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Show rnmistiLi I IH A ItlKI AT SEA I MM ESCAPE FHiLIFE Lighthouse Tender Magnolia Collides With Frnit Steam-er Steam-er in River. MAGNOLIA RUN ASHORE : PRESIDENT TAKEN 0FP Party Conveyed to Cruiser by fl Another Boat; No One Injured. NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 27. After a narrow escape from losing his life in IH an early morning collision, ln which the H lighthouse tender Magnolia, on which jH he was traveling, was so much damaged H that he had to abandon her, President H Roosevelt is now safe on board the ar- H mored cruiser West Virginia. Neither H the President nor any member of his lf party was injured in the accident. No One Injured. Details of the accident are not com- plete, but immediately after it occurred H hurry orders were received at Pilot IH Town for the lighthouse tender Ivy to jH proceed at once under full head to the IH scene and take the President and his IH party to sea. The Ivy passed Pilot lf Town with the President on board at H 8:15 this morning- on her way to th West Virginia. lll Aboard West Virginia. The President went aboard the West jH Virginia, which was lying a mile and a half off the Passes, at 9:10 o'clock, and H the cruiser got under way a few mln- H utes afterwards. Message Came for Help. The first news of the accident' reached New Orleans by telephone at an early hour this morning, coming in the shape of an appeal for help from Captain Rose of the United Fruit company's steamer H Espnrtn, whicli was the vessel reported ln collision witli the Magnolia. Captain Rose gave no details except thai Liu boats had struck each other, that the President was uninjured and that the Espartu might have to take him on board and carry him to the mouth of the river. The message came from IH Nairn, La., near" which point the accl-dent accl-dent occurred. Weather Was Fine. The Magnolia left here at G:30 last night and the Esparta was due to ar-rive ar-rive today at Chalmette. The weather was fine, with comparatively little wind on the river. Magnolia Ashore. In his report Captain Hose sravc no details of the accident, but said that the Magnolia was ashore. Immediately upon tho receipt of the news comipuni-cation comipuni-cation was opened with the tug owners here, and the powerful tugB SVllmot and R. D. Weed left New Orleans short-ly short-ly after 4 o'clock this morning, with orders to go at full speed to the ocene of the accident. Ivy Is Sent Out. Meantime, however, the President's party had managed to get in communl-cation communl-cation with the lower part of the river, jH where it was known that the lighthouse tender Ivy was lying. At 1 o'clock the operator at Pilot Town was rung up by MaJ.-Gn. Hill, the Government en-glneer, en-glneer, with word that the Ivy should be sent to Sixth Mile Point with all President Transferred, The Ivy got under way and covered the forty miles ln rapid time. President Roosevelt, Secretary Loeb and Surgeon-General Surgeon-General Rlxey, with their baggage wero at once transferred and the Ivy pro-ceeded pro-ceeded down the river. When the Ivy passed Pilot Town on her way down, she signalled that the President and party were well. The West Virginia is equipped with wireless telegraph. Passed Into the Gulf. At 9 o'clock the Ivy reached Port Reeds'. The President and party were on deck, but the tender did not stop, but passed out Into the gulf. The West Virginia was In plain sight. Sound Presidential Salute. The tender quickly covered the dls-tance dls-tance separating the two vessels and as the Ivy appeared a Presidential salmn sounded from the warship. The matter of transfer after the Ivy reached the big ship's side was a matter of but a and clear, with little sea running. Cruiser on the Way. At 9:40 the President stepped on board the West Virginia safe and sound, after his exciting experience here and on hi trip -down the river. The West Virginia had already lifted her anchors, and be-fore be-fore 10 o'clock she started on her Jour-ney Jour-ney up the coast. Ivy Beturns From Sea. The lighthouse tender Ivy returned jH from the sea after putting President Roosevelt on board and stopped at Pilot Town. Those on board reported that tho West Virginia had sailed at 10:05. They said that the President was in excellent trplrlts and unshaken by the accident. Boosevelt Was Asleep. At the time of tho accident the Presl-dent, Presl-dent, worn out by his strenuous exper-ienco exper-ienco in Now Orleans, was fast asleep. lli had retired shortly after the vessel loft New Orlsuns. Tho two Khlnn were near tbf west shore when thc.v came in con-tact. con-tact. The prow of tho lCsparta struck the Magnolia- on tho port bow. jH , it was not known o what joteutrtU; In I I 1 Magnolia might have boon Injured and H thero was great hasto In pushing her ashore. Both vessels gronndr-d, but tho I Eppurta got off undor her own steam nnrt I y.-as found not to havo suffered any dam- Shows No Excitement. The President showed no excitement I when Informed of tho extent of the dls- 1 aster, thouah he wasi somewhat annoyed I At tho probability of a delay, bocausoit I was evident tho Magnolia could not pro-H pro-H c,ccd on her wav. He dressed Immedlate-1 Immedlate-1 Iy and those of his party hurriedly mndo I arrangements for his transfer to tho Ivy. I which was Intercepted and brought back Co tho sccno of the accldcnt-I accldcnt-I Governor Sends Dispatch. I Immediately upon hearing of tho accl-I accl-I dent and escape of tho President, Mayor Behnuan and Gov. Blanchard sent dlK-1 dlK-1 patches by wlrelesB to the President, ex-, pressing on behalf of tlio people of New Orleans and Louisiana regret that an ac-I ac-I . cldent had marred his trip, rejoicing that it had no serious consequences and -wishes for a safo and pleasant voyage. - 'Iho lighthouse- officials horo have received re-ceived iho following dispatch from Com-i Com-i mander James II. Sears, V- S. N., dated N,clrn, L.a,: I Dispatch From Sears. I ' "Tho light house lender Magnolia was struck on tho port side at 11 p. m., October Oc-tober 2C, by steamship Esparta, near Slx-1 Slx-1 ty Mile Point. No cno was Injured. Tho Magnolia was grounded, Tho President and party were transferred to tho light house tender Ivy, which was accompany-' accompany-' frig tho Magnolia at tho time of tha collision. col-lision. It Is believed the" Magnolia can ( nlaho tho necessary repairs to return to New Orleans under her own steam." Were Closo to Shore. 1 , Nairn Is on tho right," or west, bank of i the river and is in a bend It is nro-I nro-I siimcd hero that both beats wore running qlose to tho shore. As tho Magnolia was I Ktmcle on the portsldo it is the theory that she was near enough to tho shore to . be immediately run aground. .-The captain of the Ksparnta refused to make any statoment to tho public, as his vessel Is under a British Hag nndlo must - submit hl8 report to the British authorities. authori-ties. Tho United Fruit company, to ; which tho vessel Is chartered, tonight Issued Is-sued a statement blaming tho Magnolia for changing her course after indicating by -whistles tho mnnncr of passing tho Esparata. |