Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-08
NARROW ESCAPE
Of Eight Hundred and Fifty Passsn-
gers of the Gsrmanic
FROM DROWNING IN THE OCEAN.
A White Star Steamer Encounters a Tidal
Wave and is Nearly
Knocked Out.
THE PASSENGERS PANIc-sTRlC CKEN.

QUEENSTOWN, April THE White Star
Line steamship Germanic, which left this
port Friday afternoon for New York with
$50 passengers on board has returned here,
having encountered terrific storm and
tidal wave Saturday night. When the ves'
sci was about 500 miles west Of Fastnet Il
tremendous storm began to rage. This
continued with unabated fury for the space
of ten hours. On Sunday morning the
waters were in the widest commotion. The
vessel was repeatedly struck by tremendous
seas. The pilot house was destroyed, all
the boats were swept away and the skylighLs
smashed. Then a tidal wave Of enormous
force and volume burst into the reading
room, smashed through the bulkhead and
poured in great food into the grand sa-
loon and the staterooms. The passengers
were thrown into great commotion for q
time but none of them was hurt. The cap
tain and officers remained cool and self:
possessed throughout and acted with excel
lent Judgment. One seamon was lost and
several were injured. The steamship suffer
ed such injuries, though the engines we're
not damaged, that it was considered un-
wise to proceed on the trip. She will 60
back to Liverpool to make repairs
An Awful Moment.
Another account of the occurrence reads:
Captain Kennedy reports that the steamer
encountered terrific tidal wave on Sunday
last. The wave, he says, was tremendous
and so sudden was its coming that little or
nothing could be done to ease or trim the
vessel. For time it looked as though she
would be engulted. The vessels head was
turned straight towards the approaching
mountain OF water; when it finally struck
the shock caused the steamer to tremble
from stem to stern with such violence as TO
spring nearly all the plating. The bulkhead
of the reading room was stoved in and the
saloon flooded. The boats and everything
movable on deck were torn from their fast
enings: The steamer was thrown on her
beam end and for awhile 80 violently did
she lunge that it was thought she would
surely 20 to the bottom. The passengers
were terrorized into state bordering on
{. f.epzy. The steamer was finally righted
and when the sea calmed somewhat thor.
ough examination was made. 1t was found
that in addition to the staving in of the
readingroom bulkhead, the forward steer
ing gear was so badly injured as to make
it useless as means for further handling
the ship The vessel was also badly sprung
and the captain decided it would be perilous
10 further continue on his course. Therefore
he turned for this port. Many the saloon
passengers received severe bruises by being
knocked about and struck with pieces OF
furniture. One of the seaman was washed
oven board and drowned. the engines were
not injured in the least. The passengers
are fulsome in their praise of the captain
conduct, and the competent manner in
which he handled the steamer during the
encounter. They say their escape was
simply miraculous and are fully Of the be-
lief that with less competent captain the
vessel would have surely foundered.
The Germanic landed her mails and 20
saloon passengers at this port, and then
proceeded on her return TO Liverpool, where
she will undergo necessary repairs.