Year: 1878

LONDON, Sept. 4.-Steamer Princess
Alice, which was run into and sunk with
such frightful results last evening by
Collier Byrrell Castle was one OF the largest
saloon steamers of the London Steamboat
Company The Princess Alice left Grave
send for London soon after six in the even
ing and arrived within sight of the Royal
ArseUal at Woowich at at about eight
The Byrrell Castle was then approaching
on an opposite course; the two steamers
were near the middle Of the stream just
off the city of London Gas works, at
Berckton, almost the precise spot where
the fatal collision occurred between the
Metis and Wentworth ten years ago.
What happened is impossible accurately
to detail, all that is known amid the
maddening excitement is that the screw
steamer struck the Princess Alice on The
port side. A scene which has had no
parallel on the river ensued. A very few
persons clambered on the other vessel, but
nearly all rushed to the after part of
the Princess Alice; as the bow sub.
sided gradually under the water the shrieAs
were fearful and nothing could be done to
save life; there were dozen or more life
buoys on board, and some boats were
swinging In the davits, but even if they
could have been got at they would have
been of little service under the circum'
stances. Within five minutes the Princes:
Alice keeled completely over and wen
down in deep water. Some small boat
| hastened to the scene and Duke of Tick
another steamer belonging to the same
company, which was also on its passage uE
the river with a party of excursionist,
went to the rescue, but the river fer 1
hundred yards was full of drowning people
screaming in anguish and praying fol
help, as 1t was growing dark ther
not mnch could be done
1 LS is believed not more than $50 person,
ESCAPED out OF 800 aboard the vessel Tht
Princess Alice was long and low rive
steamer, built for excursions down tn,
Thames of which the middle and poorel
classes of Londoners were very fond Sh.
had saloons on forward and after decks ant
her passenger carrying capacity was IN
usually large. A large portion of her pas
sengers last evening were on the upper o
saloon deck, and must have seen befor,
hand their impending doom; bnt those il
the stern of the steamer had no warning
until they heard the crash and found til
4
vessel running to the after part, Beyond
the fact that the tide was about two hour
ebb, which would enable the Princes


Alice to ease and stop sooner than tn


the screw steamer which woul
. be borne on the tide, it
: impossible to discover any of the Gil
cumstances Immediately preceding the co


lision. Before the boats came in collisio


there were cries from one to the other t


keep out of the way. but as usual in sue


cases, the accident was probably due to


misunderstanding.


The cause of the Princess Alice disaste
, is believed to be that both vessels wer
+ rounding sharp bend in the river cause
b by the projection of a point of Ian
E whereon the powder magazine OF the Woo
wich arsenal is situated. In order TO tur


this point the Princess Alice had crosse
over to the right bank of the river and wa


thus out of her proper course, Her lighr


were probably obscured by the shadow
: the powder magazine, and being muc
|. smaller and lower than the Byrrell Cast
r the latter was upon her before the dang,
= was perceived.