New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-12
CUT IN TWO AT SEA.
THE UMBRIA IN COLLISION
RUNNING DOWN THE FABRE LINE STEAM
SHIP IBERIA.


LONG BEAcu-RETURN OF TIE cUNARD sHIr
TO THIS PORT TALKS WITH THE
OFFICIALS AND WITH THE DE.
LAYED PASSENGERS.
The Cunard steamship Cmbria came in col
lision at about l rs p. m. on Saturday with the
Iberia, of the Fabre Line, four miles off Long
Beach, L. l. The Umbras starbOard bow struck
the port quarter of the Iberia, cutting that
sci clean apart According to the story of the
passengers of the Umbria, there heavy fog
at the time. The Umbria had left her dock at
IO:45 a. m. and steamed swiftly down the harbor.
She passed Sandy Hook at 1212, when the sky
began to grow hszy. BY IL 80 o'clock the vessel
had entered dense bank of fog. She continued
o. her way, the fog becoming thicker at every mo-
luncheon.
few moments later a ripping, tearing noise was
heard. There was no shock, and those who ran
up on deck could only tell that there had been Il
collision by seeing the severed hulk of a strange
steamer The stern of the Iberia foated upon
the heavy sea, with its flagstaff standing upright
1t tossed about before the peoples eyes
dancing like she'll, for moment, and was then
swallowed up in thc dense fog The passengers
Of the Umbria could barely realize that there had
been collision The Umbra's bow had cut
through the iron hull Of the Iberia like a knife
through an eggshell Her course was not even
checked.
PICKING UP TIE sHIPwRECKED CREW.
In the dense, low-hanging mass of fog the
remaining part of the wreck was almost instantly
lost to sight Captain William McMiclzan, who
was on the bridge of the Umbra when the two
vessels came together, ordered an examination
Of his ship to be made and the boats to be
lowered. The steamer rctraced her course. and
in twenty minutes the disabled IBERIA hove into
sight. settled lady at the stern. Chief Officer
Lepagcs came aboard and asked Captain McNlickan
to tow him into port, as his vessel would not
sink for some time. The chlef-engincer of the
Umbria went aboard the Iberia and, upon his
return, reported that there were seven feet of
water in the enginc-room. Captain McMicllan
refused to take the vessel in tow, but offered
to take the ships crew aboard the Umbria.
the Umbria, which lay near the wreck during
the night and early yesterday steamed back to
Ncw-York, arriving at her dock shortly after
o'clock. When the Iberia was last seen
from the Umbrias decks she was expected to
sink at any moment. An examination of the
Umbria's bow showed that two of her plates on
Der starboard bow four feet above the water line
had been crushed in. A small hole had also
been made in the port bow
GROUNDED on LONG BEACH.
Pilot SayIcs reported at 80 o'clock yesterday
that his pilot-boat Caldwell H. Colt No 13. put
a salvage crew of three men on board the Iberia
in the morning. She then lay three lies off Shore
directly opposite the Long Beach Hotel, in ten
fathoms of water. She was lying in an easy
position and could easily be towed of by slipping
cables with the aid Of tugs She has fourteen feet
of her stern cut of. Otherwise she is in good
dition The cargo in the hold is in splendid con-
ditiOn he says.
At the Offices of the Merritt Wrccllng Company,
al No. AZ Wall-st., the news of the collision was
received at a little after l p. M yesterday, and
they Immediately made preparations to go to the
relief of the Iberia Their wrecling steamer, with
crew of wreclSers left the city about o'clock
for the scene of the accident. At the Office last
information that they had received was that the
Iberia was off Long Beach with compartment
full of water and they expected to be able to pump
her out and bring her up to the city to-day.
IT MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN WORSE
The result of the collision was most fortunate,
when the circumstances considered. During
the brief time between hearing the fog whistle
and the final reversing of the Umbria's propeller,
hon 10,
great extent. The passengers say that she was
running like a greyhound Had she struck the
Iberia nearer the centre. she must have sent the
of the latter to the bottom. The Umbria
itself could scarcely have escaped so fortunately
as she did
To add to the danger the steamer La Normande
was close astern. Coming out of the channel the
Umbria and La Normandie had run dangerously
near to each other. Now her whistles could be
distinctly heard on the Umbra's starboard quarter
The Iberia, cut in twain a disabled, unmana geabe
wreck was drifting between the two The Um-
Drla was backing to give her assistance and La
Normandic was coming ahead. The fog, was SO
thick that none of the vessels could be dis
tinguishcd by those who were in the others.
Happily La Normandc turned from her course
and second collision was averted As it was,
some of the passengers say that she passed close
to the Umbra that even in the heavy fog she be-
came discernible she swept by.
Worlmcn were busily engaged yesterday after
noon and last evening replacing the crushed and
twisted plates in the bow of the Umbra. Mr..
Brown said that the steamer would be able to
sail to-day at noon. lie denied the report that
several people had asked to have their tickets
cancelled and their passage money refunded.
WHAT THE UMBRIAS PEOPLE SAY.
sTEAMING SLOWLY THROUGH THE FoG-THE
PASSENGERS THINK DIFFERENTLY