The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-12
DROWNED IN SHIPS CABIN
forty-three Passengers Go Down
in Puget SouHd, Wash
Steamer Dix Collides With the jeanne
IN, a Smooth: sea-Cansed BY
Mates Carelessness.

Seattle, Wash.-Forty-rwo ,passen-
gers and members Of the crew OF the
steamer Dix were drowned in ascol-
lision in Puget Sound. The news OF
the disaster, the most tragic and Pc
culiar In the history Of local nayiga-
ton, was brought to this port early
next morning by the steamer Jeanne,
with which the DIX had been in coli
~lision, and which had on board thirty
seven survivors Of the Dir, among
them Captain P. Lennon, her skipper.
The rescued we're. Of those only who
were on deck, with the exception OF
one woman, the sole occupant OF the
cabin to escape.
The impact between the two ves-
| sells was SO light that the Dix, al.
though a total loss, was probably abb
solutely uninjured by 1t. Oddly,
when the vessels met, the Jeanie,
larger of the two, lifted the Dix up.
causing her to careen to port so syio-5
lently that she was practically q
quilted. The blow to the Dix was
abaft of amidship on the starboard
side, and after she had rolled faf
over, taking on a large quantity OF
water, she righted herself. Then the
water below decks rushed to the
stern, and she plunged stern first Into
100 fathoms Of water and disap-
peared.
In the few brief moments before
the Dix took her final plunge life
boats and RATS were pushed over
board, followed by men, women and
children In a wild struggle for life.
The orders of the officers were lost
in the screams and cries Of the terror
stricken passengers. Precipitatings
themselves into the Icy waters, those
who could swim made their way to
the Jeanne, which lay - a few yards
away, and were pulled aboard TO
safety. Others chung to RATS, boats
and pieces Of wreckage, and were
picked up by the Jeanie, which
cruised about until 10 p. m, moro
than two hours after the collision
looking for those In peril. Several
persons were found floating, buoyed
up in an unaccountable way, while.
not q few, exhausted by their exer--s
tions, sank to death.
More than half of the passengers
were trapped in the cabin, all except
one going down with the steamer
without q chance Of escape. The sim
gle survivor, Alice Simpson, 8 fftaens
year-old I girl, may be able to tell
something of the horrors OF fhe trag-
edy in the cabin. She Is now In the
hospital, suffering from shock ana
exposure. =
ALI OF the members of the crew, ex-
cepting the master were lost, Alice
Simpson could not swim a stroke. It
Is not known how she escaped from
the cabin where all others persisted,
but she was thrown into the water
by some one and kept aloat byFher
clothing until picked up.
Nearly all Of the victims were from
Port Blake1ey, q town supported en-
tirely by the lumber plant OF the
Blakeley Mill Company. The little
place is almost helpless in Its grief.
Not q wheel is turning, and all Of the
population Is trying In some way to
aid In the efforts the r~ecoyerSthe bod
les Of their dead.
According to the captain OF the
Dix, who was collecting faressof pas
aepgers at the time OF the collision.
criminal carelessness on the part Of
his mate, Charles Dennison, at the
wheel was responsible for the disas7
ter. The collision occurred while
the sound was almost as smooth as
q mill pond, and after the boats had
been steaming within sight of each
other for a quarter of. an hour.