New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
ERIE FERRYBOAT SUNK.
NONE DROWNED OR HURT.
old Boat Rammed by Tug and Tosc
Horses Lost.

4
North River off the White Star Line pier is all
! that can be seen now OF the old Erie ferry boat
i Paterson AT daybreak yesterday. with the thick
morning mist still hanging over the water, sne
| and the seagong tug Joshua Lovett and her
tow n coal barge, were in collision. Not soul
among passengers and crew lost. but five
fine teams Of horses We're drowned.
| 1t will be a month before the Paterson can be
raised. Although one of the old single deckers'
she was IN fairly good condition when she went
to Davy Jones. and when raised she will still
have some years of service ahead of her. She
lies well over against the Jersey shore in nearly
twelve fathoms of water AS she lies her POSI-
tion will make it necessary to change the courses
of the Pennsylvania, Erie and Delaware, Lackd-
wanna & Western ferries until she Is raised.
When she is raised she probably will be laid up
the Jersey fats until her underoody Is
patched up for the coal barge cut her pretty
nearly in two close to her paddleboxes.
The collision occurred just before 6 o'clock.
CAPTAIN George w Funston was in the forward
pilot house of the Paterson himself The tide
was still flooding and he had quartered across
the river from the Erie slips until he was Oft
Christopher street. Then he swung her snub
nose upstream for 23d street. The lights Of the
Manhattan shore were dimmed by the haze.
while only here and there could one be seen on
the Jersey shore.
Just as he swung upstream with the food. the
Lovett came into view inside the lead colored
mist which circled the ferryboat. From her
staff showed three lights. signal that she had
more than one tow. Taking It for granted. ac-
cording to the signal. that the Lovett had a
hawser tow astern. Captain Funston blew one
blast, signifying that he would pass to port
He said that the tug did not answer the thrice
repeated blast. although required to do so by
the law and by the courtesy of the river.
There little room to spare. so Captain
Funston. catching his range light. laid his course
to pass close to the tug. Apparently the tow
was not displaying the proper side lights, for
the ferry captain did not her alongside tho
Lovett until the barge crashed into the ferry
boat, smashing through guards and deck plates
though they had been made of cardboard.
There were less than a dozen passengers on
board, all men, and the of six. The crew
jumped to quarters at once scarcely waiting
for Captain Funston's signal Among the pas
sengers what confusion there was was caused
by the horses. Some cut loose by their
drivers, while two or three plunged overheard
with their rigs attached and were drowned
quickly The others ran about the decks squeaI-
ing with fright. until the old boat went below.
The Paterson drifted downstream with the
nose of the barge still stuck into her port side
and the tug pressing hard against her to keep
aboard oves the tugs bows. followed by tho
deckhands and the officers.
The deck Of the Paterson was knee deep IN
water by the time Captain Funston clambered
onto the Lovett, but one of the tugs deckhands
Jumped down board her and made his way
through the swirling waters to the hold to make
that all hands safe. AS he stepped
from the rail OF the ferryboat back to the
Lovett. the old boat staggered and went down
by the bows the engines of the Lovett working
furiously all the while to draw her back and
clear.
Not a life had been lost. although Del
Barker. oiler on the Paterson was SO anxious
to get home and dried out that he rushed to
Hoboken the moment he landed and forgot to
report to the company's Offices. This gave rise
to the report that he had been drowned. but he
found alive and well at his home late in
the afternoon.
The Erie gave out two statements about the
disaster. The first was that the thick fog had
been in some degree responsible for the acct
dent. and that Captain Funston whistled twice
TO signify that he would pass to starboard.
Both reports laud Captain Funston. who has
been In the companys service for twenty years.
The second statement. from Captain Funston.
which says just the opposite. issued in the
afternoon. and says:
The Paterson left the Erie slips at Jersey City
at 5:15 m. bound for Odd street New York
1t was slightly hazy. but the lights could be
seen on both sides Of the river. I was steering
the boat myself; my wheelman was on the
opposite side of the wheel, and there was a.
lookout IN the bow of the boat. When about
opposite Christopher street and near the middle
of the river 1 boat coming down with
three STAFF lights visible. which indicated that
the vessel had tow astern. blew whistle
indicating my purpose to pass the port side
of the downcomng boat. II was the tugs duty
to answer the whistle and shape her course
accordingly. 1 shaped my course as indicated
by the whistle referred to-
The whistle OF the ferryboat not answered
although repeated three times. The result was a
collision between the Paterson and a coal barge
which was alongside the tug. The tug. instead
of having the barge in tow astern. as its lights
indicate. and 1 believed. had the tow along
the tugbOat
had no knowledge that the tow was along
side the tugboat but supposed IL TO be astern,
as the lights indicated. The barge went through
the guard of the Paterson and into the hull of
the ferryboat on the port side. The Paterson
sank soon after the collision. There were on
board the ferryboat the full crew and five teams
There were very few pasSengers-not a dozen in
al-and no women among them. All the pas
out excitement confusion and without even
getting
Only two other ferry collisions rank with the
sinking OF the Paterson. Several lives were lost
when the ferryboat Chicago sunk by the
City of Augusta near her Manhattan slip on
October 81. 1899 More lives would have been
lost had ii been for the lateness of the hour.
Nearly two years later the Mortified was sunk
June a. 1901. and four lives lost out of
eight hundred on board the two boats. One man
killed July 16 1902, when the tug Ellen
NJ. Roman ramned by the Pennsylvania
annex ferry boat No. > off Jersey City.
STATE CONTROL OF FEEBLE MINDED.
Secretary of New Jersey Institution Advo-