The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-22
EXCURSION BOAT ON ROCKS.
HITS A LEDGE NEAR WHERE THE
GEN. SLOCUM BURNED.


Sirius Carried an Excursion Of Five Hun.
dred From Olivet Mem orial Sunday
school-steamer Run Into Mud Bank
to Prevent Sinking All Safely Landed.
The iron steamboat Sirius, with 500
women and children from the Olivet Memo
rial Church in Second street, ran on the rocks
of North Brother Island yesterday. not
far from where the Slooum disaster &C.
Cured a year ago. There we're only fifteen
men aboard the boat counting the band
and the crew, but they were legion In
calming the panicky women and children.
No one was hurt, but the excursion was given
up.
1t was the annual excursion Of the Sunday
school, and the Sirius took her passen gers
at the foot OF Second street. the same
dock from which the Slocum started on her
i'll fated trip. -,
TWAS the intention Of the Olivet excur-
sionists to 60 to Huntington Harbor, L. l.
The excursionists were In Jolly mood
as the boat neared North Brother Island.
They could not help recalling the Slocum
disaster and that put damper on their
spirits for the moment for many Of them
had lost friends when the Slocum was
burned.
The Sirius was approaching the north
end of the island when Capt. Pierce saw the
screw boat W. G. Payne Of the Bridgeport
line coming down the river. The Payne
runs pretty fast, and az the two boats neared,
Capt. Pierce took the Sirius nearer the shore
of North Brother Island. He said later that
he did this to avoid collision.
The Payne went by with plenty OF room.
but it drew a great deal OF water, 80 much +,
Capt. Pierce says, that his boat was literally
thrown on the rocks. The grinding as the
Sirius went aground scared her passengers,
and moment later, when the boat suddenly
stopped men, women and children were
thrown from their camp stools. The band
was playing and 1t stopped suddenly.
There was a uniformed policeman on
board. as there is on alexcursions nowadays,
and his presence did much toward calming
the women and children, though many
W omen insisted on putting life preservers
around their little ones. Then some one with
horse sense ordered the band to get busy
and the music acted like magic.
Capt. Pierce soon found that the Sirius
was taking water and he began to sound the
whistle to let passing craft know hen ne nag met
boat Hackensack got near the Sirius
quickly, and Capt. Pierce asked the skipper
to telephone when he landed to the office
of the Iron Steamboat Company for another
steamboat to take Of the Sirius's passen-
gers. Capt. Pierce said he didn't need any
aid from the Hackensack
Capt Pierce got his boat OF the rocks
without much trouble, but she began TO take
water so rapidly that he decided he would
have to beach her. The best place, he fig
! II A l,.tf fff hn
York shore between Barretto's and Hunts
points. She poked her nose into the mu d
opposite l8Oth street.
BY this time the passengers had become
quite calm, having been assured that all
| danger was past.
Meantime there was much excitement
on shore. Before the captain OF the Ha X
ensack telephoncd he informed police
man OF the accident to the SIRIUS. The
cop telephoned to the Alexander avenue
| station, and Capt Hayes turned out the
| reserves They boarded the Health De-
partment boat Franklin Edison at the foot
Of l32d street and steamed up the river
after the Sirius. which was making for its
mud landing
Then along came Inspector Titus in a
| steam launch. He took Capt. Hayes and
his men from the Edison and put them
aboard the Sirius. The police had little
to do. as the passengers were quiet by this
time.
| The Department of Corrections steamer
Massasoit was able to back into the stern
of the Sirius Then a gangway was made
between the two boats. and the work OF
transferring the passengers began. BE
! fore it was half finished the Iron Steam
boat Dreamland appeared. The Massasoi'
took about half the stranded passengers
the Dreamland the others.
The captain OF the Dreamland wanted
to take the excursionists on to the grove,
but they had had enough for one day.
The Sirius got out of the mud with the
| assistance of a tug and then came do WI
the river under her own steam. She was
beached at the Jersey flats and will go to
dry dock to-day. just how badly she il
injured will not be known until she. Ia pu
in the dock. Fer worst injury is directly
under her furnace room.