The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-23
CUNARDER IN COLLISION WITH
BARK.

BARK.
London, July ga dense fog hung over
the Irish channel yesterday morning and
the Cunard line steamship Campania,
en- route for Liver pool from New York
struck the Liverpool bark Embleton,
bound for New Zealand, amidships, cut
ting her in twain. The EmbletoWn sank
Immediately. Seven of the crew were
rescued but it is believed that the other
eleven members of the ships company,
including the captain. were drowned.
The Campania had her bow stove in
but arrived safely at Liverpool five and
hall hours late.
The Campania was little injured but
had narrow escape from a serious dis
aster. The fog had delayed her passage
since Friday noon and tender went out
from Queenstown four miles, as Captain
Walker would not take the liner near
shore.
At Tuskar light the fog was becoming
denser every moment. When the Cam
pania was about thirty miles northeast
of the light phantom ship rose sudden
ly without warning, directly across her
bows. Thirty seconds later the phantom
had become a solid sailing vessel into
which the liner crashed, her steel forefoot
going through the Embleton like the
clean cut of a sword and dividing her
Just abaft the mainmast The forward
half sank instantly. The stern swung
yiciously round and the mast and yards
for moment tore at the Campania. A
mass of wreckage came down on her
decks. Then the stern of the bark also
disappeared and the surface of the sea
was Uttered with splintered timbers,
boxes, barrels, the whole upper works
and lighter cargo, the deck house and
such things. Then there was nothing.
From the instant when the phantom
came into view from the bridge of the
Campania until the last vestige of the
vessel vanished, some sixty or eighty sec
onds had elapsed.
Accordings to the Embleton's survivors
for nearly half an hour before the COLI
sion the captain and the first officer were
below at breakfast and although the fog
whistle Of a large steamer could be heard
every minute, the bark never shifted her
course, the helmsman receiving no order
When at S.25 a. M, the second officer
to use his own phrase, heard the rush
of a steamers bows he shouted down to
the captain, who rushed on deck, but he
was too late to give an order. The Cam
pania was under one third steam.
The captain, first officer and pilot
were on the bridge. The engines We're
instantly reversed, the helm put hard
down. No precaution were omitted.
Some of her passengers had even grum-
bled at what they called supsrduous eau
ton. After the crash and the sudden
cries the boats were quickly got out.
There were no signs of panic; the crew
were everywhere at their stations; the
best discipline was maintained; the bulk
heads were closed and everything possible
was done to save life. Some of the
Campania's plates We're bentsby the COLI
sion; her forepeak filled with water, her
foretopmast was broken short off, and
her steel rigging torn and twisted
The passengers held a meeting, adopted
resolutions of thanks to the captain and
crew and subscribed 97OO (s350O) for the
relief of the survivors and the families of
the lost.
The Cunard officials announce that the
damage suffered by the liner Will not
prevent her sailing for the United States
nsxt Saturday.