The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-16
DREDGE SUNK BY STEAMER.
CITY or BIRMINGHAM COLLIDED
WITH DREDGE AT QUARAN-
TINE.

Sleeping Crew Bumped Ont of Their
Berths, and Narrowly Escaped
DrowninE-United states Inspector
p. L. Twfggs Injured in Leaving
the sinking DredGe-Jumped over
board in His Night clothes and
Was Rescued by Boat From Birm-
inEham-Capt. Davis and Crew
Scrambled to n Mud F'lat-Dredge
Was Property of p. Sanford Ross
COmpany-Capt. Burg Said the Col
IisiOn Was Caused by the Tide
Carrying the ship Onto the
Dredge-OnIy Damage to the Dirm-
ingham Was the BENDING of Some
of Her Plates.
Asleep in their berths on Dredge No.
Z, owned by the P. Sanford Ross Com
pany, at the quarantine station, Capt.
NJ. Davis and seven men were waken-
ed about o'clock yesterday morning
by a Jolt that sent them tumbling from
their beds. The steamship City of Bir-
mingham of the Ocean Steamship Com
pany's line struck the dredge and the
members of the crew had a narrow es-
cape.
Maj P. E. Twiggs, United States
inspector. was the last person 20 leave
the dredge and was bruised in getting
off. He was picked up by boat from
the Birmingham and was brought 10
the city. All of the men on the dredge
lost their personal effects and when
NJ. Of ha
water he was in his night clothes. He
lost a gold watch as well as his wear
ing apparel Capt Davis and the others
on the dredge did not go overheard,
but scrambled TO a mud nat adjoining
it, Maj. Twiggs came to the city in
clothing secured on the Birmingham.
Mr.. C. G Ely of the Ross Company
said that the dredge had been hauled
200 feet out of the channel and carried
the regulation lights on the port side,
as a guide to passing ships A two
hour ebb tide was running, he said, and
The Birmingham was bow on and
struck the dre1ge on the starboard
side. The steamer cut through the
wood work and a moment later struck
the dredge again. The Waterman was
the only person awake and he was pre-
pairing to light the fires to get up
steam by 6 o'clock. The men who were
asleep We're thrown from their berths.
They only had time to get off the
dredge which went down in is feet of
water at low tide.
Mr.. Ely spent the day at quarantine
and made a thorough investigation of
the collision. He said last night that
he cannot understand how the Bir-
mingham got so far out of the chan
mel. He saw a hole in the bow of the
Birmingham and is of the opinion that
it was made by the heavy iron bucket
on the dredge. Tugs and the necessary
apparatus will be taken to Quarantine
Station this morning and the dredge
will be raised. Until it has been put
on the marine railway Mr.. Ely cannot
tell just what the damage will be. The
dredge is valued at between $40, 900 and
$4,000
President Egan of the Ocean Steam
ship Company received report of the
accident from Capt Burg, and it was
the opinion of both the captain and
Mr.. Egan that the strong ebb tide that
was running was responsible for the
collision.
Capt. Burg told Mr. Egan that the
dredge had shown its lights to indicate
that the vessel should pass upon its
port side. The tide caught the nose of
the ship, however, and swung her.
sending her into the dredge There was
little or no shock to the Birmingham
and Capt. Burg said that the passen-
gers, who were in their berths, did not
know that an accident had occurred.
There was an accident" said Mr..
Egan, that was clearly the result of
craft being anchored in stream. Tides
run strong in the Savannah river,
where they are accelerated by the cur
rent, and it is a difficult matter to keep
a ship from steering. The accident to
the dredge offers an argument against
a bridge across the harbor that would
have. piers in stream to support it. The
argument has been made in this bridge
question, and it was not necessary to
wait long before an accident occurred
to clinch it. The same difficulty that
offered in avoiding the dredge anchor
ed in the stream would be found when
ever Il pier in the stream opposed the
passage of a ship"
The loss of the dredge and the dam
age to the ship were fully covered by
insurance. The steamship company is
insured against accidents of this kind.
IN POLICE COURT.