Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-05-06
MARINE DISASTER.

As has been stated in the Gazette, the
steamship Hamilton, of the Old Domin-
ion Line, which left New York, Monday,
afternoon at 3 O'Clock for Old Point
Norfolk and Newport News, collided
with and sunk the Clyde line steamship
Saginaw, which left Norfolk Tuesday
night at O'Clock for Philadelphia,
Yesterday morning at 4:3O o'clock of
Winter Quarter light in a dense fog.
At least 20 persons from the Sawinaw,
including passengers and crew, were
drowned almost without warning and be-
fore any assistance could be rendered.
Twenty-Five were rescued by boats from
the Hamilton, including Captain Tun-
nell, of the Saginaw, who was injured,
and was taken from the top of his ships
mast, where he had climbed after she
sunk. He is not expected to live, and
is now under treatment at hospital in
Norfolk. The dead body of the laundress
was picked up and two of the rescued
passengers died on the Hamilton while
en- route to Hampton Roads.
From what can be learned the COLI
sion could not be avoided, as officers,
crew and passengers on the Hamilton de-
clare that the fog was so thick that 1t
was impossible to see 20 feet from the
deck rail on either side of the ship.
Both vessels we're blowing their sirens
and endeayoring to keep out of each
others way when the crash came, the
Hamilton striking the Saginaw about 20
feet forward of the stern on the port side,
and carrying away part of the other
steamer, which rapidly began to fill, and
in Is minutes had sunk in 20 fathOms
of water.
According to Captain Boaz, of the
Hamilton, his ship was making about 3
miles an hour and the Saginaw about 10.
The fog was so thick that objects ships
length away were invisible and when the
two craft hove in sight of each other,
bow on, there was but moments in
term before they met. The Saginaw
veered, as did the Hamilton, but they
had not time to clear each other and the
knifelike steel PROV of the southbound
vessel struck the Clyde ship on the port
quarter about 20 feet from her stern,
cutting the entire rear of the ship away.
The inrushing water caused the Saginaw
to settle rapidly by the stern and the i'm
petus of the Hamilton took her out OF
sight of the crippled vessel. Engines
already reversed, were put full steam to
the rear and the Hamilton circled to the
scene of the wreck, at the same time
lowering two lifeb0ats. There was con-
sternation among the passengers OF the
Old Dominion ship and the first thought
was for their safety, but so soon as it
was discovered that the ship was unin-
iured, save that some bow plates were
stove in, all efforts were directed to the
rescue of those on the Saginaw.
When the Saginaw was again sighted
her stern was under water and her bow
was high in the air. Panic-stricken peO-
pie rushed over her decks and scrambled
toward the bow. LifebOats were lowered,
and into the first | ) cOlored women were
placed. The boat was swamped as itstruck
the water, and its occupants were thrown
into the sea. All were drowned save the
second officer and the colored stewardess.
The latter died before the small boat
reached the Hamilton, more from in
iuries received by the impact of the col
lision than by drowning. She had been
held up by First Mate Goslee, who sank
himself as the small boat from the
Hamilton reached them. In the mean
time the rush of waters into the bow OF
the Saginaw had caused the decks to
burst from their fastenings with a roar
like the report of big guns, and tons of
freight of all descriptions soon Uttered
the sea- To floating wreckage the strug-
Cling people in the water chung with
desperation, and many of them were
rescued by the boats from the Hamilton
and Saginaw.
Before the lifeboats of the Hamilton
had reached the Saginaw the latter had
disappeared beneath the waves and
nothing but her topmasts were visible.
To these several men were clinging, one
of whom was the aged captain, ). ).
Tunnel. When he was taken off it was
found that he had suffered severe, if not
serious, internal injuries.
Passengers and most of the crew on
both ships were asleep when the disaster
happened, and when the terrible shock
and grinding noise awakened them a
panic-stricken rush for safety took place.
The discipline of the crews was adj
mirable. women firstp' was the
initial command of Captain Tunnel
after the lifeboats had been prepared for
lowering. The frightened colored wo-
men piled into the first boat of the
Saginaw and all lost their lives.
The Hamilton lowered around the
scene of the wreck for more than an
hour, but no sign of life could be seen
among the mass Of floating freight.
The following statement was made by
Capt. Boaz, of the Hamilton: cit was
clear when we left New York Monday
afternoon, but we ran into fog bank
four miles north of Egg Harbor, the fog
lasting until we reached Cape Charles
yesterday morning. 1t was about 4:4O
yesterday morning and we were proceed
ing at about nine Knots an hour. We
had been under reduced speed since en-
cOuDtering the fog. We could not see
a ships length ahead, when we heard
whistle on the starboard bow two points
ahead. We stopped the Hamilton and
then | heard another whistle. Sud-
denly the Saginaw doomed up three
points on the bow and the Saginaw at
tempted to run across the Hamilton's