New-York tribune., 1901-03-26
TOYAGEOF STORM AND DEATH
WAVES BOARD ETRURIA-ONE PASSEN-
GER HANGS HIMSELF. ANOTHER
BECOMES INSANE.

The voyage of the steamship Etruria. which
began at Liverpool a week ago Saturday and
terminated at 2:;}O p. m yesterday, when her
passengers began to descend the gangway to
the Cunard Line pier. was an exciting one. She
encountered a two days storm that cut the
runs of those days far below the average.
In the storm one passenger became demented,
the left Collarbone of another was broken,
man in the second cabin committed suicide,
heavy boarded the vessel, damaging the
steel deck plates and sheathng of the boat
deck bending the awning stanchions of the
bridge and breaking the boat chocks. As
finishing touch fog delayed the docking Of the
vessel almost exactly twenty-four hours after
she was sighted at Fire Island
The steamer left Liverpool on Saturday.
March IL She sailed from Queenstown the
next day. with 81 saloon OK second cabin and
500 steerage passengers. $50 in all Until
Thursday March u. the voyage was without
incident. She logged more than four hundred
knots each day. on Thursday the wind began
to blow a gale that vibrated between the north
west and the southwest. The seas piled up
higher and higher ahead of the steamer and at
last began to board her on both sides. Tons
of water rolled over the rail upon the deck
sluiCing up under the canvas cover of the bridge
and the metal plates of the upper deck. The
canvas and deck unable to withstand the
shock, bulged upward bending the awning
stanchions and warping the sheathing of the
deck The engines were reduced to half speed.
With the rolling and pitching OF the steamer
the steerage passengers became excited. accord
ing 10 one of them. Charles Reynolds, and some
ot the women ard men cried out in their terror
One young Irish girl, Norah HerIihy became in
sane from fright and had to be kept under
straint for the remainder of the voyage. In the
hove
second cabin Viola ]. Lake. a thirteen-year-old
girl, on her way TO visit relatives in Jackson.
Miss, was thrown against a door jamb by the
urohing of the ship. Her left collarbone was
brcken. The bona set by the ships
geOn, DR. Benjamin Pitt Johnson. and she was
able To proceed last night to her destination with
her brother George Lake.
Another second cabin passenger. Frederick
Sawicki. Rumanian, from Bucharest COM
mited suicide by hanging himself in the bath
room. His body was buried at sea 1t is not
believed that the storm was responsible for his
act. 1t may have increased his melanChOlia.
Little was known about him on the vessel II
was said that, once wealthy he had lost his
property. and, leaving wife and several chill
dren in Rumania, was on his way to this Coun-
try try his fortune
While the storm lasted the Etruria steamed
hut 4S6 knots, 2l0 Thursday and 2I6 on
Friday. The waves and gale subSided on Satur-
day. and the steamer continued on her course at
a better speed, passing Fire Island about 2}O
p. M sunday. She reached Sandy Hook at J19
p. M, hut owing to the dense fog which had
sprung up did not dare To run the risk of coming
up through the Narrows. and anchored in
Gravesend Bay. Early yesterday morning she
picked her way up 10 Quarantine. Here the
maiiboat, which had been looking for her for
several nOurs. took the mail off. From ! until
III o'clock she lay at anchor off StapletOn wait
ing for the fog To lift. Raising her anchor at
this hour she proceeded toward her pier but
half an hour later. the fog having closed down
again. she came To anchor near Robbins Reef
AT l 2. m. she got under way again and reached
her pier in safety.