The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-11
COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG
The Narrow Escape of the Steam
ship Arizona.
EXCITING SCENES AMONG THE PAS
SENGERS.
The Collision the Result OF Carelessness

lIlS SOill5lOi UlC AsOGoip VI Sdi OlOooLSo7
NEW York, Nov. 10.-Mr. O'Kelly, cores
pondent of the New York Herald, was q pas
senger on the steamer Arizona. He telegraphs
that the steamer made fine run to the Banks
of Newfoundland Friday was fine day. AT
ter dinner the ladies sat in the saloon and
whiled away the hours with gleeful song, while
a number of gentlemen occupied the smoking
room and amused themselves selling pools ON
the run at auction. AS large number of pas
sengers were buyers for American commercial
houses the latter pastime was entered into with
peculiar zest j. o. Bedell, who had acted as
aucrioneer, had just completed his labors for
the night. and considerable amusement was
raised at his expense, owing to the lowest num-
Der having been left on his hands. Suddenly
there was crash, an the money gatheerr and
his gold and silver were hurled on the floor.
The voices ceased and terror seized upon every
soul. Half the occupants OF the room were
sprawling upon the floor and the rest were
rushing from the place with blanched faces
| and palpitating hearts. The crash was terri
| fic, and as the stout hull of the ship trembled
| from the shock, the boldest heart grew still.
| Terror was depicted on many faces, but the
| only cry heard was that of warning voices OF
| brave men: ''Steady, gentlemen, steady, keep
| COOL. The first moment oil alarm dled
| away and true manhood resumed sway. Dur
| ing the hours of terror which followed no cow
| ardly word was spoken save in few instances.
| and the officers did their duty like men.
Capt. Jones quit the bridge at o'clock, leav-
| ing the ship in charge OF the officer OF the
watch, John Wynn Jones. All was then safe,
and as the night, though, overcast, was not
| dark, no danger was apprehended. Ten min
utes later, the ship going at topmost speed,
| plunged head on into mountain OF ice. Inc
| ship crembled like aspen leaf and recoiled,
| but again advanced and struck the iceberg
| but fortunately with diminished force. The
| boI ctn n hpr bOUS crUShiQO them
as though they were cardboard. Tons of ice
| fell upon the decks or were forced through
the gaping hole in the bow. Emil 10 feet OF
| iron work was broken, bent, twisted and forced
| inward leaving an awful chaSm, through
| which the waves dashed. 1t was as though a
| huge cutter had chopped off the bows, leaving
| the hull exp oSed
The shock was felt in the saloon even more
| severely than on the upper deck. At the
| moment it occurred Miss Gossett was playing
an accompaniment to the glee,f See Our Oars
with Feathered Spray which was being sung
| by some ladies and gentlemen In the midst
OF the song the shock threw the occupants OF
the saloon violently from their seats Miss
| Kiddle of Kincardie. Scotland, was thrown
| violently across the cabin, sustaining severe in-
| ternal injuries and slight scalp wound Mr..
Carr sustained injuries to his knee. Many
ladies' were frightened almost to death. They
sought refuge in each others arms and wept
| from very terror at the unknown catastrophe
which all felt had overtaken them. Some few
| showed remarkable GOODNESS and nerve and
tried their best to console their more timorous
| sisters. In this good work they were aided by
| husbands and friends, who sought to conceal
| their own anxiety the better to cheer the spirit
| of their fair companions.
| On deck the scene was full of terror. Groups
| of silent passengers were gathered, expecting
| every moment to be engulfed in the water.
| Towering above the vessels Prov was the
| huge shadowy mass of a monstrous iceberg. 1t
extended some 800 feet across the bows and
three tall pinnacles rose 60 or 10 feet. Should
one of these ice steeples topple over, the fate
OF the ship and passengers would be sealed:
The crash of the collision and the rush Of
passengers to the deck had occupied but a
minute. Captain Jones had not retired, and
Immediately rushed to the bridge. His first
words were: "My God, men, where were
your eyes?" He was perfectly cool, and at
once gave orders to back the 1engnes, and
calling all hands ON deck ordered the helm
| hard to starboard. A few moments later we
parted company with the iceberg, which
fioated away with its three tall pinnacles dis
tinctly visible against the night sky. AS it
faded into the gloom it presented the ap-
pearance of phantom three masted vessel.
