Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-20

lives were lost in last nights disaster
off Alki point, when the little steamer
Dix was run down by the Alaskan Lin
er Jeanne. There We're 10 persons on the
Dix when she went down. OF the five
women aboard, the only one to escape
was Alice Simpson, a 15-year-old girl.
Size is believed to be the only person
who escaped from the main deck OF the
steamer where more than half of the
Dix's passengers We're shut in when
the crash came. She could not swim,
but her clothing kept her af,oat until
she was picked up by one of the life
beats lowered by the Jeanne.
The collision occurred While the
sound was almost as smooth as a mill
pond, and after the boats had been
steaming within sight of each other for
a quarter of a mile. The jeanne was
backing when She collded with the Dix
and the impact was very slight. The
Dix was struck abaft of midShin on
the Starboard side. She listed heavily
to port for a brief period. rightcd her
self. 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 and officers and men called
orders that could hardly be heard
above the din. The passengers from
the Dix who could swim made their
way to the sides of the Jeanie and
were dragged aboard. The Jeanie
was not moved until after all who had
reached her had been hauled aboard.
Then she cruised about picking UP sew
eral who had managed to stay above
water. 1t was after 10 o'clock before the
| Jeanne left the scene of the catastrophe
and steamed to the Virginia street
dock. Seattle. with her 50 survivors.
The Jeanne of the Alaska Coast co. had
| finished unloading at the Great North
ern docks at Smiths cove ana had
| started for Tacoma shortly before I
| O'Clock, just about the same time the
Dix left the Filler dock for Port Blake
| ley. There were no passengers on the
| Jeanne. The Dix was making the last
| trip of the night and was well filed
with passengers.
When within about two miles north
| of Alki point the two steamers were
within a short distance of each other
stcaming along convcrging lines. Tho
|
for the Dix to pass him and his whistle
| was answered. The Dix WIS then
| within speaking distance of the Jeane
| and to the port Of her Suddenly Mate
DennisonI who was at the vince! Of the
| Dix. put her hard over to starbOard
as if to cross in front Of tho other vcq-
sci. Capt. Mason, of the JCanic. who
was on the bridge. saw that an acct
dent was imminent and called out 4
warming t. the man at the wheel of tho
| Dix.
| Capt Mason gave the signal to re-
verse his engines and his vessel was
| slowly backing away when the two
| came together There was but a 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 q panic fol-
| lowed. When the Dix started to sink,
| stern first. passengers and members of
| the crew leaped into the sea. Some of
| the passengers huddled in groups on
| the decks, while others knelt in prayer.
| The women, who had little chance for
| their lives, stayed with the sinking
| steamer and were drowned as in a
| trap.
| 81 got away from Smiths cove a lit
| tie before o'clock and laid a course
| for Tacoma" said Capt. Mason. II had
no passengers aboard. / saw the Dix
| headed for Port Blakeley and signalled
| to her. The mate was at the wheel.
| Suddenly the Dix came up astern Of
| ME to port. AS soon as ! saw the Dix
| was so close I called to the man in the
| pilot house. He set his wheel over to
| starboard and she started directly
across my bows.
| 81 signalled to the engine room of
my vessel to back at full speed, but we
didn't get away in time. The jeanne
was backing 4 little when we struck. I
guess it was pretty well abaft of amid
shin and the shock was not enough to
| have injured an ordinary launch. The
DIX listed heavily to starboard, righted
herself and then sank stern first. Capt.
Lennon, master Of the steamer Dix,
told the story of collision after arriving
at Seattle. He was shaking with the
cold his eyes still dilated with the
horror of his experience.
81 don't know how it happened" he
said. Charles Dennison, mate Of the