The semi-weekly messenger., 1905-11-03

In editorial reference last week to
the collision between the government
steamer Magnolia and the fruiter while
the president was going down the
Mississippi on the former to board the
cruiser West Virginia The Messenger
said it was glad that the only mishap
which had occurred during the presi-
dents tour OF the south had taken
place after he had passed out Of the
keeping of the southern people and
was in the hands Of federal govern
ment officials We did not know at
that time that the president had been
put in any danger or had suffered any
hurt from the accident. Since then it
has leaked out that he narrowly escap-
ed what might have been serious re-
suits from the collision of the two
steamers; though, by good luck, he was
only very slightly hurt. 1t seems that
at the time Of the accident Mr.. Roose
welt was in his cabin undressing for the
night. The shock threw him against
his cabin window and his head and
shoulders were forced through the
glass. \ few slight cuts were made
in withdrawing from the break his
head had made in the glass. 1t is re-
markable that he did not receive much
more serious injury.
Mo paJoi0h Doc+,c ochi die
patches give the following account of
the accident
There was something doing off the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts almost from
the moment that President Roosevelt
disappeared from public view at New
Orleans last Thursday night until he
reached the Washington navy yard at
noon today. The interesting events
began with the collision between the
lighthouse tender Magnolia, which
was carrying the president to the
mouth of the river below New Orleans
and the fruit steamer Esparata. The
main story Of the collision was told
in the press dispatches, but the most
important feature of the accident was
not known except to two or three per-
sons until after the presidents arriva
here.
men TIE Magnolia ana llo ESpd-
rata struck Mr.. Roosevelt, tired out
by the days strenuous experiences ir
New Orleans was disrobing in his
state room, preparatory - turn
ing in. The shock was so great that
the president was thrown bodily
against a window looking out on the
deck. His head and shoulders made q
clean hole through the window s':at-
tering the glass in every direction. Ir
orh nCt3 DON
that the Magnolia had either struck
a solid obstruction in the bed Of the
stream Or had collided with another
vessel.
Fortunately the flying pieces of glass
from the window did not strike the
presidents person in any way to in.
fiict injury, and Mr. Roosevelt helped
himself back into the cabin. He dis
covered blood on his garments almost
before he felt any pain, but it took
him only moment to ascertain thai
the cuts which he had sustained abOu
the arms and shoulders were mere
scratches although they bled smartly
for few minutes.
The president had helped himself tC
his feet and ascertained these facts
by the time Secretary Loeb, in his
underclothing and Surgeon Genera
Rixey attire not described, appeared
on the scene, although they had lost
no time in rushing to his room to as
sure themselves Of his safety. Mr.
Roosevelt's own idea was that the
slight cuts were inflicted while he was
withdrawing his head and shoulders
from the window by pieces of glass
which still remained in the sash. He
was sure that he was not even
scratched by his plunge through the
glass. The scratches were so slight
that the president turned in and went
to sleep short time after the acci-
dent, a careful examination having
first been made by DR.. Rixey