Short as was the time occupied in this
maneuvre it offered the opportunity to es-
innate the damage sustained. The Arizona s
bows were completely stove in. and tangled
heaped up in frightful confusion where few
moments before shapely PROV had cleft the
waves. "She's sinking, why don't they get
the boats?" was anxiously whispered among
the passengers. but to their credit no cry or
| movement was made which might embarrass
the crew in their work.
| At this moment rumor began to circulate
| that several of the crew were crushed in their
| hunks and were buried beneath the mass of
| iron and ice which had been forced through
the gap made by the collision. 1t was only too
| true. Three unfortunates, bruised and bloody,
| were helped on deck, and their woe-begone
appearance did much to increase the terror of
the situation. The feeling that the ship was
| sinking caused several gentlemen to request
| Mr. Pierrepont Edwards, the British Vice
Consul, to urge the captain to have the boats
| prepared. This he promised to do, and one
| boat was lowered after considerable delay, dur
ing which the first officer descended to make
| an examination of the fracture. When he re-
| turned ON board it was announced that the
| steamship would lie to during the night. A
thorough examination of the forehold showed
the Arizona to be watertight. This fact tran
| quilted the minds of the passengers, and grad
ually they returned to the saloon.
When they were all assembled, Rev. j. nj.
Ross rose, and in few feeling words suggested
that prayers be offered to God in thanks for
the mercy He had so graciousy shown: Hard
| ly had the suggestion been uttered when the
assembled passengers knelt and joined in ap-
| propriate prayer. Then the hymn, praise
God from whom all blessings fow," was sung
| with an impressive earnestnesS but seldom wit
| messed III cathedral alSleS. Heartfelt SOUS nllH-
| gled with the chant, and tears stood in strong
| mems eyes.
| When the excitement Gained down men be-
| gan to ask how the catlstophe had happened
! William Roper, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Eng
land, stated that the sailors on the lookout had
| admitted to him that they were not at their
posts in the Prov of the ship when the collision
| occurred. The excuse offered for this derelic-
| ton of duty was the poor one that the fore
| part of the ship had been painted during the
| day. Next day the sailors wished to deny this
! admission, but several passengers who were on
deck confirmed Mr.. Roper's statement There
| is every reason to believe that had proper
outlook been maintained the catastrophe
would have been avoided.
| Considerable difficulty was experienced IN
launching single boat, though the sea was
calm as a millpond, and it was the universal
| conviction of the passengers that had the Arr
| iona sunk within an hour after the collision
not soul would have escaped. Fortunately
the very violence of the collision snapped the
| iron plates of the ships sides as though they
| were of glass and so broke the force OF the
| blow upon the rest of the hull. Beyond the
| immediate parts crushed not rlVlt was start
| ed and for once the water-tight bulkhead
| proved the safety of the passengers and steam-
ship. Still there was little faith in this frail
| partition. While the sea continued calm it
! might keep out the water, but it was felt that
the first heavy sea breaking into the yawning
| breach would tear the plates asunder.
1t was with "a feeling of relief that the pas
sengers learned that Mr.. Guion, on consulta-
| ton with the captain, decided to head for st.
john N. F. and that the steamer was slowly
| blowing her way towards land. 1t was now
| past midnight, but few were inclined to turn
| in. Gradually the ladies withdrew to the cab
| ms, and goodly number of the male passen-
| gers merely stretched themselves on the saloon
seats and gradually forgot the perils of the
| night.