The San Francisco call., 1909-04-16
SUDDEN MIST IS
CAUSE OF COLLISION
Ferry Boats Berkeley and Enci-
nal in a Smastup on
the Bay
Disaster Is Attended With No
Casualties. Though Passen-
gers Are Panic Stricken

In fog that enveloped them with
the uneNpectedness Of a wind squall
he southern Pacific ferry steamers
Berkeley and Encinaf crashed together
Yesterday morning in midstream. The
iangle Of bells. blowing of whistles and
crashing of timbers mingled with the
shrieks Of panic stricken women and
the shouts OF equally hysterical men.
Life preservers were pulled from the
racks and hastily donned by many of
the passengers on both boats To add
10 the confusion a scared horse on the I
Berkeley stampeded This additional
excitement. however, served as a coun-
ter lrrltant- In their haste TO get from
under the beating hOofs passengers
forgot the watery grave that had
Hawned so wide a moment before, and
by the time the horse was pacified the
Encinal had disappeared in the fog and
the Berkeley was on its way. Al
though extensive damage was done TO
each boat nobody WAS seriously injured
and both boats were able TO continue
10 their Journeys end.
CAUGHT IN SUDDEN FOG
with men and women. boys and girls
Qn their way 10 work. left the Alameda
mole al minutes past :.
The Berkeley. headed for Oakland.
left its slip at the ferry depot at 1921.
The collision occurred three minutes
later
The sun was shining when the Enci-
nal passed Goat island. and although
misty. it was stiH clear when the
rrr7<afe,- Left 81 Suddenly he
dense that vision was limited TO less
mist was transformed into a fog so
than q boats length The Berkeley
was in charge of chief officer Nick Mel
son. Captain Baker being AT break
fast Captain William Murphy was in
charge Of the Encinal
The meeting Of the boats was uneX-
pected as the fog. Narrow as was the
margin. however and short the time at
their disposal both pilots acted with a
promprness which probably prevented q
fearful eedy. Although the steamer
was stil sOing ahead with considerable
speed when they came together. the
Berkeley's engines were backing at full
speed. Captain Murphy threw over the
EucinaIs wheel with the result that
fhe Berkeley. although it hit the En-
clDal amldships struck glancing
blow. IL was heavy blow even at
that. au5 the big Encinal heeled TO an
angle SD acute that those on board
feared their ship WAS going TO capsize.
EXCITEMENT AMONG PASSENGERS
The fos lifted quickly as it had come
although one wing was completely dis
abled. The tncinal was able to navigate
under its own steam into its slip at the
ferry depot. where the passengers /
caeerfullr laid down their life preserV-
CTS and rushed ashore. Although the
Berkeley was not SO crowded az the
Lncinal. the excitement among the pas
senGers was even greater Many Of the
women developed mysteries. and one of
them was stiii screaming when she
boarded the Oakland train at tie mole
The Encinal made the trip 10 the other
SIDE under its own steam. and is now
being repaired at the Southern Pacific
shipyard on Oakland creek. The Berks-
ley made regular trips, all the damage
being OF such nature that it can be
repaired without laying up the vessel
The damage TO the Berkeley is esti-
mated at $3.50. and to the Encinal at
S2500.
The forward corner port side Of the
5erkeley's ca bin on the lower deck
was stove in and an extensive. stretch
u rail and gingerbread work smashed
10 splinrers. The EncinaTs port side
was laid wide open for about so feet
r he wheel fanges were smashed The
frame that supports the wheel was
broken and the spring beam which pro-
rects the hub Of the wheel was also
smashed in.
The government inspectors will hold
an investigation into the collision AT
10 o'clock this morning.
HIT By PLANK
a heavy plank ripped of the upper
works Of the Berkeley and. falling
endWise, struck J. ". Johnson. a negro
barber. on the jaw and laid him low
Johnson stood just back Of the ropes
on the forward deck and said that un-
I'll the crash came he had no idea Of
being in danger. and did not know
the name Of the stea mer with which
the Berkeley had cOllided Johnson
was landed at the Oakland mole and
removed 10 the Oakland receiving hos
pitaL Examination failed to reveal
any injuries except rapidly forming
Jumps about the jaw which were laid
10 the severe bruises which he sus-
tanned He lives in Stockton street.
BDAMEs ENCTNAL's CAPTAIN
The Southern Pacific board Of in
quiry- which met in Oakland last night
held that Captain Murphy of the Enci-
nsl was responsible for the collision
Two reasons were assigned. The first.
that be had sounded the signal course
before he had learned the exact loca-
fion Of the Berkeley and. secondly. not
knowing where the Bekeley lay. he
failed 10 stop the Encinal and give the
alarm whistle. The ruling was some
what modified by the statement that
unusual atmospheric conditions pre-
vailed.
The board Of inquiry was composed
Of Superintendent J. II. Young. Captain
r. ~ Freeman, state pilot commits
sioner; p NJ Walsh Fred Sandelin.
druggist, and several officials OF the
southern Pacific The report viii be
Ned with the federal authorities and
also with the main office Of the railway