A Chaotic Day on the Seattle Waterfront

Yesterday was remarkable along the water front for accidents to steamers, four being recorded. There was also a fire of mysterious origin and a capsizing of a sloop in the entrance of the harbor. The trouble commenced about 1 o'clock yesterday morning, when the steamer North Pacific was attempting to make a landing in the slip between Yesler's and Hatfield's wharves. She struck the north corner of the latter wharf, slid off and bumped the Michigan on the port side. The force of the blow raised the house some fourteen inches, split the beams to the aft cabin, bent the stanchions and dug into the guard rail. Having completed the job with the Michigan, the North Pacific swung over to the north side of the slip and struck the steamer Willapa squarely in the stern. While the City of Kingston was coming in to her landing, the pilot was forced to throw the wheel hard over to avoid running down a row boat that suddenly shot into the bay. The Kingston's prow struck the wharf, and her stern was jammed in on the Fairhaven. Later, a fire broke out in J. T. Meacham's ship chandlery store on Railroad Avenue; the fire boat pulled out and, in her haste, ran into a piledriver and crushed a row boat. Finally, the sloop Petrel, carrying five men, capsized near Alki Point during a picnic, requiring a rescue by the steamer Ellis.