New-York tribune., 1921-12-24
500 i'm Terror
As Ferryboat
And dShipCrasi'
Fog Causes Sidewipe Smash
in North River of Liner
and Carrier Filled With
Commuters From Jersey
Cool Pilot Averts Peril
Guides Shattered Craft Out
of Danger, Gains Passen-
gers, Reaches Slip Here

In low hanging fog filled with de-
ceptive clearings a ferryhoat and q
steamship came together yesterday in
the North River in midstream of Rec
tor Street with crash that shook up
several hundred commuters on their
way from Communipaw to Manhattan.
No lives were lost and only one per-
son was injured. The collision was
really stern sideswipe of the ferry
boat Crawford, of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey and the inbound steam
ship H. r. Mallory, of the Mallory
Line. on her way to dock from Gal
weston.
The Crawford. carrying about FIVE
hundred passengers. moved slowly from
its slip on its way to the landing at
Liberty Street. Before getting under
way the pilot OF. the ferryboat blew
warnings and heard the fog signals of
several craft in midstream.
The pilot of the Crawford got out
safely to the fairway of the river, when
he increased his speed to cope with
the tide and give him better steering
control. Apparently he was unable to
fix the position of the Mallory or to
gauge her speed, for he was almost on
top of her before her big black hull
loomed up to port.
Crash Proves Mystery
Passengers on the ferryboat said they
had the Impression that the Mallory
had safely passed up stream. and were
on to the steamships port quarter. 1t
is believed that the Mallory had cut
down her speed and upset the calcula-
tions of the Cranford's navigator.
The ferryboat's engines were re-
versed, but she had too much headway
to escape q smash. She quickly was
put over to starboard and sidewiped
the stern of the Mallory, the counter
ripping the rail of the ferryboat's
upper deck and smashing part of her
house.
-sengers on the Crawford saw what
was coming and rushed to safety,
away from the side in contact with
the Mallory. Women screamed and for
few minutes every one except the
pilot and deckhands seemed panic
stricken.
Men hurriedly buckled on life pre-
servers and helped the women put them
on, and this gave many of the more
calm commuters the impression that
the ferryboat was about to sink. Off
the folk on the ferryboat that there
o hat a
steamship would stand by. Several of
the ferry travellers said that the steam
ship put over ladders and took aboard
some of the commuters, but this was
denied by the Mallory's owners and by
the superintendent Of the Jersey Cen
tral ferries.
Passengers Praise Pilot
1t was apparent few minutes after
the crash that the Crawford had not
been damaged sufficiently to sink her
and that her steering gear and engines
were still in good working order.
1t was said by some of the less ex-
citable folk on the Crawford that the
ferry pilot was entitled to much COM
mendation for displaying good judg-
ment and nerve in trying situation.
He drifted easily away from the Nal
lory and, Strengthening out, picked his
way carefully to the ferry Slip at Llbv
erty Street, where he berthed the Gran
ford and discharged his passengers.
When the weather cleared the ferry
beat was taken to Communipaw for re-
pairs.
John Cornell, deckhand of the
ferry boat, who lives in Sheepshead
Bay, was the only person injured He
was thrown to the deck and suffered
severe bruises of the hip and shoulder.
The Mallory went to an anchorage in
the upper bay and moved up to her
pier, No. 81, North River, when the fog
lifted.