The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-11-22
STEAMER SINKS
WITH fl PEOPLE
DISASTER FOLLOWS SLIGHT COL
LISION IN SMOOTH AND CLEAR
WEATHER NEAR SEATTLE.
ERROR OF WHEELMAN
Said TO Have Sent the Passenger Boat
Into a Freighter, Which podges
in Vain.

steamer Dix, Capt. +. Lennon, Douhu
from Seattle 20 Port Blake!cy with pas
sengers, sank two miles north OF AK
Point shortly after : o'clock last night,
after having coldcd with the steamship
Jeanne, Capt. i. II. Mason, OF the Aias-
ka Coast company
Fortv-one passengers and members of
the crew of the Dix are missing and
thirty-ni were saved. The Dix Is
total wreck. The Jeanie was not injured
in the least and no member OF her crew
was lost. The master of the Dix was
saved.
No Trouble on the Sound.
Tie collision occurred while the sound
was almost ns smooth Ms Il mil pond
and after the boats had been steaming
within sight of each other Tor quarter
of an hour. The Jeanie was backing
when she collidcd with the DIX ana the
impact was very slight. The Dix was
struck absft of nmidships on the star
board side She listed heavily 70 port
for brief period, righted herself then
sank stern first. There was hardly time
TO launch life RATS or boats before she
was almost entirely submerged.
Passengers jumped from the decks INTO
the water, women screamed ana olhccrS
and men called orders that could hardly
be heard above the din. The passcn-
gers from the Dix who could swim made
their way to the sides Of the j 1anic ana
were dragged aboard.
The Jeanne was not moved until after
all who had reached her had been hauled
aboard Then she cruised about, pick
ing M several who had managed to stay
above water It was after 10 o'clock be-
fore the Jeanic left the scene Of the
catastrophe and steamed to the Virginia
street dock, Seattle with her thirty nine
survivors.
No Passengers on Jeanne.
The Jeanic, of the Alaska Coast com
pany, had finished unloading at the
Grcat Northern docks at Smiths cove
and had started for Tacoma shortly be-
fore 7 o'clock, just about the same time
the Dix left the flyer dock for Port
Blakclcy. There were no passengers on
the Jeanic. The Dix was making the
last trip of the night and was well filled
with passengers.
When within about two miles north Of
Alki point the two steamers were with
in n short distance Of each other, steam
ing along convcrging lines. The captain
of The Jcanic says lie sigualcd for the
Dix to pass him and his whistle WIS
answered. The Dix was then within
speaking distance of the JCanle and to
the port of her Suddenly Mate Dcnui-
son. who was at the wheel Of the Dix,
put her hard over TO starboard ms if to
cross in front Of the other vessel.
Tried to Avoid Disaster
Capt. Mason of the JeaEc who was
on the bridge, saw that an accident was
imminent and called out n warning to
the man Mt the wheel Of the Dix. Capt.
Mason gave the signal to reverse his
engines and his vessel was slowly back
ing away when the two came together.
There was but slight crash, the force
of the collision from the Dix coming
against the side Of the larger vessel,
and not that of the heavier craft against
the smaller. For a minute all was still,
then a panic followed.
When the Dix started 10 sink, stern
first, passengers and members Of the
crew lcapcd into the sound. Some of
the passengers huddlcd together in
groups on the deck while others kuclt in
prayer
Tie women who had little chance for
their lives, stayed with the sinking
steamer and were drowned as in a trap.
Capt Mason Tells Story.
~ rot away from Smiths cove lit
lie before 7 o'clock and laid a course for
Tacoma" said Capt. Mason. Il had no
messengers aboard. | saw the Dix head
ed for Port Blak"loy and signalIcd to
her. The mate was at the wheel. Sud
u''iS " -, -, M: - ~
port hS I'll I'll a. 49,, 90" ',,' j., vac 80
cIose' T"l''u :" ~ "' IN ~ -. PttI'
h"uSr - hHoT 49, ., ~" "''"I' -,
pun MS Nh''i "''' ~ sun ""''u "''cHS
across my bows A.. ,.,,;., -.
SlE""''u ~ t'' I5'i' i1Vh, "a ny
NeaSrI 10 p",h ~ i"i 'Pt'u' ,puL WE
cUuld not E't ou' VI .ht WY III uihc.
Inc JchilIc Vas p"'Nt"E Ii,t' When
abaft of umidshipS aud the shock was
nov ',Io"fm :" W. t ~ ~, oiu'nnts
iauhCh' ne ~ NY" n1"Nm5 70 sur
board rsneu "''"''i """ '"eh shhk
stern nrS''
can't y Iermou. mastrr az bc Nv
t,iI tIio story of thc collision artnr A.
,.;,,i,,. ot ScaytIr IIa WINS shokin,, ,,.;tb
ibn roIJ his cyes still dilutrd Win tLn
Lnrrnr ~ hiu rynrrirnrc
~ Jnn,t Eno,y how II honropodu H.,
,oiL "Gb,rlrg prnnieon mia ~ ~,
It r.os al thn ,ybrnI W. ,.oro i,,,.,
nL"nt tv-n ,nilns dine north Of Mi ,1in,
",,d r,,ruip,, a. tI,r ,IsuoI sncnL 1Nnar,
y,,na nnibi,r M hinder ne r. yyoa - Gno
cl,,r rirbt and tLn water was Hln a
MN ,nrI | Ind econ Tho Hghts If -
ataa,I,r np n,,r starboord ounrfcr s,r,r
time before but had not paid any at
tr"tloh !" ln'h; went poIoW 10 C~II"ct
lhh I"I'N. ! ~ uu'l "HS ''INutI' i"'I"
WIS seventy i"SS'uE'lH Oh p""iu ana II
was Iu'l' " 'a1N i" E't az 'ht l"I'T' /
abroa1.
4