The Republican journal., 1897-06-10
A Collision in Mid Ocean.
Two Big Steamships Come Together in Fog.
Belfast Artist Tells the Story with Pen and
Pencil

Inc Atlantic Transport Line steamship
mississippi inward bound, from London.
and the Thingvaller liner Hekla. bound
OUT tor Christiansand, met in collision off
'he Banks on the evening of May y. With
her stout iron sides bulged inward and a
Jagged hole in her port quarter big enough
10 roll a cable car through, the Mississippi
found her way to the port of New York
June l, bit overdue and wreck aft, but
SAFE wlthal. The whereabouts of tho
HeKla is unknown. As she has not made
her appearance at St. Johns. port which
lies only 374 miles from the scene of the
collision, 1t is thought that, although bad
~ damaged, she proceeded on her VOYAGE.
Mr.. Hart L. Woodcock of this CITY was A
passenger on the Mississippi, and in the
New ork Herald of June . are illustra.
lions of the disaster from DRAWINGS mada
by him at the time. They show the
mississippi, the Hekla as she appear
ed after the collision and the deck of the
Mississippi, showing damage The Herald
e'io' PliplioHtS TIE IOllOWlnG.
HART L. WooDCoCK, PASSENGER. TELLS
OF THE COLLISION.
One of the passengers on the Mississippi
was Hart L. Woodcock of Belfast Me
who is an artist and writer for naoa,
zines. Mr.. Noodcoek has written for the
Herald the following account of the col
Ilslon and the experiences of the pas
Sengers.
we had warm and pleasant weather
| lot the 1lrst six days Of the passage. and
until Thursday following our departure
all was well with us. There were but six
cabin passengers, and they proved TO be
most genial fellows to pass the time with.
ana showed themselves cool headed in
time OF danger. We signalled on We'd
nesday, May 26, big French liner, which
reported ice ahead. This information did
not alarm us, as we had perfect confidence
IN our officers and ship. The next day
dawned overcast, with a brisk breeze
from south and west Huge masses of
fog settled down about us. completely
shutting us in.
"Our siren now began sounding at regu-
lar intervals, and we all stood about. in
tently looking ahead, fearing, yet half ex-
pectng, TO see an Iceberg loom MP As
we discussed the matter and the probable
chances OF encountering ice during the
night, number of sailors came att and
began removing the covering from the
various boats and otherwise ARRANGING
'iieii iol possioie use. Inns proceeding
was far from reaSsuring.
1t was now five o'clock, and, wishing
for bit OF exercise before dinner, one OF
liio p"i's pioposeu game OF quolts All
'iooI "iiu "eII On ueck toSether, remark
iia 'li'e ~ hight oe our last opportunity
HoARsE NOTES OF WARNING.
SAT this moment some one cried :
| silence, Listenn Our whistle had lust
sounded, and family from ont of the foo
came the hoarse reply of a steamer 5
whistle Again sounded the Shrek of
our siren, and, nearer this time. came the
! deep bass reply We were going at hall
speed at the time.
For several minutes our whistle sound
ed at short intervals, the response grow
ing louder each time, and we realized that
the other steamer must be in our immedi-
ate vicinity.
'Suddenly a big steamer came into
sight off our port bow Its immense and
ind stinct bulk. magnited bv the foe
doomed high above us. The steamer was
I headed directly for us, and was. as near
% w NC'tit .tlNsSt' SUM- SlA VI tl9Ill
lengths away. The fog was thick and We
could not at first make out the other
steamer, We cOulu tell that she was
passenger boat, as her deck was crowded
with men and women.
al first we regarded her simlN with
interest. No thought of danger in con-
nection with her had presented itself. but
as she continued straight on her course.
charging down upon us. we began IL
realize that unless something was done TO
prevent it, and that something Immediate
ly collision would be inevitable
.That which had few minutes before
been a matter of idle interest suddenly
developed into thing OF appalling danger.
The steamer still continued STRAIGHT on.
and it seemed that nothing but divine in
terposition could prevent her striking us
directly amdships
'sDuring this period Of waiting the sus-
pense was horrible. | remember motto
inc many little things-that her name,
Hekla, showed plainly on her bow and
that she had an old fashioned re. there
being wards on her foremost.
"Her stem possessed horrible fascina.
ton for me. and | watched it intently as
if advanced. calculating where if vould
strike and what the result would be
Durino this time SIGNALS were sol,nd ed
from our whistle and answered nv the
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