Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-10-27
President IS steamer in Collision.


New Orleans, Oct. 27.-The light
house tender Magnolia, with President
Roosevelt on board, vas 10 collision with
the fruit steamer Esparta, near Marin,
La, shortly after midnight.
The news reached New Orleans through
a long distance message from Captain
NJ. w. Rose, of the Esparts, who asked
that assistance be sent him. Rose re-
ported both vessels aground at the river
bank, and said that the Esparta would
probably have to carry the Presi-
dents party to the mouth OF the
river, where the cruiser West Virginia
was awaiting them. From this it is in
ferred that the Magnolia is badly dam
aged. Rose said no one was seriously
injured in the collision.
1t is said in one of the dispatches one
of the crew of the Magnolia was knocked
from his bunk by the collision and that
one of his legs was broken.
The tugs r. w. WilmOt and d. b.
Woods left New Orleans shortly after
four O'Clock this morning for the scene
of the accident. Marin is about so
miles below New Orleans on the west
bank of the Mississippi river. The Es-
parta belongs to the feet of the United
Fruit Company, and was on her way to
New Orleans with cargo of bananas, etc.
One of the tugs that went to Nairn will
probably convey the President and his
party to the West Virginia outside the
Pass, while the other gives her attention
to the Esparta to prevent the loss of her
cargo.
Efforts to communicate with Marin by
telephone late this morning we're futile.
A telephone dispatch from Empire,
La, just below Marin and 60 miles be-
low the city by the river, was received
at 8:l5 this morning, saying that the
Magnolia passed there at 2;S0 this morn
ing. The right time for her to pass, if
there had been no interruption, would
have been midnight. This news came
from the telephone operator.
A later dispatch says that large
hole was stove in the Magnolia's port
bow. Both boats Immediately beached
on the Batture.
A telephone message was received here
at 500 by Traffic Manager Dempsey, of
the United Fruit Company, from Pilot
Town, saying that the revenue cutter
Ivy had come up from Port Eads to
Marin and taken the President off the
disabled Magnolia and proceeded Oh
down the river. At S:45 a telephone
message was received by the Publishers
Press from the telephone operator, at
Polot Town, at the Pass, saying: "At
one o'clock last night / received mes
sage from Sixty-mie Point, which is
Marin, from Major Craighill, ordering
the revenue cutter Ivy to return to
Nairn at all possible speed. That was
all the message said. This morning |
learned that the steamer Esparta had
colided with the Magnolia. The Ivy
passed Pilot Town at S:15 o'clock this
morning. 1t will take her an hour and
a half to reach the West Virginia, which
lies out in the gulf, a mile from the
head of the Gulf Pass. We have heard
of no one being hurt on board the Mag
Dolia or Esparta."
New Orleans, Oct. PA telephone
message received by the Publishers
Press at 9:45 o'clock from the Pilot
Town operator says the President board
ed the West Virginia at 9:07 O. clock and
the vessel after firing 3 salute of 81
guns Immediately weighed anchor and
steamed away.