Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-12
THE UMBRIA IN COLLISION.
She Runs Down and Sinks the Iberia
Off Long Reach-No Lives Lost.

The great Cunard steamer Umbria collided
with the Fabre steamer Iberia about four miles
off Long Beach hotel, just beyond Rockaway,
| Saturday afternoon at 10 o'clock. The Iberia
was badly damaged, having her whole stern cut
off, and the Umbria, after taking off the crew
of the IBERIA Of thirty men and lying by
the injured ship all night, came back to New
York for repairs Sunday morning. The Umbria
was but slightly injured All the mark she
bore was triangular hole in her collision bulk
head about six feet by three feet, and five feet
above the water line Capt. McMickin, of the
Umbria, said the vessel left her dock Saturday
morning at 1045. Nothing occurred until LILO
pm, when the Umbria was slowed down on
account of thick fog. About five minutes later
steamers whistle was heard on what ap-
peared to be the starboard bow. Capt Nc
Mickin was on the bridge. As the whistle
seemed to be growing nearer the engines were
stopped altogether. At almost the same mo-
ment strange steamer was seen directly across
the bows ahead, pointing to the northward.
The Cmbrlas- engines were immediately or
dered reversed at full speed, but that did not
prove enough to neutralize the Roadway, and
the Umbria struck the stranger on the port
quarter. carrying away portion of her stern.
The two steamers drifted apart little but
came near together again. and then First Off
Ger Guillot, of the Iberia, boarded the Umbria.
hc ioiiucI, ne Sdlu Udu ITOu the eT-
sian gulf on September 81 with cargo of dried
fruit hides, coffee, &C. There were thirty
men in the crew all told, inclusive of the Off
GERS. The Iberia had met with an accident to
machinery and had been laying to making re-
pairs for about thirty hours The Iberia was a
steamer of about 200 tons register, and be-
longs in Marseilles, France. She carried no
passengers.
There was great excitement among the 700
passengers of the Umbria after the collision,
but the strictest discipline was maintained and
the crew behaved admirably, according to
some of the passengers. Among these were
John Boyd Thatcher, mayor of Albany; Ed
ward Cooper. the Earl of Norbury; Lieut.. and
Mrs. l. NJ. Woodruff, and Boyd Winchester,
United States minister to Switzerland. As soon
as the Umbria reached her dock in New York
men were put to work making repairs, and il
was expected she could sail again at noon
to-day.
When the collision occurred the crew of the
Iberia became panic-strcken and rushed for
the small boats. Captain Sangloes shouted to
them to resume their places. Frenzied and
shrieking with fear they paid no heed to him.
Seeing that desperate measures were neces-
sary, the captain seized a Delaying pin draw
ing his revolver at the same time. He Ieaped
over the rail where some of the crew were
struggling among themselves like madmen to
be first III a boat. The first man to desert the
ship dies" shouted the captain. He drove
them back at the point of the revolver. They
all became quieter when the Umbria came
alongside
From what could be learned last night it is
said Capt. Sangloes. of the Iberia, charges that
the Umbria was running at the rate of about
IL miles an hour, and came upon the iberia
without warning, cutting her clear through SO
that about one-third the Iberia was cut off,
drlfted away and sank while the forward part
was kept ahoat by air-tight compartments
Two anchors were thrown out to keep the
wreck from drifting away but il has prohablv
sunk by this time. Wreckers have been en-
gagged to recover the cargo if possible.
An hour before the collision the Umbria had
narrowly escaped another accident The
French steamer La Normandie, also bound
out, was running parallel with the Umbria and
the two steamers could hear one anothers
whistles at intervals. Suddenly the La Nor
mandie whistle sounded nearer, and in a few
seconds the vessel came in sight just before
the Umbria's bow. There were cries of alarm
but the pilots on both steamers gave the proper
turn to their wheels, and the vessels swung
away and In a moment were out of sight again