Evening star., 1933-07-13
SHIP CRASH PROBES
|0PEN At BALTIMORE =
so Passengers, Including 5
From D. c., Safe After
Collision in Bay.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, July 13-The liner City
of Baltimore was towed carefully back
to the harbor here today and tied up
at her pier, while Investigations were
begun to determine the reason for her
crash late yesterday with the tanker
Beacon.
The liner carried so passengers,
bound for Bremen and Havre, includ-
ing from Washington. D. c. All were
removed safely, none being injured.
Written reports from the masters OF
both vessels were awaited by Capt. Paul
H Tyler and David C. Young, the local
Board Of Federal Steamboat Inspectors.
before they announce plans for their
inquiry.
In the meantime, officials Of the Bal
timore Mail Line, owners Of the City
of Baltimore, and the Standard Ship
ping Co., owners of the tanker.
began study of the accident to see
why the two vessels collided in the
broad channel Of the Chesapeake Bay In
daylight.
The future of the liner, which had
started on her regular run to Ham
burg, Germany, remained in doubt.
Divers were to be sent below today
to investigate damage beneath the
water line and plans were being made
to place her in dry dock.
Passengers to Resume Journey.
G.. F. Ravenel, vice president of the
Baltimore Mail Line, declined to make
statement until after thorough
investigation has been made"
Il expect to begin an investigation
today and to talk with the officers OF
the City of Baltimore" he said.
Passengers from the Europe bound
boat were held in port here until this
afternoon, when they are to board the
City of Baltimore's sister ship, the
City of Newport News, and resume
their journey.
The Mail liner. which was run
aground in "a feet Of water off Gibson
Island soon after the accident occurred
last night, was pulled of by three
tugs and a Coast Guard cutter early
today and toWed up the bay.
A wireless message to the mail line
headquarters here from Capt. Francis
E. Cross gave the simple statement:
Collision with Standard Oil tanker
Beacon. Ships locked together for
ward. Attempting to get into shoal
water"
Some time later a second message
was received as follows:
Aground forward west of No.
Craighill Channel buoy. Passengers
disembarking. viii attempt to back
Off"
Passengers could shed little light on
the accident.
They said there was little jar from
impact of the vessel and that at no
time was there any panic among them.
Washingtonian's Story.
Edward c. Hall of 4l0O Sixteenth
street. Washington, secretary to Rep
resentative Dennis Chavez of New
Mexico, said he ran from the lounge
to the deck and saw the two boats
locked together, with smoke pouring
from the tanker.
Il was afraid at first there might
be fire on the boat I was on, but this
was soon dispelled."
Miss 10 Zane of Muese. France, said
she wasn't excited but rather thrilled"
She said the boat listed somewhat
but not enough to scare them.
The collision caused a small fire on
the tanker, but It was soon extin-
guished by the crew.
Capt. William A Perry of Claiborne,
Md, commanding the ferry Philadel-
phia, told Of his rescue of the passen-
gers from the City of Baltimore
He said the Philadelphia was about
oU minutes across CQe Day WQen Llle
second mate called his attention to two
ships a mile and three-quarters away.
We didn't hear any explosion and
got no distress signals, but We sensed
something was wrong and headed for
en- he said.
"As we came alongside, I saw the
tanke-'s bow had stuck into the star
board side of the City of Baltimore
about IS feet back of the bow cutting
a cash about 20 feet long pretty close
to the water line AS we came up, the
City Of Baltimore gave us the distress
signal. four short blasts.
The tanker was pulling clear at the
time. There was no yelling and not
much excitement we could see about
the liner
I'VE pulled alongside the City of Bal
timore and put over two lines and three
planks. Then We began taking the
liners passengers aboard. My crew and
the crew of the liner chained up and
helped the passengers aboard 1t only
took three minutes, and we showed of
for Baltimore right away. None of the
passengers was injured and none
tainted
THE crews and officers of the tanker
and the City of Baltimore stayed on
board both ships When we pulled
away, they were getting ready to beach
the liner and wait for tugs"