The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-08
SINKING OF The WAEsLAND.
COLLISION OCCURRED IN. DENSE
FOG AT NIGHT.


Was Twice Rnmmcd by the Har-
monides-Ohicers ard Crew Acted
COoIIS and Boats Were Promptly
Lowered - Accident to LifebOat
Caused Death of a Steerage Pas
senger and Drowning Of "A Preach
er's DauGhter-Ma50rity Escaped
in Their Night Clothes and Had
Little Else when They Reached
Liverpool.
Liverpool, March Further details
regarding the collision of the steamer
Harmonides with the Waesland. in
which the latter was sunk, have been
learned.
When the disaster occurred Wednes-
day night, the two vessels were steam
ing 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 per-
fectly smooth, the denseness of the fog
added to the terrors of the passengers
of the Waesland. The women rushed
on deck screaming, but were soon reas-
sured by the officers. The boats were
quickly lowered, but the operation re-
suited in two fatalities. The end of
one of the lifeboats slipped from its
davit and ,precipitated the occupants
of the boat into the sea. A steer
age passenger Edward Dangerfield,
of Kansas, struck his head against
the boats fittings and was instantly
| killed, and Elsie Emmett, II years
old the daughter of Rev. A. Emmett,
was drowned. The other persons who
We're in the boat were picked up.
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
| n1inutes after the first impact the
| Waesland gave a mighty lurch and
disappeared beneath the waves, sink
ing about midway between Holyhead
and Tuskar light Nothing was saved
except what the passengers and crew
wore. The boats containing the pass
engers were for a time separated, ow-
| ing to the fog, but eventually they
all reached the sides of the Harmon
| ides, and the survivors were taken on
| board that vessel, where everything
possible was done for their comfort.
| They will proceed to Philadelphia
| Wednesday on board the Red Star Line
| steamer Noordland
An officer of the Waesland gave a
graphic description of the loss of the
steamer:
He said:
Il was taking a last look at the
weather and in so doing peered over
the ships side, when, without the
slightest warning, there came a fear
| full crash, which made the Waesland
| stagger from stem to stern.
My God! We are struck l shout
| ed.
Then there doomed right 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 impenetra-
BILE. The nose of the Harmonides APP
| peared to have eaten right into our
side We We're going very slowly with
| no more speed than was necessary to
! keep Roadway. We were struck at
right angles, a tremendous hole was
! made, ana, for a moment, the stem
| OF the Harmonides was literally inside
| cur ship. ~A
Then a rush of excited people from
| all parts of the ship Immediately en-
sued. The passengers tun.bled up just
do uueS ndu reure1 TOT the night. The
! MS, women and children were an
their night dresses In "a few instances
! the passengers had thrown a shawl or
"a blanket over their shoulders Terror
and bewilderment reigned for few
moments, but the passengers gradually
ranged themselves in groups about
the decks where they were best shell
| tered and the crew worked like clock
work in getting out the boats"
AS the last boat was leaving thp
! ships side cries for help were heard
| on board of her and the boat return
| ed and found that two of the Waes-
| lands 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 posi-
ton when the sea. water flooded his
| bunk through the portfolios.
-e-sas-e