The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-20
THE DIX
DISASTER
Forty-three Go Down With
Seattle Steamer.
HIT NEAR ALN POINT
Lost Vessel When Struck Amidships
Listed Heavily 10 Port and
Sank Immediately.
HIT NEAR ALN POINT

SEATTLE, Wash. Nov. 20. The
steamer Dix, Captain T.. Lennon.
bound from Seattle TO Port Blakelcy
with passengers, sank two miles north
OF Alkl point after having collidcd
with the steamship Jeanle, Captain T..
II. Mason. OF the Alaska Coast com
pany during the early evening. Forty
three passengers and men OF the crew
Of the Dix are missing. and thirty
eight were saved. The Dix Is total
wreck, as she went down In 100 faith
oms OF water The Jeanne was not In.
Jurcd In the least, and no member OF
her crew was lost. The master OF the
Dix was saved.
The collision occurred while the
sound was almost as smooth as mill
pond and after the boats had been
steamlng within sight OF each other
for n quarter OF an hour The Jeanne
WIS backing when she colllded with
the Dix, and the impact was very
sliglh. The Dix was struck abaft Of
amldshlps on the starbpard side.
She listed heavily TO port FOR n
brief period. rlghtcd herself. then
sank stern first There was hardly
time 10 launch life RATS or boats before
she was almost entirely submerged.
Passengers jumped from the decks Into
the water. women screamed. and OIL
GERS and men called orders that could
hardly be heard above the din. The
passengers from tue Dix who could
swim made their way 20 the sides OF
the Jeanne and were dragged aboard.
The Jeanne was not moved until after
all who had reached her had been haul
ed aboard. Then she crulscd about
picking up several who had managed
TO stay above water. The Jeane had
started for Tacoma just about the same
time the Dix left the Filler dock for
Port Blakeley. When within about
two miles north Of AIki point the two
steamers were within n short distance
Of each other. steaming along conyerg
ing lines. The captain OF the Jeanne
says he signaled for the Dix 10 pass
him. and his whistle was answered.
TheDix was then within speaking dis
lance OF the Jeanie and TO the port Of
her.
"As soon as | saw the Dix was so
close" said Captain Mason Of the
JeanIe, II called TO the man In her
pilot house TO know what he was doing.
He put his wheel over to starboard,
and she started directly across my
bows.
Il signaled TO the engine room Of
my vessel 10 back at full speed, but
we could not get out of the way in
time. The Jeanne was backing a little
when we struck. guess it was pretty
well abaft of amldshlps, and the shock
was not enough to have injured an or
binary launch. The Dix listed heavily,
rlghted herself and then sank stern
first"
OF the five female passengers on the
Dix the only one to escape was Alice
Simpson. a fifteen-year-old girl. She is
believed the only person who escaped
liOlu tllC mann NNNh VI ihN HA'hihNi f
where more than half of the DlX's pas
sengers were shut in when the fatal
crash came. She could not swim, but
her clothing kept her afoat until she
was pulled aboard one of the two life
boats lowered by the steamship Jeaule
1t is believed that the thjrty-seyen
passengers who were rescued included
every person who was on Tue open
deck of the Xix when the little craft
plunged down sierra foremost into a
hundred fathoms Of water. 1t is doubt
full whether she can be raised.