The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-20
STEAMERS CRASH; FORTY LOST
VESSEL WITH SEVENTY-NTNE
on BOARD GOES DOWN.

Mate. who Was I'm Charge. nan His Vessel
Across the now Of q Freighter that
Had the Right OF way, After Being
warned-six women AmongThose L est
SEATTLE; Wash, Nov. ls.-The little
Sound steamer Dix, on the Port Blakeley-
Seattle route, with a list OF eighty passen-
gers and crew, coTided with the Alaska
Coast ~Company's steamship Jeanne last
night at TIA O'Clock two miles north Of Ald
Point and sank. carrying forty-two Of her
passengers and crew to the bottom Of the
sound.
The Jeanne was in command Of Capt.
p. II. Mason. The Dix was outward bound.
in command Of Parker A. Lermond, who
was acting in the double capacity of captain
and purser. c.. Denneson, mate, was at the
wheel of the Dix when the collision occurred.
The Jeanne pulled out from the Great
Northern docks almost as the Dix left the
Flyer dock for Port Blakeley. They APP
preached each other on Converging lines
and for a moment or two before the acci-
dent were steaming side by side.
The Jeanne slowed down and waited
for the Dix to pass. To do so it was neoes-
sary for the smaller vessel to pass across
the Jeanie's bow from port to starboard.
In passing the mate Of the Dix put her hard
to starboard instead OF to port. The cap
tain OF the Jeanne noticed the error and
at onoe reversed his engines. and was al
ready backing away when the impact came.
The Dix was almost spitted on the bow
Of the Jeanne, then she heeled over into the
sea, righted steadily and then sank stern
first.
There was no time to put out a boat, no
time for men to go to the rescue Of women.
The Dix's stern thrust itself into the smooth
sea and. with a parting hiss Of escaping
steam, disappeared in a wild whiIl Of water.
The tragedy hat has deluged Port Blake
ley with grief was over in a moment.
The jeanne was under such slow speed
when the collision occurred that she was
soon standing by and had her coats out
to the rescue Of those in the water.
After hours of search, at nearly IL o'clock.
she turned her head toward Virginia street
dock with thirty-eight survivors aboard.
The Dix's passengers were nearly all resi-
dents of Port Blakeley. who were bound for
home after spending the day in Seattle.
The Government launch Scout, the tug
Tyee. sent out by the Alaska Coast Com
pany, the Jeanne and relief boats sent out
by the local newspapers searched the scene
Of disaster for any bodies that might have
come TO the surface or have drifted TO adj
jacent shores.
The Dix lies in about 600 feet OF water,
with most OF her dead imprisoned In her
cabins.
Hurled from the deck OF the steamer
into the cold waters of the sound when the
Jeanne crashed into the doomed craft,
Manuel Reipeto and Bazzintia Garcia, "
F~ilipinos, swan to Pier IA. a distance of
six miles, where they were dragged up
on the dock more dead than alive. h
men we're standing on the deck of the Dix
when she crashed into the Jeanne and the
force Of the shock threw both overheard.
Both yelled for help when in the water,
but they we're not heard. There was no
wreckage to which they could cling and
they commenced to swim for their lives.
For the first few miles both bore up well,
being expert swimmers.
After some time. however, they became
numb with cold and their movements be-
came more and more sluggish. When al
most ready to give up the struggle the
lights on the Seattle docks doomed up in the
distance and they took heart. The fear OF
death and hope Of rescue lent strength and
they reached the dock.
The survivors, as far as seen. without
exception put the blame for the disaster
on Mate Dennison, Of the Dix. Capt. Leer-
mond explained that he was not in COM
mand of the vessel at the time, owing to
the fact that on the Dix hi does the double
duty Of master and purser. He war col
Iecting tickets at the time.
Il cannot fathom Mate Dennison's ac-
ton, " said the Dix's captain. 1t was a case
Of criminal carelessnese. Why he should
have attempted to cross the Jeanie's bow is
something I cannot see. The Jeanne had
the right Of way"
James McBane. a survivor, said The
Dix simply tried to run across the bow Of
the Jeanne. She was clearly to blame.
When the vessels came together / jumped
overheard. saw no other means Of escape.
l was picked up about Ave minutes later