Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-05
SAGINAW CUT down
Clyde Liner Sunk by the
Hamilton
OFF VIRGINIA COAST
TWENTY TO THIRTY REPORTED
DROWNED.
Collision Occurred in Fog at Night
and the Injured Vessel Sank
Immediately.
OFF VIRGINIA COAST

tFEW YORK, May ga despatch from
Norfolk reports that the Ole Dominion Lind
steamer Hamilton and the Clyde liner Sagi-
nav were in collision and that a number of
persons were drowned.
A long distance report to the Evening
World places the number of drowned at 20.
The collision occurred at 1910 am off
Hog Island. The Saginaw was bound for
Philadelphia from Norfolk. She carried
a crew of forty men and twenty passen-
gers. Soon after passing the Jersey coast
the Hamilton ran into a fog. which lasted
all night.
Fog Was Responsible.
1t Is believed that this fog was respons-
ible for the accident. The Hamilton was
going at three-quarters speed off Hog Is
land when the passengers were suddenly
thrown from their berths. and in an in
slant all was confusion, and as the pas
sengers managed to reach the deck they
learned that there had been collision.
In the fog could be seen dimly across
the bows Of the Hamilton a steamer about
her own size.
Those on board the other steamship
shouted that they were sinking, and in
reply to question answered that their boat
was a Clyde line steamer and that the
name was Saginaw. The Saginaw had been
struck about twenty feet from the stern
on the starboard side and her stem had
been cut through cleanly as If 1t had
been done by men In a drydock.
Stern Sank at Once
The stern sank Immediately and the for
ward part drifted several hundred yards
AS soon as possible the boats of the Ham
iltOO which had dv OF
the collision were launched. The thick fog
made it impossible for the crew of the
Hamilton to work quickly, and in a few
minutes before the boats reached her the
Saginaw was going down. She settled
slowly, and then went down with suction
that almost drew the boats of the Hamil-
ton after her. In the darkness could be
heard the cries of those on the Saginaw
In the water and clinging to wreckage
was a number of persons and as many as
possible were taken into the boats of the
Hamilton. When the survivors were taken
on board the Hamilton they were made
comfortable. and after waiting around to
pick up any one that might have clung to
a bit of wreckage, the Hamilton proceeded
on her way.
Hamilton Little Damaged.
inaw sunk in ten fathoms of water and
both of her masts were left sticking out of
water.
According TO a dispatch from Fortress
Monroe the number of persons rescued by
the Hamilton was twenty-nine. This re-
port places the number of drowned at
thirty.
Hog Island off where the wreck occurred
is on the coast of Virginia a short distance
above Cape Charles
Description of Saginaw.
PHILADELPHIA, May Sat the office
of the Clyde line in this city it was stated
that no official information had been re-
ceived of the loss of the Saginaw the Nor
folk agent of the company not having been
heard from.
The Saginaw is freight steamship with
accommodations for about forty passen-
gers, and she had been in service between
this port and Richmond and Norfolk for
about two years. She was commanded by
Captain James Tunnel of this city, and
nearly all of her crew of about twenty men
were shipped here.