Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-07
STEAMER SUNK.
Red Star Liner in Collision With
 British Steamer.
TWO LIVES WERE LOST.

dsSeHSeIS SdlNSQ NSlS AieeAC
 What They Had On Them-story of
 the Collision as Told by an Officer
 of the Sunken Steamer-P Passengers
 Behaved Splendidly. and Women and
 Children Were Saved First
 Liverpool. March 7-The British steamer Harmonides. from Brazilian ports, which was in collision with and sank the Red Star line steamer Naes- land, Wednesday night, about forty miles southwest of Holyhead, and which was towed to this port early this morning by the tugs sent in search or her. has q great hole in her bows.
 One of the rescued passengers of the Waesland, who was on board the Harmonides, said the Waesland was run into amidships. in fog at mid night, and sank half an hour after wards, her boilers bursting as she went down. The report that only two of the passengers of the Waesland, a man and child, lost their lives, appears to be confirmed In addition one woman was injured Some of the Waesland's s boats were in the water a couple or hours before. owing to the fog, they could get alongside the Harmonides.
 When the Harmonides arrived here her decks were crowded with half-clad passengers of the Waesland, whose pale and haggard faces told the story of their trying experience. So hurried was the departure of the passengers from the sinking ship that ill some cases they were covered only by blankets and handkerchiefS were their only headgear.
 When the disaster occurred ton. Wednesday night the two vessels were steaming slowly off the coast of the Island of Anglesey. The Harmonides crashed head-on into the Waesland and backed away, but once again struck the then sinking ship, making a great gap in her side. Though the sea was perfectly smooth, the denseness of the fog added to the terrors of the passen- gers of the WaeSland. The women rushed on deck screaming. but were soon reassured by the officers. The boats were quickly lowered, but the operation resulted in two fatalities The end of one of the lifeboats slipped from its davit and precipitated the oc- NoPtAhtfS oL tlAC OOcll 1llO tile SSd steerage passenger, Edward Danger field of Kansas, struck his head against the boats fittings and was instantly killed, and Elsie Emmet. F years old, the daughter of the Rev A. Emmet, was drowned The other persons who were ill the boat were picked up
 The behavior of the passengers. many of whom were Scandinavian en- igrants, was exemplary. Precedence was given to the women and children.
 As the last boats were leaving the fast sinking ship, whose decks were. already awash an explosion announced that her boilers had burst, and, forty minutes after the first impact, the Waesland gave a mighty 1urch and dis appeared beneath the waves, sinking about midway between Ho1yhead and IuSkar light. Nothing was saved ex- cept what the passengers and crew wore. The boats containing the pas sengers were for a time separated. ow- ing to the fog. but eventually they all reached the sides of the Harmonides and the survivors were taken on board that vessel. where everything possible was done for their comfort A pilot, boat met the Harmonides off the Island or AngIeSey and communicated the news of the disaster to persons ashore. with the result that tugs were dis patched to search for the Harmonides and accompanied the steamer to this port. Here the passengers were land ed and comfortably housed. They will proceed to Philadelphia Wednesday. on board the Red Star line steamer Noord- land
 The Harmonides's stem and bow plates were so torn and twisted that it appeared marvellous that she escaped sinking. She also has q deep rent in her port side.
 F. K. Ferguson, a saloon passenger, who. curiously enough, was on board the Waesland when She collided with the schooner not far from Philadelphia, says the prin- cipal excitement took the form of rushing for life belts. He saw q man who had seven life belts attached to various parts of his body. MT Fergu- son also found many passengers wear ing life belts upside down, so that if they had fallen into the water their feet would have been uppermost As the last boat, in which MT Ferguson was seated. was leaving the ships side, cries for help were heard on board of her and the boat returned to the Waesland and found that two of her crew had been left behind. One of these men had slept throughout the time from the first impact to the last boat leaving the sinking steamer and only discovered his perilous position when the sea water flooded his bunk, through the portholes
 An officer of the Waesland, in an interview, gave a graphic description
 sthe loss of the steamer He says
 ssPractically all the passengers had
 tired. I was taking last look at
 le weather and in so doing leaned er tue ships side, when, without
 slightest warning, there came q
 arful crash which made the Waes-
 Id stagger from stem to stern.
 My God! We are struck
 outed
 s.Then there loomed right over our
 ips bow the steamer which had
 In into us. The darkness at that stime was impenetrable The nose of the Harmonides appeared to have eat en right into our side. We were yoing very slowly, with no more speed san was necessary to keep headway.
 were struck at right angles, and
 moment the stem of the Har-
 ides was literally inside our ship.
 4s- a2 ses