Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-21
BOATS COLLIDE IN A FOG
Steamer with Seven Hundred Persons on
Board Run Down.
CABIN AND STATE ROOMS WRECKED
ny Almost a MIkacie only siS Men
Are Known To Have Been
killed. Wkiie but Few
Were injured.

NEW LONDON. Conn, March 2o.-In the
fog which deseendsdi upon the waters OF
Long Island sound last. night the big Fall
River passenger steamer, Plymouth, from
New YqEw Tor Fall River, with 500 passen-
gers and crew Of 200 men. was run down
while Pasging E Though the race by the
freight cstssmers City of Taunton, Of the
same line, bound from New York.
A full 100 feet Of, the starbOsrd side OF
the vessel was smashed in as II 1t had
been paper. the state rooms Of the second
cabin were entirely cut away, while down
IN the hold the members Of the crew who
were asleep In the steerage were drowned
by the torrent that poured through the
great gap made by the bow of the freighter.
Although greatly terrified, the people
aboard the stricken ship exercised great
self-control. and there was no panic.
The collision occurred after the vessel
had slowly made it's way up the sound
through the fog until Il reached a point
east OF Gull island. City Of Taunton drove
up out Of the fog, and when II was sighted
by Plymouth was too close to avoid collis-
ion.
There was a. quick exchange of signals
and then the crash. The bow Of City Of
Taunton penetrated ten feet into the hull
Of Plymouth, and as II backed away 1t
raked the; upper works. Of the passenger
vessel. tearing out the second cabin and
ripping the state rooms to pieces.
1e. Drowned In Their Bbnks.
Water poured into the hold and drowned
the men IN their hunks.
Plymouth was Immediately headed for this
city. II was thought at one time that
the ships company would have to take to
the boats, but the closing Of the collision
bulkheads prevented the water from gaining
and the vessel made the harbor and wharf
unassisted.
There was no way Of telling Immediately
how many perished. Six men are dead
certainly, and In the mass of debris from
the wrecked cabin and state rooms there
may be several other bodies, while in the
steerage 1t is thought there are bodies OF
others drowned, besides those reported. As
Plymouth was being made fast to the
wharf there was seen to be a hole ten feet
square in the hull or the stsrboard side.
about thirty-hve feet from the bow, while
for 100 feet the Joiner work had been car
ried away, including the entire second
cabin and seven state rooms on the salon
deck.
Known Dead and InJured.
Mead, ~ no e3c f..
JOHN MCCARTHY, Waterman, head cut
on i'' '-TT 51Sf@
SNOW" COLEMAN, negro. p~antryman,
JULIUS DAWSON, negro. meas man.
drowned. Z '.fcj 7c'
'sJoHNf BRISTOL, negro, baker, rowned.
JOHN WILLIAMS. negro, baker. drowned.
UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER.
JOHN WI THOMPSON wilkesbarre, Pa,
skull shattered. YspNo IT.
Injureds doIs6
Patrick Dale. b6al trimmer, New York,
arm cut OF. y rToa %isTt t.tt t1't' soI
Michael Kilqpfs passenger. Boston, right
ssmuslsSGp, scratched about face and
bruised about body
John w. Thompson of Wilkesbarre, one
of the dead. was Identified by papers found
in his clothes. He was about 90 years OF
OF the injured II is. thought Dale cannot
recover, his right arm being torn of.
Captain T. H. Low Of the United States
Marine corps, With Lieutenant William C.
Harlee and seventy-hye marines, occupied
the second cabin on the side where the
crash was felt. It is thought all the ma
rines lost their knapsacks containing their
extra clothing. None Of the marines were
killed or injured
City of Taunton made this port at 5:4S
this morning with its bow stove in and
its pumps working. Its bulkheads saved 1t
from sinking.
Captain Davis Of Plymouth said he was
in the pilot house and was particularly
alert on account Of the dense fog. when
the vessels neared each other,' be said,
II quickly rang for full speed astarn, and
/ heard the bell of City Of Taunton give
the same signal, City Of Taunton was
heard to sound the distress signal as II
backed of, but we could not see the other
vessel because, the fog was so dense. Our
forward bulkhead saved us, but / though,
the only and safest course was to make 70.
the nearest port.
The appearance, of. both vessels shows
with what Immense force they came to-
gether. Torn and twisted pieces of iron
and the entire bow forced in is the sight
OF City OF Taunton, while or Plymouth the
state of chaotic confusion OF mattresses
bedding, garments and other refuse gave
evidence that the vessels had not responded
to their machinery much before they came
together.
Many stories Of narrow escapes from
death or serious Injury were tod by pas
sengers on Plymouth.
BOSTON, March 20.-The special traiT
from New London bearing the majority Of
Piymouth's passengers arrived here this
afternoon.
Among the passengers were several Itsl.
ian immigrants, one Of whom, Pasquel'
Matelp, says that be is sure a number o.
immigrants in the steerage we're killed IN
the collision. while others jumped over
board.
He said: 81 saw Ave dead and l am sat,
ished that / saw at least three NOR,
bumped over"
Another italian says he saw seven o
his eouptrymen leap in'o the sea after tn,
collision,
Collision m Nantucket shOal.
wALTHAM. Mass, March 20.-The larg
three-masted schooner sabago Of Portlan,
eollided with a four -masted vessel durin.
the night on Nantucket shoal. As the sa
bago was coming to anchor on this port !
/, struck on the bar and at 10 q. m. wa
pounding heavily The vessel with whie
, II collided is a fonr-mastod schooner. sbu
, its Identity was not known. So far a