The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-11-22
DROWN
In Night Collision of Ships
on Puget Sound.
ONE VESSEL GOES DOWN
Disaster Came With Such Sudden
ness That Passengers Were Caught
Off Their Guard - Most of the
Victims Were Women.

a special from Seattle, Wash, says:
Puget sound, so prolific of marine
disasters. had another Sunday night
in q, collision between the Alaska
steamer Jeanie and the Seattle-P Port
Biakely steamer Dix, in which forty,
TWO people were drowned. Those
lost were all passengers of the Dix
and many residents of the mill town
Of Port Blakely. Thirty-seven were
saved.
The unfortunates were sent to their
awful death with scarcely mo-
nent's warning. Saddest of all, they
gave their lives through the crimi-
nal recklessless of one Charles Den
lIison, mate Of the Dix.
This strong statement is practi.
cally that oi CAPTAIN P. Lermond
and Captain Mason, masters, re
spectively, Of the Dix and Jeanie.
both charge Dennison with having
heen responsible for the enrolment
of so appalling {. death list.
The Dix is a total wreck. The Jea-
ME was not injured in the least, and
ho member of her crew was lost The
master of the Dix was saved. The COL
lision occurred while the sound was
almost AS smooth as a mill pond. and
after the boats had been steaming
':itnin sight of each other for quar-
ter Of an hour.
The Jeanie was backing, in an at
tempt 10 avoid the Dix when the col
lision occurred. The. impact was very
slight. The Dix was struck abaft of
amidships on the starboard side. She
listed heavily to port for a brief Pc
riod, 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 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 JEANNE and were drag
ged aboard. The Jea:1ie wo.s not
moved until after all who had reach
eded her had been hauled aboard.
Then she cruised about picking up
several who had managed to stay
above water. The collision occurred
at Z o'clock, and it was after 10
o'clock before the Jeanie left the
scene of the catastrophe and steam
ed to the Virginia street dock, Sc
attle, with her thirtyseven surviv-
ors.
The Jeanie of the Alaska Coast
company had finished unloading at
the Great Northern docks at Smiths
Cove and had started for Tacoma
shortly before Z o'clock just about
the same time the Eix left the Flyer
dock for Port Blakeley.
There we're no passengers on the
Icanie. The Dix was making the last
trip of the night and YVES we'll filled
With passengers.
When within about tow miles north
of Alki Point, the two steamers were
Within short distance of each other,
steaming along on converging lines.
The captain of the Jeanie says he
s1gnalled to the Dix to. pass him and
his whistle was answered.
The Dix was then within speaking
distance of ihc Jeanie and to the port
Of her. Suddenly Mate Dannison, VINO
was at the wheel of the Dix put. her
hard over starboard as. If to cross IN
front of the other vessel. Captain
Mason of the Jeanie, who was on the
bridge. saw that en accident was I'M
minent and called out a warning TO
the man at the wheel of the Dix.
Captain Mason gave the signal 10
reverse his engines and his vessel
was slowly backing away when the
two came together. :.~