Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-08-13
Communicated
Sensational Article Not Found
ed on Facts.

To the Travelling Public;
The Baltimore American OF August
) published q highly sensational and
infiammatory article purporting TO be
written BY its Easton correspondent.
who falsely described and magnified q
slight accident on the steamer General
J. a. Dumont which, on August 3,
carried about $50 excursionists from
Easton and oxford TO chesapeake
Beach.
In Justice TO the management and
stockholders Of the Eastern Shore
Transport Company, which Is running
this steamer, we desire 10 furnish the
public the following truthful state
ment of the matter:
3 AS we turned Benoni's Point at the
mouth of the Tired Avon river. upon
our return to Oxford from chesapeake
Beach, the steamer ran upon shoal
bar. She Immediately backed OFF and
proceeded to Oxford, where she tied
up and remained some time on account
of the illness of a Mr.. Wroten, of Eas-
ton. DR.. Stevens, of Oxford, having
been summoned TO attend the sick
man. After we had been at Oxford
for about an hour, awaiting the ar
rival of the physician, our chief engl-
neer discovered that one OF the boilers
had sprung a small leak, and the pas
sengers were then apprised of the fact
and that arrangements would be made
for the Easton passengers to take the
Avalon, of the b. O. & A. Ry. Co. /,
which was due at Oxford at II
O'Clock. Many remained aboard the
Dumont until the arrival Of the Ava
lon. There was perfect order, no
alarm visible, and nobody frightened
The next day the slight damage was
repaired, and we proceeded as usual
on our trips.
The correspondent who reported the
incident to the American falsely and
inconsistently stated that "about 500
excursionists came to grief. that
their DAYS outing was spoiled -
then said 'sthe trip was an uneyentful
and pleasant one;' further, that ON
the return they left the beach about
Z. As d. m, when their trouble COM
menced. - Then he says everything
passed off pleasantly until the boat
neared Oxford.
He claps the climax of mendacity by
saving that "the announcement" of
the leak "caused a panic among the
wild and excited, and rushed pell-mell
over each other in their endeavor to
reach the Oxford wharf in safety. =
This is simply sensational falsehood
in toto, and is an imposition upon a
truth loving public.
We are prepared to prove the above
statement of facts by scores of witness
es who were on board the Dumont at
the time so wildly described by the
American.
The Dumont was recently inspected
by the United States Inspectors OF
steam vessels and authorized by the
Government to navigate the waters OF
the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries.
She is a staunch and well built vessel,
and as safe in every way as any boat
that plies in these waters. She was
built in 1900 and is, therefore, practi :
cally new. She is manned by cap
able crew and the management takes
every precaution to insure the safety
of its patrons. Every regulation is
fully complied with, and such a mis-
hap as did occur might occur at any
time on any other boat.
Great injustice has been done the
Company and it's service, and we re-
spectfully present the above substan-
tiated facts TO our friends and the
general public.
Very respectfully,
THE EASTERN SHORE
TRANSPORT COMPANY.