Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-09-14
COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG.
Mr.. and Mrs. ". G. Harrison on Return
Voyage Have Such an Experience.

Mr.. and Mrs. w. G. Harrison, who
arrived at Tazewell last Thursday after {
bridal trip to Europe, had very thrilling
incident to occur on their return voyage
They were aboard the Anchor liner City
of Rome, which sailed from Glasgow,
Scotland, on the 26th of August. The big
vessel bufited with high westerly wind
until o'clock in the afternoon of the 3lst
instant, when she entered fog belt that
enveloped the ship 80 thickly that extra
lookouts were posted on the forecastle
head and at other points, the speed was
reduced to eight knots, and the lookouts
were directed to watch for signs Of ice.
Captain Young. who was in command OF
the vessel, took charge of the watch on the
bridge. The New York Journal, in re-
lating the accident, said
GAS O'Clock drew near the saloon was
Illuminated and the long rows of tables
rapidly filed with passengers for their
dinner.
Suddenly the air grew cold. and Captain
Young knew he was near ice. A second
later he sighted a hummock twenty feet
high and twice as long off the port bow.
The signal to stop rang in the engine-room
and the helm swung to port. The liner
veered to starboard and the ice hummock
Aoated past on the port hand.
1t had hardly reached the stern when
the form of berg l75 to 200 feet long and
fully forty feet high loomed up directly in
the steamships course. The lookouts and
the officers on the bridge saw it at the
came moment, and the signal, Reverse
full speed astern, was followed by the
churning of the big screw IS it strovewith
all its power to avert the collision.
HER BOWS ROSE IN TIE AIR.
But the vessels headway was too great
to prevent an impact. Her bows suddenly
appeared to rear in the air az she struck
the ledge of ice that projected under the
surface from the base of the berg, and
then a series of mighty vibrations shook
the vessel as che erunched her way up the
slippery incline until her bowsprit poked
over the top of the berg between two
peaks, one Of which lowered twenty feet
above the Rome's bows. She had struck
the berg fairly in the centre.
At the first crash the tables in the
cabins were emptied of dishes and
food, while broken crockery and glass
were hurled through the air and the diners
were sent sprawling among the debris.
The vessel rang With the screams Of women
and children who were sure the City of
Rome was sinking. In moment there
was rush for the main companionway as
the passengers surged toward the prom
enade deck. But they were met by Off
GERS who calmed their fears. The truth
was told at once and the voyagers were
assured that no harm had been done.
The big engines did their work and the
steamship slowly backed away from the
berg for fifteen feet and then the great ice
berg under her bow snapped off and the
City of Rome floated, with q thousand
tons of ice under her starboard bilges,
which gave her list of fifteen degrees to
port"
Mr.. Harrison tells US that the scene
among the passengers was frightful one.
There were 1888 persons on board, of
which number 1,093 were passengers and
800 constituted the crew.