Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-19

"
crash as the force of the collision was
from the Dix coming against the side
OF the larger vessel and not that OF the
heavier craft against the smaller.
For minute all was stlll then a pan.
lc followed
THE DIX SINKS.
When the Dix started to sink. stern
hrst, passengers and members OF the
crew leaped into the sound
Some of the passengers huddlcd to-
gether on the deck while Others knelt
in prayer
The women who had little chance for
their lives stayed with the sinking
steamer and were drowned as in trap,
CAPT. MAsONS STORY.
II got away from Smiths Cove a
little before o'clock and laid a course
for Tacoma" said Capt Mason. II
had no passengers aboard. cav the
Dix headed for Port Blakeley and sig.
nailed to her. The mate was at the
wheel Suddenly the Dix came up
astern OF me TO port, AZ soon as I saw
the Dix was so close | called to the
he was doing. He put his wheel over
across my bows.
~ signalled to the engine room Of my
vessel to back at full speed but We
could not get out OF the way in time.
The Jeanne was backing little when
we struck. | guess it was pretty well
abaft OF amdshps ana the shock
wasn't enough to have injured an or.
binary launch. The Dix listed heavily
TO starboard. rlghted herself aud then
thank stern first"
CAPT LERMoNT'S STORY
Capt. =. Lormont, master Of the
steamer Dix. told the story Of the COLI
lision after arriving al Seattle. He
was shaking with cold his eyes still
dilate with the horror of his experience.
dlated with the horror of his experience.
said Charles Dennison, mate OF tAe
boat, was at the wheel. We were just
about two miles due north OF Olki Point
and running at the usual speed, There
was nothing to hinder US, 1t was n
fine clear night and the water was like
q mill pond. | had seen the Heanie on
the starboard quarter some time before
but had not paid any attention TO
them. | went below to collect the
fares The boat was crowded. There
were 20 passengers on board and 1t was
quite task to get all the fares
have been on the run for the past i3
years and know almost everybody
aboard.
when | was in the ladies' cabin, |
heard the bell signal to stop. In a
moment | thought something must be
wrong and rushed forward to see what
was up. Just as | got on deck on the
starboard side | saw the bow of ves-
sci loom up Almost instantly she
struck us. The Jib-boom crashed
through us Just aft OF midships and
heeled the Dix over like top. She
careened like a flash on her port bow
and lay there for q minute or two with
the water rushing IN and all over. l
was thrown against the deck house.
For an instant the wind was knocked
out of me and | was almost paralyzed.
The steamer ley for almost two minutes
on her port beam. This was exactly at
1874 o'clock as my watch stopped then.
In moment recovered my breath anG
sprang up on the house. Just then the
steamer heeled back to stayboard.
There was another rush OF water. cries
and screams of men. women and chill
dren.
NO CHANCE OF Est APE.
"Flom below came sounds such as
human ears have seldom heard. Many
of the passengers were penned below
and could not possibly escape. Then
the steamer turned her bows up She
filed and her stern went lower down
until the bow was standing straight
half out II the water For an instant
i chung to the railing. The sight fas-
einated me by its horror Lights were
stll burning and I could see people in
side of the cabin The expressions
on the faces were of indesCribable
pain.
People on deck slid off into the
water and won't down shrieking and
clutching at the water or
at the Jeanie which still doomed only
a few yards away. Within the sinking
steamer pandemonium reigned, There
were cries, prayers and from men and
women. The wall Of child mingled
with the shouts Of those who were
lighting desperately to gain the deck
what took place IN that cabin will
never be known as no people We're
saved from there. The boat heayed
back and went down by the stern.
The other boat was only short dis
tance away from MS all this time some
of the Passengers who had been on
dc ok jumped for her martingle 1.-THE
lines beneth the bowspriD and IN this
way clambcred W 70 safety BY that
time the Dix was standing on end
With her bow way 40 in the air and
then she started To go down.
Il leaped into the water and man.
aged TO keep myself ailoat. Others
from the sunken steamer We're ilOQt-
ing near me.
FLOATING HEADS.
"All around were the floating heads
which called for help ami watching the
Jeanie as she slowly came towards us
and dropped boats which moved here
and there picking up men In every d.
rection. Finally a boat came TO me.
BY that time ! was Indifferent and did
not care whether | was saved or not
It must have been at least rs minutes
from the time the Jeanne struck US thlt
the boats We're got out and ] guess |
was IN the water another 10 minutes
We were taken on board. There were
sc Of our 10 people on the steamship,
The rest were drowned. There was nd
sign of my little steamer. She was
gone completely and before we left
there was not even ripple on the sur
face to mark the spot where the terri
bic tragedy had occurred.
II do not think the vessel was very
badly damaged by the collision. II was
the heeling over on her port beam thar
caused her 10 sink This fillei her with
water as soon as she went over and
took her down.
CAUSE OF ACCIDENT.
"As 10 the cause of the accident,
cannot say. was not on deck and do
not know how II happened J heard my
mate signal either one or two whistles,
| am not certain which. ! also heard
him ring a stop bell. ! cannot UNDER
stand myself how 1t could have hap
pened. Night was almost as clear as
day and the sea was smooth. This IL
tho first accident that has ever hap
pened on any ship OF mine during the
is years ! have been running on the
sound
capt. Lermont Is well known navi-
-, az, ana has n rpuutatiOn Of being one