New York, NY Ferryboat BERGEN and Steamer PEGASUS Crash, Jul 1906

PANIC IN RIVER CRASH.

Rush for Life Preservers When Pegasus and Bergen Met.

With a strong tide running and very little room in which to manoeuvre (sic) for docking at adjacent piers, the Lackawanna ferryboat Bergen and the Coney Island steamer Pegasus came in collision yesterday shortly after noon in the North River.

The Pegasus was on her way to the island from the 129th Street pier, and was trying to dock at Twenty-second Street to take on passengers. The Bergen was headed from the Jersey shore for the Twenty-third Street ferry.

Aboard the Bergen the crew say that their Captain sounded two whistles for the right of way. But the Pegasus seemed to disregard the signal. The Bergen’s Captain signaled the engineer to back, but it was then too late. The Pegasus and the Bergen came together with a crash that sent men, women, and children on both vessels into panic.
As the vessels swung away from each other their Captains headed them for their adjacent berths, and with some little difficulty swung them in.

In case either the Bergen or the Pegasus had been injured below the waterline her passengers would have had enough time to reach the piers and safety, so well were both vessels handled after the collision.

But the impact of the Bergen amidships of the Pegasus was so great that there was a rush for the life preservers on both vessels. Men helped women and children into the cork jackets and many then strapped them on themselves.

When the passengers were landed the Pegasus was found to have been so badly battered above the water line that it was decided to lay her up for repairs. Her passengers continued their trip to Coney Island on another steamers. The Bergen was put back on her run later in the afternoon.

The New York Times, New York, NY 2 Jul 1906

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Transcribed by Jenni Lanham.