Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-24
.ERASTUS CORNING ON THE ROCKS.
We'll Known Starin Steamer
 Lost Bearings In Fog.
SETTLED IN IS FEET OF WATER

SETTLED IN IS FEET OF WATER Passengers Panic Stricken Rushed on
 Deck-one Woman in Her Excite
 ment Jumped Overboard-She Was
 Rescued-A Tug Took the Others : Off in Safety.
 South Norwalk. Dec 24.-In a thick fog early this morning the steamer Erastus Corning, of the Starin line. from New Haven for New York. with 22 passengers and a heavy cargo of freight struck on the rocks of Cops Island, just outside Norwalk harbor. hole two feet square was stove in the starboard side of the steameK about amidships, and within five min utes she settled squarely on the bot tom in about fifteen feet of water.
 The shock of the collision and the cries of the crew aroused the paSsen. gers. who rushed on deck in Al panic. Most of the people were thinIy clad. One woman. Miss 'Schipiro. jumped overheard. but was rescued bv Fred Delaney. member of the crew. who leaped in after her. Both tha woman and her rescuer were pulled aboard the stea mer unharmed.
 While the officers and members of the crew were trying to calm the passengers. assuring them that there was no danger of the vessels sinking. SIX of the passengers cleared away a small boat and left the steamer. Ac- cordlng to one of the officers the de- parture of the small boat was not noz uced In the confusion. It was aait1 that one of the men passengers an nounced that he was accustomed to rowing, boat, and that he induced the others of his party to accompany him. At 10 o'clock this forenoon this small boat had not been heard from. ana much anxiety was felt as to ifs safety. On board this boat were Fl. blrd, J. McCaush. Miss H. Shapiro. Mrs E. Wilson, Mrs c. Shepard and Mrs A. Fisher. Unless some passfnr steamer or other vessel picked up the party, 1t was feared that they had met with disaster
 Aside from the missing small haafl party, all the passengers and freus reacned here safely on board. a fI1e shortly before 10 o'clock. Accomna Ia- led by the purser. E. D. Matthews Of New Haven, the passengers soon after left by train for New York. Some Of them had no outer wraps and all were without baggage, the vessel hay Ing filled with water so quickly. that they had barely time to seize clothi11g and rush to. the deck. There were two women among the passengers be- sides those who left in the small boat.
 The Eras stus Corning left New Ha-l ven at 10.15 last night She efico11n- tered thick weather in the Sound and was proceeding slowly under the diree ton of the pilot, W. ". Dalb0lI. who wa then on watch when at 2:10 o'clock she suddenly " ent on the rocks. It was not until nearly day- light that her commander. Captain A. H. Thompson. and the other officers were able to tell exactly where they were located. They were surprised to find the vessel lying on Copps Island. about mile off her usual course.
 Meantime launch with some of tbs crew had left the steamer as soon ne it was found there was no danger oH sinking and had come to this city for assistance The services of the tug Addie V. were secured to go to the as sistance Of the stranded steamer. and the owners in New York were notified4 The tug got all the passengers and crew off tra steamer without accident
 The list of passengers on hoard fha Corning as given bv Purser E E. Afaf=. rbews is as follows: v. NJ. Clark, J Fenton J. MacCormacE. Fl Bird r. Schiniro. T. Schipiro. Frank Fan1sn. Mrs c. Shenard. J. W. Swift. F. ReiSz hack, MT Walker. J. McCaush, F
 SIenn. MT and Mrs A. Fisher. Mfr and Mrs Edward Wilson. MT and Mrs A1a+ Ionic Credel Mrs R Scevi1Ie, Miss IT schipiro and Mrs Kana