New-York tribune., 1912-01-19
Passengers of the Astoria Grab
Life PreServerS After Crash
in the East River
Near He'll Gate.
TWO BOATS JAMMED TIGHT
Smaller Vessel Ploughs a Wide
Path Into Passenger Carrier,
and Sticks There-SloW
Work Reaching Man
haitian Shore.

hdDOull NllOlS
Her sharp steel Prov fixed fast IN the
deck of the ferryboat Steinway. the
oceangoing tug Asher J. Hudson pushed
the clumsier craft 10 shore after mead
on collision between the two in the rae
ing tide of He'll Gate last night. while
the ferry boats frightened passengers
peercd out fearfully over the dark river.
\ putting police boat stood close by
while other craft moved slowly along
side as the two boats crept i'm to the
Manhattan side No one was hurt al
though the captain of the ferryboat and
his crew were hard put to prevent the
panicstricken travellers from jumping
overheard. Afterward it was found that
the two boats were fastened so tightly
together that a wrecking ere" was
called on to pull the Hudson away from
the unwieldy Steinvay.
The Steinway runs between East va
street and Astoria. and was making Tor
the Brooklyn bank when the collision
occurred Hell Gate is always treach-
erous place. and the tide Is hard 70
night so the ferryboat goes north iour
or five blocks and then swings south
again as she nears the other shore. she
had Just turned southeast and was OH
Mill Rock.
The Hudson, which belongs to the
Hudson Transportation Company OF
Norfolk. Va, was going up the East
River. bound for New Bedford. She too.
had to fght the tide, and her skipper
Captain Robert Moon. had swung her
over to port few points.
Women Aboard Ferryboat.
Then the shock came. Both Captain
Moon and Captain Maxwell Kahn, of the
Steinway. blame it all on the tide. The
knifelike cutwater of the oceangoing tug
slit into the front deck of the Stcinway
The iron band about the ferryboats deck
save way. and the timbers broke and
splintercd as the Hudson hurrowed her
way on IN. There were forty passengers
on board the Steinway, perhaps half OF
them women. ard they ran about the
decks like wild people
As the Hudson jammed her bow into
the Staiuway. the ferryboat reared up
md back until her front decks were
three feet above water. and her rear deck
awash in the stream. Drivers jumped to
the heads Of the teams standing in the
tunwavs. and held fast to the plunging
horses. A chauffeur threw heavy block
Of wood under the wheel of his car and
oheCked its rolling.
Both shippers rang down their engines
and yanked their whistle cords. The
sharp. piercing shrieks brought craft
from all points as the Steirway settled
10 an even keel. Two ferryboats tried to
get close to the Steinway to take the
passengers off. but the tide kept them
off They were afraid to go too close
lest they bang into the side of the Grip
pied Graf. and break her away from the
Hudson. No one knew whether or not
the Steinway was cut to pieces below the
waterline.
Captain Kahn had shouted to his crew
from the pilot house as soon as the Hud-
son hit his boat. and sent the mon run
ming to the passengers, who were al
ready crazed with fright. Half dozer
women We're hysterical, and three were
caught just as they mounted the guard
rail 10 leap into the river. Finally they
were Gained just as little black police
boat shot into the silver glare of a
searchlight that flooded the river off the
Hudson's starboard bow.