Year: 1878

London, Sept. 4.-The steamer Princess
Alice, which was run into and sunk with
such frightful results last evening, by the
collier Bywell Castle, was one of the largest
saloon steamers of the London Steamboat
Co. The Princess Alice left Glayesend for
London soon after six o'clock in the evening
and arrived within sight Of the royal arsen-
al at Wcolwich at about eight o'clock. The
Bywell 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, Bsckton, at al
most the precise spot where the fatal colli-
son occurred between the Metis and Went
worth, ten years ago. What happened is
impossible accurately to detail All that is
known amid the maddening excitement is
that screw steamer stru.k the Princess
Alice on her portside, near her fore
spouson, and scene which has had no par
allel on the river ensued A very few per-
sons clambered on the othervcssel, but near
ly all rushed to the after part of the Princess
Alice. AS the bow subsided gradually un.
der the water, the shrleks were fearful, and
nothing could be done to save life. There
were dozen or more life buoys on board,
and some boats swinging from the davits,
but even if they could have been got at they
would have been Of little service, under the
circumstances. Within five minutes the
Princess Alice keeled completely over and
went down in deep water. Some small
boats hastened to the scene, and the Duke Of
Tieck. another steamer belonging to the
same company, which WAS also on pa ,sage
up the river with party of excursionists,
went to the rescue. The river, for one hun.
dred yards, was full Of drowning people,
screaming in anguish and praying for help,
aud as it was growing dark then, not much
could be done. 1t is believed not more
than 100 persons escaped out Of 800 aboard.
The vessel Princess Alice was long and
low river steamer, built for excursions down
the Thames, Of which the middle and poor.
er classes of Londoners are very fond.


She had saloons ON her forward and after
decks and her passenger carrying capacity
was unusually large. "A large proportion
of her passengers last evening were on the
upper or saloon deck, and must have
seen beforehand their impending doom, but
those in the stern of the steamer had no
warning till they heard the crash and found
the passengers from the fo ward part run
ming to the after part. Beyond the fact that
the tide was about two hours ebb, which
would enable the Peincess Alice to ease and
stop sooner than screw steamer. which
would be borne on the tide, it is impossible
to discover any Of the circumstances immc-
diately preceding the collision. Before
the boats came in collision there were cries
from one to the other to keep out of the
way, but as usual in cases of accident was
probably due to misunderstanding.


LATER EXPLANATION.


The cause of the Princess Alice disaster
!s believed 10 be this: both vessels were
rounding sharp bend in the river caused
by projecting point of land whcreon the
powder magazine of the Woolwich arsenal
is situated. In order to turn this point the
Princess Alice had crossed over to the right
bank OF the river and was out of her proper
course. Her lights were probably obscured
by the shadows of the powder magazine and
being much smaller and lower than the
Bywell Castle, the latter MSS upon her tc.
fore the danger wac perceived.