages
that had been exhibited at the Long
Branch Horse Show. At 3 a. m. outside
Sandy Hook the centre pin OF the walk
ing-beam dropped out and the big dia-
mond-shaped steel framework crashed
down upon the cylinder head, cracking IL
and causing steam 10 burst forth with a
roar like that of q thirteen-inch gun. The
engines collapsed with a series of crashes.
causing engineer and flremen 10 jump tor
safety.
The after end of the walking beam had
tumblsd upon the cylinder head. fractur-
ing the plate. The walking-beam thoE
broke In two bent the cylinder rods and
In it's fall snapped OF both piston rod and
connecting rod. II knocked the cylinder
out OF position.
EXCITED MEN JOsTLED WOMEN.
The boat was I'm an uproar. Wom' n
swooned right and left One calm man
passed around life-preservers. while other
men jostled and showed women about.
Capt. Edwards and his crew set about
cutting adrift Nfeboats and catamarans.
at the same time assuring all that there
was no danger. The majority OF the pas
sengers arrayed themselves In cork jack
cts.
After drifting around the bay for awhile
the steamer was anchored. Soon the La
tie Silver was hailed by. the flyer Sandy
Hook. whose captain asked II assistance
was needed.
I'm in no danger" replied Capt Ed
wards. but will you please send down
tug?"
After three hours delay the tug Cres-
cent sent down by the Sandy Hook.
made fast and towed the boat TO the foot
OF West Thirteenth street. Friends had
been waiting on the pier for hours.
"Jane. I'm glad to see you safel" shout
ed stout woman from the pier.
IT'S a miracle we're here" replied
Jane q pretty girl. from the deck. and
she sank into a seat and wept aloud.
The plank adjusted at last the passen-
gers at 1.20 p. m. rushed ashore. There
followed a lot of hugging. kissing and ex-
element.
'The crash of the walking-be and
the roar OF the steam" said Mrs. 70. X.
Crater, OF Summerville. N. j., a passen-
ger, were terrifying i was so frozen
with fear that i sat perfectly still. which
was the best thing TO do under the cir
cumstances.
ONE COOL MAN ABOARD.
"a man came up to me aEs saw me
sitting petrifed. He gave me a life-pre-
server and showed me how TO put II on
Then he did the same thing for other
women. Many men. although not intend
ing to be brutal showed women aside,
but there was no snatching OF life-pre-
servers from women"
IT saw at least thirty women faint" :"
said Mrs. III. B. Edwards OF Little Sill
yer. N. J. The panic was awful; It cannot
be exaggerated
George j. Donegan. OF Bayonne, the one
cool man aboard, said:
when the panic was almost over some
Of the scenes were very ludicrous. Some
Of the passengers had life-preservers tied
around their neoks. One man had his life
preserver around his legs. Others had
their cork jackets In all sorts OF styles"
"A deckhand told me-" said L. Refine
mann. OF 293 Avenue A, who has "a cottage
ut Long Branch. "that II the walking
beam had broken when the piston rod was
on the up stroke II would have plunged
clear through the vessel. Captain and
crew behaved admirably"
The centre pin caused the accident" I"
said Capt. Edwards. "The machinery Is
. complete wreck. New engines will have
TO be put In. and II VIII probably take a
month to repair the boat. We wers in no
danger at any time. I have nothing but
praise for crew and passengers"