The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-12
The Side of the Vessel Penetrated
to a Depth of Fourteen
Feet.
PASSENGERS PANIC-sTRICKEN.
ALI Are Rescued Before the Wreck
PlungeS Forward and Goes to
the Bottom.

LIVERPOOL, ENG, Dec. 1.-THE White
Star line steamer Germanic, Captain Nc
Kinstry, which sailed hence to-day for
New York, came into collision shortly
after leaving the Mersey with the Glasgow
steamer Cumbrae, inward bound, for Liver
pool. The Cumbrae was sunk and the
Germanlc's bows were stove in.
Fortunately the accident resulted in no
loss of life. The Germanic's Iifeboats res
cued the passenger and crew of the wrecked
vessel and returned TO this port. A dense
fog prevailed at the time of the collision.
Among the passengers on the Germanic
were Lord Dunraven and the members of
John Hare's company, including Mr.. and
Mrs. Gilbert Hare, son and daughter-in-
law OF John Hare; Charles Groves and
wife and the Hon. F. G. Curzon and wife.
Mrs Curzon is the actress Ellice Jeffreys.
The Cumbrae was vessel OF about 900
gross tonnage. She was commanded by
Captain Blair, and was engaged in
freight and passenger service between
Liverpool and Glasgow. The Cumbrae was
owned by G. and ]. Burns.
The Germanic left her quay under an
easy head of steam. The weather at the
time was very thick, and every precaution
was taken to avoid an accident. Two sea-
men were stationed in the crows nest in
addition to the ordinary lookout.
After about eight miles of slow steamlng,
warning whistles being sounded in the
meantime at short intervals, the vessel
reached Crosby channel. By this time the
fog had become so intense as to hide
everything from view.
Suddenly whistle sounded close by and
the Germanic promptly responded. 1t was
too late, however, TO avoid collision, and
the White Star liner struck the Cum brae
slantiuy blow between the forecastle and
the forehatch. The Germanic's bow pene-
trated tSe side of the Cumbrae to depth
of fourteen feet. If the Germanic had
been under more way she would doubtless
have cut the smaller vessel completely in
two.
On the Cumbraes decks scene of terror
ensued. There were twenty-eight pas
sengers on the vessel, including a number
OF women and children, who rushed to and
fro shrieking in their terror or fell upon
their knees and prayed alond to be saved.
On the Germanic also there was much ex-
element, all the passengers rushing on
deck to ascertain what had happened.
The shock of the collision was not Sc
we're enough to cause great alarm. and the
excitement on the big liner soon subsided.
Captain McKinstry at once ordered suffi-
cient headway to be maintained to keep
the bow of the Germanic in the hole made
in the Cumbraes side, and officers and
men calmly and actively proceeded to the
work of rescue. Bolts, ropes and ladders
were thrown upon the Cumbraes decks,
and within a minute all of the passengers
and crew of the doomed vessel had either
scrambled or been hauled upon the Ger
manic's decks.
One passenger was slightly injured while
being hauled on board and a woman fell
overheard, but was instantly rescued by
boat from the Germanic, which had been
previously lowered.
When all were safe the Germanics en-
gines were reversed, and the vessels sepa-
rated. The Cumbrae Immediately lurched
and began to settle.
Seventeen of the Cumbraes crew and a
dozen of the Germanic's entered a boat
with the intention of boarding the Cum
brae in order to draw her fires to prevent
an explosion and try to save property
They rowed within fifty yards of the sink
ing vessel, when she suddenly plunged
forward and went down.
The Cum brae foundered in compare
lively shallow water, the tide being three
quarters full. The boats crew fixed lights
on the masts of the sunken steamer to
warn passing vessels. The sea was calm
at the time, but the fog still prevailed
and the boat could not find the Germanic.
After cruising around for a while the boat
was found by the tug Gamecock, which
took the men on board. The Ceramics
men were transferred to their vessel,
while the Gamecock conveyed the Cum
brae's sailors to Liverpool. The passen-
gers and crew of the wrecked vessel lost
everything.
Among the passengers on the Cumbre
were the members of a provincial theatri-
cal company, who were going to Birken-
head to perform the play Saved From the
Sea-"
Immediately after the collision occurred
the Germanic's water-tight compartments
were closed and every precaution to Sc
cure the safety of the vessel was taken.
After the rescue of those on board the
Cum br8 an examination of the Germanlc
was made. 1t showed that seventy feet of
the vessels bows above the water line
were damaged, and the captain decided to
return to port. subsequently the Ger
manic anchored off Egremont, where the
passengers of both the Germanic and the
Cumbrse were embarked on tugs and
landed at Liverpool, where they were con-
veyeG to hotels.
Late tonight it was arranged to have
the Adriatic sail tomorrow in place OF the
Germanic.
Lord Dunraven, in describing his expe-
rience in connection with the accident,
said that he was in the cabin when it oc-
CURED, and that he was extremely hungry
and was awaiting the summons to dinner.
he did not feel any pronounced sensation
wnen the collision occurred. He heard
only slight crash.
de denied that fhara tyae apy ayeife.