The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-20
MATE IS BLAMED
FOR BAD ACCIDENT
The Responsibility is Placed
for Disastrous Collision on
Puget Sound.
SINKING OF A STEAMER
PASSENGERS DOWN IN THE CAB
IN HAD NO CHANCE FOR ES-
cAPE-cAPTAlN TELLS HIS sTo-
RY OF THE CATASTROPHE.
SINKING OF A STEAMER
Publishers Press1

from Seattle to Port BlakeIy with pas
sengers, sank two miles north of Atk
Point shortly after having collidea
with the steamer Jeanne, Captain
~. Mason of the Alaska Coast com
pany. OF the passengers and crew O
the Dix Al are missing and 80 wer.
saved. The Dix is a total wreck. The
Jeanne was not injured in the least
and no members OF her crew were
lost. Captain Lermond was saved.
The Jeanne was backing when she
collided with the Dix and the impact
was very slight. Il The Dix was STRUCK
abaft of amidships. She listed heav
lily brief period, righted herself and
then sank stern first in 100 fathoms OF
water. There was hardly time &c
launch life RATS or boats before she
was almost entirely submerged. Pas
sengers jumped from the decks into
the water, women screamed and Off
GERS and men called orders that could
hardly be heard above the din. Pas
sengers from the Dix who could swim
made their way to the sides of the
Jeanne ard were dragged aboard. The
Jeanne was not moved until after all
who had time to reach her were haul
I'D aboard, then she cruised about
picking up several who managed to
stay above water. 1t was several
hours before the Jeanne left the scene
OF the catastrophe and steamed to
Seattle with the SO survivors.
The Jeanne finished unloading at
etc for To a
Just about the same time the Dix left
for Port Blakeley. There were no
passengers On the jeanne. The Dix
was making the last trip of the night,
and was we'll filed with passengers
About two miles north OF Atki Point
the two steamers were within a rhort
distance of each other steapC/1g along
converging lines. The captain of the
Jeanne says he signalled for the Dix
to pass him and his whistle was an
swered. The Dix was then within
speaking distance of the jeanne and
TO the port Of her. Suddenly the mate,
Charles Dennison, who was at the
wheel of the Dix, put her over to star
board, as IL to cross in front of the
other vessel. Captain Mason of the
jeanne, who was on the bridge, saw
that an accident was imminent and
called out a warning to the man at
the wheel of the Dix. Captain Mason
gave the signal to reverse his engines
and his vessel was slowly backing
away when the two came together.
For minute all was still, then
panic followed. When the Dix started
to sink stern first, passengers and
members Of the crew leaped into the
water. Some of the passengers hui
died together in groups on the deck,
while others knelt in prayer. Women
who had no chance for their lives
stayed with the sinking steamer and
were drowned as in trap.
Dennison. the mate who was at the
wheel when the collision occurred.
and who is blamed for the disaster, is
among the 80 who were lost.
Captain Lermond is a we'll known
navigator and has the reputation Of
being one OF the ablest sound pilots
leaving Seattle. He is about As years
old and has been at sea since boy.
After arriving at Seattle he said con-
corning the wreck: II don't know
how It happened. Charles Dcnnison.
mate Of the boat. was at the wheel
We were running at the usual speed.
There was nothing to hinder us. II
WAS a fine. clear night and the water
was like n mill pond. saw the lights
of a steamer on our starboard quarter
some time before. but did not pay any
attention TO them. ! went below TO
collect the fares. The boat was crowd.
cd. There were 20 passengers on
board. and II was quite task TO get
NIL the fares | have been on the run
u years. and know almost everybody.
In the women's cabin | heard the bell |
signal 10 stop. In moment thought !
must be wrong and rushed |
Just as got on deck saw
The bow of a vessel loom up and al |
most instantly she struck us. Many |
of the passengers We're penned below /
and could not possibly escape When |
The steamer turned bow up she filled |
and her stern went down, until the 4
bow was standing straight half out
" the water. For an instant ! chung to
he railing. The sight fascinated me
with horror. Lights were still burn
ng and / could see people inside the
cabin The expressions on the faces
we're OF understandable despair What
look place in that cabin will never be
as no people were saved from
here. I leaped into the water and
managed to keep myself afioat Others
rom the sunken steamer were float
ng near me. Every once in a while
me would throw up his hands and
link with a despairing cry. This hap
,ened time after time. Finally boat
anne 10 me. BY that time I was in
!iffereut and did not care whether I |,
vas saved or not On board the
Teanie were So OF our 70 passengers.
rhe rest were drowned. There was
10 sign of my little steamer She was +
zone completely, and before we left
here was not even a ripple on the
surface to mark the spot where the
errible tragedy occurred"
For any pain, from top to toe, from /:
ny cause apply DIR. Thomas Elec-