Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-18
BEGIN PROBE Of
FERRY'S CRASH.
FATAL TO THREE
Police Seek TO Fix Blame for
Jerseymen's Deaths on D.,
L. and w. Boat.
Especial to the Evening star.I

HoBOkEN, March 18.-Investig,-
uoh was begun today by the police
OF this city and New York and fhe
marine departments of the railroads
interested of the collision Yesterday
OF the ferryboat Ithaca, of the Laeka-
wanna railroad. and car float of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey
Ihree persons were killed and seven
injured in the crash.
Officlals of the Erie railroad also
began an investigation of the mishgp
Tor one of this roads ferryboats was
asserted BY witnesses to be the i'm
mediate. II innocent, cause of the col
iision. The crash occurred, witnesses
say, because the captains of the
ierryboar and the tug Freehold.
Whlch was pulling the car float. were
unable to see the other craft when
the Erie ferryboat passed between
them. The collision took place about
600 feet off the foot of Chambers
street, Manhattan. at about D. m.
All the dead and injured We're pas
sengers on the ithaca, which carried
700 persons.
Marine experts today said the crash
was unavoidable. Tie strong ebb
tide, they asserted, dragged the ferry
boat and car oat together. and The
engines and steering gear of the craft
which met in collision were all too
weak to prevent the smash Conflict
ing stories are told by witnesses.
Some say the crash occurred sudden
" and none OF the Ithaca's passengers
mad an opportunity to seek safety
Others aIege, however, shrill whistles
sounded warning before the boats
met
THE DEAD.
III. j. Meyers. of 81 wstsessing ave-
nue., Bloomfield.
George j. smith. of i98 Hillside ave
nue.. Glen Ridge. Both bodies are at
bolk's morgue in this city. The skull
of each was crushed when the collision
occurred.
n. George Williams. seventy-s seven
YEARS old, of 80 Hillside avenue, Orange.
Died In st. Mary's Hospital here.
Two of the injured We're taken TO
St Mary's Hospital, this city. They
are John thinner. of " North street,
Jersey City Heights, right leg injured,
thigh injured
E. J.. Frenz. of 141 Garfield street,
Madison, n, j. Body and legs badly
injured and cut.
The police added two more names
to the list of injured They are Rob-
ert Barr, of 20 Berkeley avenue Or
ange, and William j. Mulrooney, of
115 Broadway, Manhattan. Barr was
injured about the head and body but
refused TO go to the hospital and
was sent to his home.
OF the dead men. Smith Was fifty
years OF age, and Meyers thirty
eight years of age.
The other four injured were treated
by Hoboken physicians.
The Ithaca left the Barclay street
slip in Manhattan at p. m., we'll
filled with passengers, bound for Ho-
boken. As she was proceeding slowly
up the Hudson River n ferryboat of
the Erie Railroad Company came out
of its slip at Chambers street and
the Ithaca slowed down and trailed
the Erie boat for some time and then
to pass 1t by moving across
Its stern.
Coming down the river, not far
from the Manhattan shore was the
New Jersey Central tug, with the
ear float alongside II. The
pilot on the Ithaca could not see the I
fioat because of the Erie obstructing
his view up the river, and the cap
tain of the tug could not see the
ithaca for the same reason, and as
the Ithaca shot out from behind the
Erie boat, the tug and the float
doomed up in front of it,
Hole in Boats Side.
The signal for full speed astern"
was Immediately given by the pilot
Of the Ithaca and the captain of the
tug also made every effort 10 avoid
a collision, but both boats were NOV
ing too fast to throw them Off their
course. The big doat struck the
ithaca amidships on the mems cabin
side, tearing great hole in the
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