On August 17, 1901, the steamship Alene ran down and sank the pilot boat James Gordon Bennett and drowned three pilots and the cook. The accident happened about ten miles east of Sandy Hook. Ssurvivors said the steamer came bearing down upon the Bennett and they were floating in the water before they realized what happened. The big steamer struck the Bennett near the rigging on the starboard side, going through like a knife and cutting her completely in two.
Source: http://www.gendisasters.com/new-jersey/17069/sandy-hook-nj-shore-pilot-boat-james-gordon-bennett-sunk-aug-1901
