The Topeka state journal., 1903-03-20
Lose Their Lives as Result of
a Collision.
A CRASH IN THE FOG.
Two Fall River Line Vessels
Come Together In Darkness.
Plymouth Carried 500 Passen-
gers and 200 Crew.
Her Starboard Side Was smash
ed in Like Paper.

New London, Conn, March 2o.-In
the fog which descended upon the wa
ters of Long Island sound last night
the big Fall River passenger steamer
Plymouth from New York for Fan
River with 500 passengers and q crew
of 200 men was run down. while passing
through toe Race by the freight steam
er City of Taunton of the same line.
bound from New York. a few hundred
feet of the starboard side of the vessel
was smashed in as If it had been pa
per, the stateroom of the second cabin
was entirely cut away. while down in
the hold members Of the crew who
were asleep in the steerage were drown
ed by the torrent that poured through
the great gap made by the bow OF
the freighter Although greatly terri
fed the people aboard the stricken ship
exercised great self control and there
was no panic.
The collision occurred after the vessel
had slowly made her way up the sound
through the fog until she reached d
point east of Gull island The city OF
Taunton drove up out of the fog and
when she was sighted by the Plymouth,
was too close 10 avoid the collision
There was a quick exchange of sig
nails and then the crash The bow OF
the City of Taunton penetrated 10 feet
into the huh of the Plymouth and as
she backed away she raked the upper
+ works of the passenger vessel. tearing
ont the second cabin and ripping the
stateroo1ns to pieces Water poured
/ into the hold and drowned the men IN
their hunks.
The Plymouth was Immediately head
ed for this city 1T was thought at one
time that the ships company would
have to take to the boats but the clos
/ ing of the collision buikheadS prevent
/ ed the water from gaining and the YES
sci made the harbor ana Wneafh u1es-
There was no way of telling inned-
| lately how many perished- SIX are
dead certainly and in the mass OF debris
from the wrecked cabin and stateroonls
there. may be several more bodies Wills
in the steerage it is thought there arf
bodies of others drowned besides taost
reDorted AS the Plymouth was being
made fast to the wharf there was seer
to be a hole 10 feet square in her huL
on the starboard side about 35 feet from
/ her bow. while for 8 hundred feet nel
/ Joiner work had been carried away, IN
cInding the entire second cabin and
/ seven stateYoonS on the saloon deck
THE KNOWN DEAD.
JOHN MCCARTHY Watchman. heai
cut off. 1870 ,ar,-,.
Ing11' julius di9S DAWSON. negro. mess man
drowned &c.
| JOHN BRISTOL. negro, Na1-Sl
- JOHN WILLIAM. negro. hacker
:. JOHN W. THOMPSON. wilkesbarre
Pa, skull shattered.
THE INJURED
Patrick Dale. coal trimmer. New
York. arm cut off.
Michael Kilduff. passenger. Boston
right foot cut.
Samuelson. scratched about facs
and bruised about the body
Jonathan W. Thompson. OF ftiikes-
barre. one Of the dead, was identfTed nY
papers found in his clothes. He was
about 50 years of age.
Of the injured it is thought Dale can
not recover, his right arm being torn
off
Captain Davis of the Plymouth de-
clined to make any statement concern
ing the accident at this time.
Captain T II. Low. Of the United
States marine corps. with Lieut. VII
liam c. Harlee and IS marines, oecupie'i
the second cabin on the side where th7
, crash was felt. 1t is thought all the
marines lost their knapsacks conta fnins
their extra clothing. None Of the ma
rines was killed or injured
The City Of Taunton made this port
? at As this morning with her bow stoy e
. in and her pumps working. Her bulk
, head saved her from sinking