New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-12
was taken OF and the Umbria anchored near the
Iberia until morning. when she returned 70 her
THE CAPTAIN WILL NOT ia

TIE CAPIAlN WILL MI lam
Captain McMicllan refused to say anything to
reporters about the matter lie SAID that Mr.
Brown had been told how the collision had hap
pencd, and that he was too tired TO see any one
Many of the passengers were willing TO talk.
They all seemed TO think that the Cmbria was
running at an extremely high rate of speed.
Stuart NJ Samuel, of London, sdid that he was
Just finishing dressing for luncheon when he heard
a noise like the tearing of cardboard followed
by a grating sound lie would have Thought
nothing OF the matter, but, hearing some one
cry We have cut ship in two!" he had run
up on deck
When he reached the deck he saw the strange
steamer thrashing about in the heavy sea IN an
aimless manner The stern had been completey
chopped off and was bobbing abont in the hlgh
waves moment later it disappeared IN the
fog The hull of the steamer was soon lost 10
sight. There was excitement at the moment OF
the collision, but when people saw whac
had occurred they became greatly frightened
TOLD BY A PASSENGER WHO WAS ON DECK.
His brother, ii. /. Samuel, was on the deck
reading when the steamer was struck. His face
was turned to the stern, so that he saw nothing,
although he could hear another whistle apparently
near at hand / heard some one, / think the
first officer" he said, cry out We are going to
hit her, captainp The captain cried back NO.
/ think we shall miss her. did not know what
it all meant but almost at the instant heard
something that sounded like ripping cloth. was
not even Jared.
Getting to my feet l saw that we had cut
steamer in two 1t looked to me as if we had
taken of forty feet of her, but l was afterward
told by the first officer of the vessel that only
fifteen or sixteen feet had been carried away |
heard the whistles of the Iberia 3oth before ana
after we struck her, but the sound was rather IN
distinct. Ii WAS more like that OF penny VII ste
than fog whistle. We did not find. the Iberia
for twenty minutes after we struck her. we took
her crew aboard at about dusk, after anchorlng
near her.
PASSENGERS NERVOUS ABOUT THE SPEED.
William T. Geddes of London, said: " We were
running at a tremendous pace. / and my wife
were in our staterOom. | was just telling her
that we were running too fast for such black
weather, when we struck the vessel There was
no shock Looking out Of my port window,
saw that we had shaved off part of steamer
| rushed up on deck and just saw the two parts
disappearing in the fog
William Brown, of Providence said that the
passengers were feeling somewhat nervous at the
rate of speed of the Umbra. They did not know,
however, that a collision had taken place until
some one had cried out that ship had been
cut down and was sinking. He was al luncheon
and there was not enough OF a shock to give more
jar TO the things on the table than the heavy
sea would naturally give.
George Atkins one of the passengers on the
Umbria was returning home to England. lie and
bis mother had been OH visit 70 Mr. Thorpe
secretary of the Ncw-l Orll Horticultural Society
Mr.. Thorpe was considerably surprised to see Mr.
Atkins come walking into the Chry,anthcmum
Show yesterday afternoon. He had seen ms
relatives depart on the Umbrla on Saturday, ana
he asked for an explanation. Mr.. Atkins then
told the story of the collision. lie said the two
vessels came together 50 suddenly that there was
no time for them TO get out OF each others way
The three steamships were so close together that
if the Umbria had reversed her engines to get
cut fthe way of the Iberia, she was in danger OF
collision with La Normandic