Year: 1879

COLLISION ON THE NORTH EIvEI-THE STEAM


BOAT WYOMING RUN DOWN By THE rwI-


LIGHT-oNE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PANIC


STRICKEN PASSENGERS.


The crash of breaking wood. the shrieks of women
and the shouts of men on the North River. off Nor
rs street. yesterday afternoon called the attention
of the people the piers aud passing boats to a
striking occurring in the stream. The New
Brunswick boat Wyoming. built twenty-six years
ago by Commodore Vanderbilt o companion boat
to the Red Jacket. had been into by the boat
Twilight, of the Manhattan Beach line.


The prov of the Twilight had opened a formidable
hole. six feet long by four feet w.de and extending
downward to q point in the port side of the
Wyoming. some distance below the water line.
through which the water poured in. Her pas
songers seized with panic. and for few
moments there seemed every probability of dire
catastrophe. Cool heads. however. Il way to avert
it. and though II required some effort the crew of
both boats worked in concert and the coal and
freight shifted to the starboard side and thus
raised the Wyoming's port side out of water At
the same time the passengers were transferred to
Twilight. Then the boats drew apart and the Twi-
light proceeded to pier No. g. where she landed the
passengers for New Brunswick who reached home
by the New Jersey Central Railroad Other boats
which had beeha drawn to the scene by the
disaster took the wyoming in tow and conducted
her to Alison's Dry Dock in Jersey City whore she
will be repaired The damage to her works is esti-
mated ut 81 200 or more. When the HERALD reporter
called ut the Dry Dock he found that Mr.. Joseph
Cornell. her owner, had engaged the William
Fletcher TO convey her freight to the various land
ings made by the steamer on her daily trips and the
crew were rapidly transferring it.


CAPTAIN ADAMS STATEMENT


In the midst OF this busy scene Captain Luther
making statement; but when the chief portion of
the work had been done he gave the following
count of the collision


1--WE lay head on at our pier at the foot of Canal
street till three O'clock at which time started.
backing into the stream till clear of the dock when
we circed around and came down the river. Seeing
the Twilight ahead. just below Morris street. we gave
her one whistle and kept the single whistle be-
ing the signal for her to keep our starboard She
did not answer the signal. but in a few minutes
gave us two whistles. Though it very late for
her her to & give such reply to u.s. we hoped to clear
sea sa the n' rwEsss Es cut nfo
cleared her, but she kept up turning ahead
till within half length. You can Judge of her
speed from the damage she has done. The guards
are all cut down. That hole in her side is clear
and extends two feet below the water line in fact
considerable Of her sheathing is torn off. If you
anime her timbers you will find them all sound and
good. SO that no claim Of imperfect rotten wood
can be entertained for moment. One thousand
dollars will repair the damage but the loss of time
at this season will entail heavy loss Of freight and
passage money"





passengers, he said:-"We had something over one
hundred and fifty passengers board, and the
shock was SO great and the damage apparent that
when the word Of water passing into her hold was
circulated panic seized them, but was really so
busly engaged in preventing the vessel from sink
ing that I did nothing more than provide for
their removal to the Twilight and instruct
the two three men could spare to aid them over
the guards. We did not dare draw the boats apart
till port side was raised out Of the water. Had
that misfortune happened we should have instantly
gone down by the head and at le,st one-trd of our
passengers would have been drowned As the crowd
left her decks she gradually rose. especially as
every thing had been moved to starboard even the
coal in her bunkers. and then my daughter had
very narrow escape from being crushed. Climbing
over to the Twilight, she passed under one of
iron stays. and the boat. rising caught her.
horrfed could not move to her assistance, but
a fortunate movement of both boats by the nhu
ence of wave gave her sufficient leeway to squeeze
out. and with light heart gave the signal for the
Twilight to haul off. strong pull, and with steam
and hands we separated the craft, and. while
were taken in tow and brought here, the Twilight
resumed her headway and after landing her passen-
gers ut pier continued her regular trips from
Twenty-second street to Bay Ridge"


A call at the pier of the Manhattan Beach Railroad
Company furnished no further intelligence. Their
boat, uninjured. had resumed her trips. and the
matter Of responsibility for the accident will be re-
ferrcd to the Pilot commissioners.