The Washington herald., 1907-12-11
RIVER BOAT IN CRASH
Sound Steamer Rams Ferry
in East River Fog.
FIVE HUNDRED ARE RESCUED
Towering Providence, After smash
ing Into Baltic, Quickly Takes Lat
ter's Passengers Aboe=d-Cs7Se eys
Them safely TO Brooklyn slip, Al
though Two Hours Late.

New York. Dec. 1o-Five hundred home
going Brooklynites who took the ferry
boat Baltic. OF the Wall Street Line. az
517 tonight, wound up at the Warren
street pier. OF the Fan River Line. two
hours later via the Fau River boat
Providence, to which they had clambered
after the big side-wheeler had rammed
the ferryboat in one of the worst fogs Of
the season.
After the collision the two boats drift
ed together down as far as Governors
Island, while the passengers Of the Bal
tic climbed up to the uninjured sound
steamer. Four tugs came alongside. TOO.
and took of fifty more passengers. No
injuries Of a serious nature are reported.
Fog ObscuTed Vessels.
The fog settled down about O'Clock.
When the Baltic left her slip she gave
the customary long whistle She was
but few lengths from the slip when her
captain John W. Baulsir. saw the lights
Of the Providence loom out Of the fog
right above him, and then came the
smash. The big steamer hit the Baltic
well forward. carrying away much OF
the overhang, with the quarter rail and
the forward part OF the superstructure.
The shock was terrific on the smaller
boat, and many men and women were
thrown TO the deck. DecSha nds grabbed
the frightened horses attached to the
twelve trucks aboard. and quieted them.
preventing injury to the passengers from
that direction. Part Of the passengers
grabbed at life preservers, but by far
the greater number stood still. too scared
to move.
The engines Of both boats were stopped
instantly and the Providence stood by.
her officers fearing that the hull Of the
ferry boat had been injured. The Baltic's
passengers began their efforts TO get up
the sides of the Providence, and an i'm
provised gangway was soon in operation.
Distress signals and the sound Of the
crash brought the tugs. Had there been
any real danger Of the Baltic sinking all
her passengers could have been taken off
IN a jiffy.
Passengers Philosophical.
Capt. Baulsir sent one Of his men IN
ascertain Just what damage the Baltic
had sustained. This man lighted a candle
and peered into the broken mass of
twisted wood and iron. The candle snone
out IN the gloom like "a spotlight and
for an instant some of the people aboard
the Sound steamer thought the ferry
boat was afre. When they saw the
origin of the light. however. the laugh
which resulted assisted in relieving the
tension.
During the scramble on the Baltic. ?
woman feii overheard and in a moment
negro had gone over after her. He
caught her clothing and the two were
lifted out by deckhands on the Proyi-
dence In some unexplained way. a man
fell from the after deck Of the larger
boat and was also pulled out in hurry.
AS fa- as could be learned these were
the only people who went into the water
The shock had been almost impercepti-
bic on the Providence. Most OF the mas
sengers were either loahng about the
decks or were in their staterooms. getting
ready for dinner The shouting brought
everybody forward. and the passengers
took part in assisting the Brooklynites
10 make the transfer.