The daily independent., 1936-09-10
ExcursionShip
.SunkOffBOstOn.
In A Collision
All Are Saved After Crash /:
Women Give Eye-Wit-
ness Story of Wreck
By HOMER JENKS

Boston, Sept. g. W.P - Only
rapid rescue work averted a major
marine disaster tonight when the
coastwise passenger steamer New
York rammed and sank the ex-
cursion steamer Romance in thick
fog at the entrance to Boston's
outer harbor.
The 38-year-old, 1,240-ton Ro-
nance foundered in deep water
20 minutes later but not until its
159 passengers and 53 crew men,
bers had been transferred safely
to the New York. either over lad
ders or by lifeboats.
The New York, owned by the
Eastern Steamship Lines. was out
bound from Boston for New York.
The New York's first radio re-
porting the collision was the sig
nal for the massing of all avail
able coast guard and naval craft
at the scene. The coast guard
cutters Mojave and Faunce put
out of Boston navy yard along
with the navy tug IWana. while
the cutter Harriet Lane sped from
Gloucester. Several 125-foot pa
troll boats and smaller coast guard
craft also responded.
Pretty Vivian Simonds of Lynn
told this story of the collision:
we, were in tthe music room.
The orchestra had just finished
playing the Poet and Peasant
overture when there was quite an
impact.
Some of the passengers were
knocked down. They fell over
chairs. A few women got rather
hysterical. but 1 don't believe they
were really hurt
Mrs. Alice V. Feeney. young
Boston mother. who was return
ing on the Inflated Romance from
an outing at Provincetown with
her five-year- -old daughter. said:
My fiVe-year-old daughter.
Ann Marie, and 1 were sitting in
the music room on the lower deck
of the Romance tonight. Sudden
ly through window opposite me
l saw a big white something NOV
ing toward us.
Il ran to the window. I saw
we were going to bump another
ship. grabbed the casing of the
window to keep from falling.
When the bump came, Ann was
knocked over chair.
Ann cried a little, but it
wasn't because she was fright
ened. 1t was because she was
bumped.
The next thing. a member of
the crew opened a cabinet of life
belts in the music room. Some
one put one on Ann. put one on
myself.
I'VE ran to the second deck.
Someone hoisted Ann up a ladder
to the New York and I followed"
More than 100 passengers were
safely by this method
to deck of the New York. The
remaining rescue work was per-
formed with lifeboats which were
filled with passengers and lowered
on the starboard side.
The Romance, which formerly
was operated in southern New
England waters under the name
of the Tennessee, was owned by
the Bay State Steamship company
and next Sunday would have COM
pleted its first season as a Boston
ProvincetoWn excursion steamer.
1t was captained by Adelbert c.
Wickens of Boston, who only this
appeared before United
States steamboat inspectors here
to answer charges of negligence
brought by the Cape Cod Steam
ship company. a rival line.
The hearing was postponed
when Captain Wickens said he
had to take the Romance on its
daily voyage.
Captain Wickens. you are not
going out in weather like this, are
you?" asked Captain Charles M.
Lyons, United States hull inspec-
tor.
"Oh, yes" WickenS replied.
T,EAGITERS