New-York tribune., 1905-07-22
EXCURSION BOAT ON ROCK
SIRIUS HAD 500 ABOARD
Passengers Rescued Near Scene of
SLOcum Disaster.

Almost on the site of the last scenes of the
SIocum disaster, the Sirius of the Iron Steam
boat Company, carrying 800 members Of the
Olivet Memorial Church Sunday School, struck
rock at IL o'clock yesterday morning. Olvet
Memorial Church is within few blocks Of the
St Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church. from
which started the last party that the Inflated
Slocum carried
The members of the excursion yesterday were
or their way to Valley Grove Long Island
where they were expecting to enjoy their thir-
teenth annual picnic. While the vessel was
passing through the narrow and dangerous
channel that divides North and South Brother
Islands, the swell produced by passing steam
boat sweryed it from its course upon q reef
Few on the steamer realized that anything
serious had happened Until Captain William NJ
Pearce, who had sent men to make an examina-
ton of the effects Of the blow turned the bow
Oh the vessel toward the Riker Island flats Then
the vessel hands and Patrolman Charles Robin
son hurried among the passengers reassuring
them and explaining that small hole had been
knocked in the bottom of the boat and that the
captain intended to beach her The threatened
panic was avoided and The boat grounded in
safety off Barrett Point Some of the picnickers
went ashore, others were taken from the boat
and transported to East 3d-st the pier from
which they started. The picnic Indefinitely
postponed.
The Sirius after lying on the flats for three
hours foated with the rising tide. and went
back to her pier under her own steam 1t was
found that only one of her five compartments
had suffered. and that the accident did not place
her in any danger of sinking Captain Pearce,
however, had been unwilling to take any chances
with go many women and children aboard
Olivet Memorial Church is at No. 63 2d-st in
the same part of the citv st. Marks Lutheran
and its congregation and Sunday school are
made up Of somewhat the same class OlIvet
Memorials annual pic ic, planned for last wear
at about this time. was given up because of the
gloom in the neighborhood and the fear of ex-
cursion boats caused by the slocum disaster.
MANY FEARED EXCURSION.
The Sirius left the pier at East 3d-st. at o
o'clock yesterday forenoon. There was no count
of the passengers as the officials of the local
United States Steamboat Inspection Bureau do
not watch the number on excursion boats ex-
cept on Sundays and holidays
There We're not more than 700 or 500 aboard.
however, for the dread OF a disaster like that of
the Slocum still remains strong in the part of
the city that itdesOated, Many members Of the
church bought tickets and then did not 60 The
pastor, DR.. John Grant Newman, of No. 21S East
S3d-st, last Sunday told his congregation that
while they could not help remembering the Slocum
disaster. they should consider that the steamboat
laws were now better enforced. and that the
chances that such an accident would be repeated
on to-day's excursion were small. Some were
assured by his words vut many others were not
Steamboat excursions will not be popular in
Oivet Memorial for many years
Leaving East 3d-st., the Sirius went over to
South 5th-st-. Brooklyn: took a few Brook
lyn friends of the church. and then proceeded up
which was to be the last stop before Valley
Grove. The steamboat left there at 1920
o'clock Captain Pearce went through the mar
rover channel between North and South Brother
Islands rather than the wider one between
North Brother Island and Port Morris, TO save
time. The channel he chose has several reefs
in it, but the captain knew it WELL and. ordna-
rily, the passage would have been made safely
AS the Sirius was turning the east end of
North Brother Island into the open Sound the
steamboat William c. Payne of the Bridgeport
Line passed close to starboerd, going south
she is larger than the Sirius. and the wash
from, her wake caused the smaller vessel to rise
and fall violently and to swerve dangerously
toward the shore of the island. Rising on the
ton of one wave and then slumping heavily
down. the Sirius dropped on the sharp top of a
rock which is ordinarily dozen feet under
water. and which. but for the peculiar circum-
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