Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-08-21
THE STRANDED STEAMER.


The steamer Norfolk, of the Norfolk
and Washington Steamboat Company,
~as still fast aground when the steamer
Washington, Capt. Frank Phillips, Of
the same line, passed MatomPkin wharf
between 8 and 4 O'Clock this morning.
As was stated in the Gazette, the Norfolk
ran aground shortly after 3 O'Clock ON
the shoals which are located short dis
lance south OF Maryland Point, opposite
Stuarts wharf, on the Virginia side OF
the Potomac. Il was raining at the
time and fog had settled over the river.
When the steamer struck she came to
sudden halt.
All of the 365 passengers on board
rushed out of their rooms when they
felt the sudden jolt and heard the sound
of the distress signal, but they were I'M
medistely assured there was no danger
A message was sent to Washington, as
soon az possible, and tugboat was DIS
matched TO the assistance of the Norfolk.
The tueboat arrived several hours later,
but all efforts to pull the stranded steam
or into deep water failed. The steamer
Newport News later arrived abeam OF
the Norfolk and snapped several hswsers
in futile endeavors 10 pub her off the
shoals.
On her way up from the Jamestown
Exposition the steamer jamestown
reached the Norfolk about 6 O'Clock
Yesterday evening She drew mp along
aide the stranded steamer, gangplanks
were thrown across, and in less than
two hours all of the passengers from the
Norfolk, with their baggage, had peen
safely transferred to the other boat
which reached this city shortly alter
IL O'Clock, last night.
The stranded boat left Norfolk on
Monday evening at 6 o'clock aud was
proyisioned only for the nights run,
and after breakfast yesterday morning
there was little left in the cooks galley:
Everything was finally devoured, and
hunger soon began to add to the dis
comfort Of the passengers. Then the
water began to get low which augmented
the inconvenience of the stranded pas
sengers.
As the jamestown was pulling away
from the Norfolk the steamer st. johns,
from Colonial Beach, came abreast, and
there was for a time q race between
the two boats. They ran neck and neck
for score miles, when the James
town. which had 900 people aboad, was
compelled to slow down to accommodate
herself 10 the narrowing channel, and
the ST. Johns landed first at Alexandra,
The jamestown unloaded her psssen-
gers at the ferry slip in Washington
instead of her usual berth, and the
people aboad made traffic jam at the
wharf that the street car companies
could not accommodate. They rode on
the roofs of cars; overAowed cabs,
wagons, and drsys, and nearly all
wagons in town wss pressed into service
to get them TO their hotels.
The steamer Washington came close
to the Norfolk about 3 O'Clock this
morning, and she, tor, snapped several
hawsers in the futile attempts to pull
the Norfolk off the shOsl'. The stranded
steamer was considerably eff her c. urse
when she ran on the shoals, and she
ia we'll over on the Virginia side. 1t
was high tide when she struck: More
attempts we're made today to float the
steamer.
The Norfolk had not been gotten al Dat
when last heard from. A tug from The
Merritt Wrecking Company, of Norfolk
ia assisting her.