Midnight Collision on the Sound
A steam tug towing a barge is struck by an ocean-going ship in the dark of night, leaving the tug's crew scrambling for their lives.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At about 1:00 o'clock this Thursday morning, the steam tug Tacoma, while towing the barge Oklahoman, was struck by the ship Blue Jacket, which was bound inward for Seattle. The Blue Jacket struck the tug amidships, nearly splitting her. The collision occurred during a thick fog, creating great confusion. Five of the crew were in their bunks when the blow came and were forced to scramble through the smoke and steam escaping from the steamer's boiler. The captain of the tug narrowly escaped drowning. The tug put in to Port Townsend for some temporary repairs and arrived here this morning. The Blue Jacket had several feet of her stem broken, extending below the water line, but was said to be making no water.
“Five of the crew were in their bunks when the blow came and were forced to scramble through the smoke and steam escaping from the steamer's boiler.”
Marine safety and vessel traffic management remain a critical aspect of life on the Puget Sound, echoing this 1885 collision. Today's high-tech radar and VTS systems have largely replaced the perils of navigating dense 'pea soup' fog, but the inherent dangers of heavy shipping in confined inland waters remain a constant subject of civic concern.
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