Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-11
Two COastwise Steamers, Proceeding in Dense
Fog at Half Speed Collide.
A MISUNDERSTANDING OF SIGNALS.
The Horatio Hall of Maine Steamship Co. and the H. r.
Dimock of Metropolitan Line Crash Together Near
Nantucket-Five Passengers from the Hall Safely
Landed on Cape Cod Beach.

Chatham, Mass. March 1O--Blanket-
ed by a dense fog and proceeding at
half speed, the well known coastwise
steamer of the Maine steamship COM
pany the Horatio Hall, Portland for
New York, and the H. F. Dimock OF
the Metropolitan line, New York for
Boston, met in the middle OF the mar
row channel known as Pollock Rip
slue today with crash that sent the
Hall to the bottom within half an hour
and caused the Dimock TO run ashore
six hours later on Cape Cod beach,
where the passengers and crew Of the
Hall were landed without the loss of a
single soul.
Wireless Failed to Give Location Of
Collision.
A brief wireless message which the
operator of the sinking Hall managed
to send broadcast spread the news Of
the collision, which occurred at a.
M. but as he failed to give the posi-
tion. details of the disaster did not be-
come known until the Dimock came
ashore half mile south OF the Or
leans life saving station, shortly after
? p. m. During the six hours of ST.
lence. half hundred wireless stations,
government. professional and amateur.
from Portland to New London, were
vainly ende2voring to obtain some
news of the wreck, while the revenue
cutter Gresham scurried up and down
the coast in vain effort to.render as
sistance.
Passengers Safely Landed.
As the fog cleared away In the early
afternoon the Dimock was seen head
ing for the beach and half an hour
later boats crew with the Ave pas
sengers from the Hall, including two
women, landed safely on SCape Cod
beach and told the story OF the thrill
ing scenes OF the early morning.
Both Steamers Ran into Fog at \. m.
The Horatio Hall left Portland at
1870 o'clock last night with Ave pas
sengers, a crew Of about forty, and
four hundred tons of freight
The Dimock left New York yester-
day afternoon and both ran into the
fog Off the southeastern Massachusetts
coast about the same time. ? a. m.
Captains Whistled Frequently.
The Dimock had rounded Pollock
Rip lightship and was heading toward
IL north, while the Hall was com
ing down through the Slue and pre-
Log was very dense, but 1t was day
lit mt and both captains were whistiing
frequently.
Signals Misunderstood.
Although accounts vary, Il is appar-
eit that there was a misunderstanding
OF signals, for shortly after o'clock
the two steamers suddenly loomed out
Of the fog and before either could
sheer off they met in What seemed
more like. a crushing jar than a ter
rife crash.
Nose Of Dinoek Went Through the
Hall
The sharp nose of the Dimock went
through the side of the Portland boat
abreast Of the mainmast and had suffi-
Gent force to penetrate Is or 20 feet
In the Halls body. Captain Thompson
of the Dimock started to back his
steamer. but seeing that he might save
those on board, send her fun speed
ahead. held her nose in the jagged rent
In the Hall. and as he pushed the lat
ter ever toward the sBcal water on the
side Of the Slue. the five passengers
or the Hall we're dragged over the tan
gled mass Of wreckage to the deck
of the Dimock.
The Passenger List.
Of the fife passengers two we're wo-
men. The list was made up as fol-
lows:
NJ. e. Marks. New York; W. S. st.
Marie. Biddeford. Me-: Michael Dolan,
New York; Miss Ruth Emstrom,
Brooklyn, y. Y; Miss Gurlie Emstrom,
BROOKLYN
Chew Left on Lifeboats.
AS soon as the passengers reached
the Dimock the latter backed off a few
hundred yards while the former slow
ly sank until she struck bottom her
hurricane deck remaining just above
watt r. While she was sinling a GREAT
er part Of the crew lef: her on six
hfefoats and rowed over TO the Metro
pHlitan liner. but Captain Jewell. his
remain in the pilot house OF the Hall,
though only a few feet above the wa
ter.
Dimook, Sinking. Driven Well Up On
Beach.
The Dlmock remained near the scene
until 1f.15 a. m. and then started slow
ly north. Her forward bulkheads held,
but on her starboard side a few feet
from the bow was a hole eight feet
long by two feet wide which reached
to the waterline. She had not gone
far when It was seen that she was
listing badly. and, fearing that the
bulkheads might collapse. Captain
Thomas ordered the two women from
the Hall and two other women passen-
gers whom he had on board into one
Of the lifeboats and told the men that
IL the steamer went down that he
would endeavor TO clear away the rest
of the lifeboats but that the women
must be saved first. Under these con-
ditions the Dimock crept slowly in
toward the back side OF Cape Cod,
when just before reaching the Orleans
life saving station her head was turned
and she was driven well Upon the
beach.
Life Savers from Orleans Station.
It was 2.1s p. m. when the Dimock
grounded, and a few minutes later
Captain Charles ana his life saving
crew from the Orleans station pulled
alongside in their surfboat. Captain
Thompson asked that the passengers
and crew of the Hall and some Of his
own passengers and men be taken of
but said that all but one OF the Halls
lifeboats had been swamped on her
way into the beach.
Seventy Men and Women Landed.
Captain Charles then rowed ashore
and summoned 10 his aid the crew and
boats of the Old Harbor and Nauset
stations and all three life saving crews,
in spite of the heavy surf driving up
on the beach, landed seventy men and
women before dark.
New York Passenger, Describes the
Wreck.
One Of the passengers OF the Hail
was NJ. E. Marks OF SCI Broadway,
Nam Xork who IN snaakfuo ~ the