Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-07
WRECK Of XA[aAND
Survivors Of Ocean Disaster Tell
Thrilling Stories OF the
Collision.
Red Star Liner Waesland Sunk
by the British Steamer
Harmonides.
Latter Vessel Was Badly Dam.
aged..0nly Two Passengers
We're Drowned.

steamer Harmonides, which was In
collision with and sank the Red star
line steamer Waesland. Wednesday
night, about forty miles southwest OF
Holy Head. was towed to this port ear
ly this morning with great hole IN her
bows. One of the rescued passengers
of the waesland, who was on board the
Harmonides said the Waesland was
,un into amidships, in a fog at mid
night. and sank half an hour after
wards. her boiler bursting as she went
down. The report that only two pas
seneers on the Waes]and, man and
child. last their lives appears to be
confirmed Edward Dangerfield. or
Kansas, steerage passenger, struck
his head against a boat and was IN
stantly killed. Elsie Emmett, the Il
year-old daughter of Rev. A. Emmett,
was drowned. One woman was injured
Owing to the fog some of the Waes-
lands boats were in the water a couple
of the Harmonides. When the Harmon
ides arrived the decks were crowded
with the half-clad passengers OF the
waesland, whose pale, haggard faces
told the story of their trying expert
ences. So hurried was the departure
Of the passengers from the sinking ship
that in some cases they were only COW
cred by blankets, and handkerchlefs
were their only headgear. The bravery
If the messengers, who were mostly
Scandinavian emigrants, was exem-
plary. Precedence was given to women
and children.
When the disaster occurred Wednes-
day night the two vessels We're steam
ing slowly off the coast of Island An
elesey. The Harmonides crashed head
on into the Waesland and backed away
hut once again struck the then sinking
ship, making great gap in her side.
Tho the sea was perfectly smooth, the
Genseness of the fog added to the ter
rors of the passengers of the Waesland
The women rushed on deck screaming,
but were soon reassured by the off1cers.
The boats were quickly lowered, but
the operation resulted in two fatalities.
The end one of one the lifeboats slipped
| from its davits and precipitated the oc-
cupants of the boat into the sea. Ed
ward Dangerfield struck his head
against the boats fittings and was
killed, and Elsie Emmett was drowned.
The other persons in the boat were
picked UP. AS the last of the boats was
leaving the fast sinking ship, whose
decks were already awash, an explo-
sion announced that her boilers had
burst, and forty minutes after the first
| impack the Waesland gave a mighty
lurch and disappeared beneath the
waves. Nothing was saved except what
the passengers and crew wore. The
boats containing the passengers were
for time separated, owing to the fog,
but eventually they all reached the
sides of the Harmonides, and the sur
vivors were taken on board the vessel,
where everything possible was done for
their comfort.
A pilot boat met the Harmonides off
Island Anglesey and communicated
the news of the disaster to persons
ashore, with the result that tugs were
dispatched to search for the Harmon
ides and accompanied the steamer to
this port. Here the passengers were
landed and comfortably housed. They
will proceed to Philadelphia Wednes-
day on board the Red Star line steam
| er Noordland. The surviving passen-
gers, as rule, escaped with only few
slight bruises. The HarmonideS' stem
and bow plates We're so torn and twist
ed it appeared marvellous she escaped
sinking. She also has a deep dent in
her port side. An officer of the Waes-
land, in an Interview, gave graphic
description of the loss of the steamer
He said:
II saw the whole affair. was late in
turning in as the night, was foggy and
we were naturally apprehensive. Prac-
ticaly all of the passengers had retired
l was taking last look at the weather
and in so doing peered over the ships
side. when, without the slightest warn
ing there came a fearful crash, which
made the Waesland stagger from stem
to stern. My Cod we are struck.
shouted. Inen tnefe lOOmeQ flShl
over our ships bow the steamer which
had run into us. 1t was terrifying, OF
course. We instantly recognized the
peril. The darkness at that time was
impenetrable but there was no mtstak-
ing the terrible consequences of such
an impact. We We're going very slow
lily, with no more speed than necessary
to keep headway. We were struck al
right angles and tremendous hole
made, and for moment the stem of the
Harmonides was literally inside oul
ship. A rush of excited people from al
parts of the ship Immediately ensued
The passengers tumbled up just as they
had retired for the night. Men, womer
and children We're in their night dress.
/ es. In a few instances the passengers
had thrown a shawl or blanket ovel
their shoulders. Terror and bewilder
the passengers gradually ranged them.
selves in groups about the decks, where
they were best sheltered, and the crew
worked like clockwork in getting ou
the boats. The only exception to, tn,
good behavior of the passengers wa:
in the case of a saloon passenger, whit
rushed hither and thither, calling IL
lturn on heaven and earth to save him
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