New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-12
THE IBERIAS CREW GIVE THEIR SIDE.
BLAMING THE UMBRIA FOR THE DISASTER

|
EVERY PRECAUTION TAKEN BY THEN.
Captain c. Sagols, of the Iberia, FIRST Officer
Icparcs. Second Officer A. Guilland, and an under
officer f. Saeer, returned to this city and went
to the Hotel Martin after having reported to
Mr. Elwell, the agent of the company 10
Tribune reporter last night the captain said
| that at the time of the collision it was raining
hard and they were just getting under way to
come up 10 the dock, after having LAIN M anchor
for thirty hours waiting for the fog 10 rise. they
were blowing their fog-whistle and taking every
prccauticn possible to prevent Just what oc-
cured The captain and first and second officers
said positively that they were all three On the
bridge when the Umbria first sighted ana
that she was running at full speed Their own
screw was turning at about forty revolutions per
minute
WHY THEY DESERTED THEIR SHIP.
After the accident occurred the Umbria did not
seem to STOP but went ahead for some distance
They kept blowing their fog-whlstle,
and the Umbria came back and low
cred boats and came over to them
The Iberia was fast filling with water, and az 3
o'clock Yesterday morning there was six feet OF
water IN the engne-room, and it was thought
that the ship would surely go to the bottom at
or before ] , o'clock, so they deserted her. Inc
iberia has never been in this port but twice be-
fore She has been employed in the Eastern
trade in the Mediterranean Sea. She had cargo
of dates and hides, consigned tc Arnold Cheney
& Co., of this city. The vessel sailed from BUS
sorah. in Persia, on Sep'cnber 20, and touched at
Gibraltar October IA. The passage from the
Iost-named mort occupied fourteen days. The
captain and officers were too tired last nlght 10
90 into the details of the accident, but they were
fho Trrnl PHI
speed when she struck them.
James W. Elwell Of No 20 Leifcrts place,
BROOKLYN the senior member of the firm OF j. W.
ElweI d Co, of No AZ Scuth-st, the agents for
the line. was found at his home yesterday. lie
had learned of the accident but few
minutes before, and could tell little
about it. Nor did he know anything about the
vessel but what has already been told. lie said
that there was a cargo of tobacco waiting for
her here and it had been expected that she
would be loaded on Wednesday, ready to sail for
Cadiz He could not tell the value of the cargo
nor whether it was insured. lie thought the cap
tain had made mistake in leaving the vessel,
from the meagre particulars he had received.
CUTTING THE IBERIA LIKE CHEESE
The sailors of the iberia were the Umbria's
pier all last evening They said that the Iberia
had been living at anchor for some hours wait
Il
| inc for the fog TO lift Shortly before noon 10
seemed TO clear away somewhat, and the captain
had the anchor raised They were just getting
under headway when they heard the sound of
whistle. just then the fog closed in again, SO
that il was impossible 10 sec ships length.
Within two or three minutes from the time of
the sounding of the whistle black hull suddenly
showed up. coming full at Them rhe lrerIa
was moving so slowly that there seemed no pos
sibilitv of avoiding her The Umbria seemed
TO turn off slightly and missed striking the Iberia
amidships.
She came racing on. however, and cut through
| the lberia's stern. carrying away sixteen feet
! of it, The iron Prov went through almost in
| spontaneously. Ii lowered above then Tor a
moment shot through the stern, and soon disap
pcarcd IN the fog The lhcria'S whistles were kept
! bloN and the anchors were dropped Twenty
or thirty minutes after the collision the Cmhr.a
| hove in sight again, backing slowly Ore Of her
boats came toward the Iberia, and asked If the
crew wanted to be taken of The captain thought
that the Umbria could tow his vessel into harbOr,
and sent his chief officer TO ask her to do this.
| The chief engineer of the Umbria came aboard OF
the Iberia, and said that she was making water
| Continued on second Page.