The New York herald., 1922-08-02
ship CRASH HURLS
GIRLS into RIVER
Young Women Rescued At
ter Excursion Steamboat
Rams Ferry.
GUARD RAILS TORN OFF
Grand Republic Passengers
Thrown to Decks of the
Chautauqua.
BAND HELPS AVERT PANIC
Officers Blame Each Other,
but Haze May Have Caused
Collision.

Confusion of whistle signals and low
visibility due to a thick haze that
obscured the Hudson River, were the
apparent causes yesterday morning OF
a collision between the veteran ex-
custom steamboat Grand Republic and
the Erie Railroad ferryboat Chau-
tauqua. Both craft suffered general
demolition of their forward super
structures, but little damage was be-
low the waterline.
A score of passengers. mostly on
the Grand Republic, were caught be-
meath falling bits of deck rail. chairs
and other debris, which avalanched
upon them from the splintered boat
deck Many were women and chill
dren, who had left the Battery a few
minutes before for days outing on
Bear Mountain. Their hurts, chiefly
sprains, cuts and bruises. were treated
by ambulance surgeons summoned
from the Beekman and Broad Street
hospitals. With few exceptions the in
There were no fatalities, but two
girls were catapulted from the deck
of the Grand Republic into the river.
Both were rescued by deckhands, who
dived to their aid. Other persons on
the forward decks of the Grand Re-
public were tossed like chips down to
the main deck of the Chautauqua
List OF Injured.
Those most seriously hurt. who re-
mained in hospitals last night. were:
Arrato, Lena, 16 years old, S32 Bed
ford avenue, Brooklyn. submersion.
Broad Street Hospital.
Finkelstein, Mrs Rebecoa. Al years
old, 27o Fifth street. bruises Of left
leg, Broad Street Hospital.
Ganey. Robert, IL years old, 523 East
127th street. bruises and cuts Of both
legs, Broad Street Hospital.
Hirshey. Alcides. So years old, 363
jackson avenue. Jersey City, puncture
OF left wrist, Beekman Street Hospital.
Moller. Arthur, 30 years old, S07
Park avenue, HoboKen. cuts OF left
wrist. Beekman Street Hospital.
Sewanowsky, Julia. II years old, 597
Third avenue. Brooklyn. submersion.
bIOdu SlIeeL HOSPITAL.
The boats We're In collision at 9 :25
A. M. off the ferry slip OF the Erie at
Chambers street. The Chautauqua was
bound in from tie New Jersey side. her
decks and cabins filed with about 400
passengers. The Grand Republic. forty
four years In service, sister ship to the
Gen. Slocum of tragic memory. had
taken aboard at the Battery her happy
load of about 1900 pleasure seekers,
mostly women and children. The old
side wheeler was nosing her way north
ward along the Manhattan shore when
the Chautauoua doomed out of the haze.
whistles Warn Too Late.
Blasts and counterblasts from hoarse
steam whistles gave momentary warn
ing. The engines of the Grand Republic
were reversed but not in time. With a
rending of splintered timbers the vessels
came together and locked amid a shower
of chairs and other deck impedimenta.
under which a score of the excursion
passengers were buried. The Grand Re
publics port bows were torn away to a
point twenty feet abaft her cutwater,
but her collision bulkhead held firm and
she showed no signs Of taking water
further aft than her bow compartment.
In the forward starboard side of the
ferryboar the nose of the Grand Re
public had rammed a hole thirty feet
long and her guard rails and cabin
walls were torn away like matchwood,
but the craft seemingly was uninjureS
below the waterline. The Chautauqua
made her way to her slip and landed
her frightened passengers. Capt. J. F..
smith, her skipper, gave an example
of cool efficiency that did much to re-
strain others from panic
Lena Arrato, 10 years old. OF s32
Bedford avenue. Brooklyn was thrown
from the deck Of the big river steamboat
Into the waters of the Hudson Tied up
Mt pier 10 lay the lighter Sarah Thorpe
of the Flower Lighterage Company.
William Patten OF 266 Hudson street
dived and swan 70 Miss Arrato's res.
cue. Both were taken aboard the motor
boat Helen f. by Samuel Krimsky of
sVt Manor avenue. Queens. Miss Arrato
was taken to the Broad Street Hospital
and trer.ed for suhmersion.
Julia sewan ,wslxy, / Z years old. ~ 20
Third avenue. Brooklyn. also was thrown
overheard. Clifford vreeland. a twentv-
fwo-year-old deckhand. jumped from the
Chautauqua. caught the girl and ann
ported her until he could catch a rona
that had been tossed to hI=,.
He held the girl with his other arm
until Krimsl<y returned from Pier IA
whittier he had taken Miss Arrato. Miss
Sewanowsky also found a haven in the
Broad Street Hospital vreeland had
even saved her wrist watch. which he
noticed slipping from her wrist.
Moller was cut when piece OF timber
struck him. He used n handkerchief to
make a tournlquet and check the flow
or blood until n physician treated him.
Il owe my life to my little clay pipe"
said Moller last night. II was at the
wheel OF my truck on the ferryboat
when happened TO put my hand in NV
pocket and felt my pipe. A longing
came over me for a smoke and I went
into the mems cabin. The seat or nv
truck was crushed In by timbers and
iron. Had I been there ! would have
been killed"
On the decks of the Grand Republic
the passengers for the most part he
haved admirably. Capt. William y.
c'Bnl) Lewis who for five years has
commanded the steamboat. and his men
soon had the victims extricated from
under the shattered timbers. and by the
time they had made landing nj Pier IL
ambulance surgeons were there to aid.
What little disposition there was TO
panic was soon allayed. the steamboats, :
brass band doing its share by playing
with rhythm and gusto Three Cheers
Nor the Red White and bfue.'
N or the Grand Republics passengers