Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-05-14
COLLISION DURING A FOG
ALMOST CUT IN TWO RY THE Bf0
LINER HAMILTON
TWENTY ARE DROWNED
Lifcboats Lowered, But One Occupied Byl
Fifteen mmediateiy Lost--Hsmtiton
Suife,s hut Minor Damage

Norfolk, Va. May GA collision
ut sea that cost the lives of twenty
or more people and the sinking OF
the Clyde steam hip Saginaw by the
Old Dominion Steamship company's
liner Hamilton, occurred between
Winter Quarter lightship and Fem
wick Island lightship on the Virginia
C ,ast, at 4:40 o'clock this morn
Ing.
The Hamilton left New York yes-
terday afternoon at 3 O'CLOCK for
Norfolk aud the Saginaw passed Out
the Virginia capes at Q O'Clock last
night bound from Richmond and
Norfolk for Philadelphia. A dense
| fog settled along the coast shortly
after nightfall, aud while going
through this fog at reduced speed
the Hamilton crashed into the Sagi
naw's side about twenty feet of the
shore and between 1870 and 200 miles
south Of New York and between 1876
and $40 miles north of Norfolk.
The fog whistle Of both vessels
were heard by each other for several
minutes before the.colllsion occurred.
According to Captain Boaz OF the
Hamilton his ship was making about,
nine miles an hour, and the Saginaw
about ten.
The fog was so thick THAT objects q
ships length were invisible, and
when the two crafts hove 10 sight OF
eacn other, bow on, there was but o
moments interim before they met
The Saginaw vessel seered, as did
the Hamilton, but they had not time
to clear each other and the knife
like steel PROV Of the soutlibound
vessel struck the Clyde ship on tina
port quarter about twenty feet from
her stern, cutting the entire rear OF
the ship away. The in-rushlnp water
caused the Saginaw to settle rapidly
IN tine stern and the impetus Of the
I Hamilton took her out Of sight of the
| crippled vessel. Engines already re-
! lversed were put at full steam to the
/ rear and the Hamilton circled to tho
\ scene Of the wreck, at the same time
\ lowering two life boats. There was
! CONSERVATION among the passengers
I of the Old Dominion ship and the
first thought was for their safety,
bat as soon as 1t was discovered that
the ship was uninjnTed, save that
| some bow plates we're stove In, all
efforts were directed to the rescue Of
those on the Saginaw.
\ When the Saginaw was again
sighted her stern was under water
| and her bow was high In the air.
Panic-stricken people rushed over her
] decks and scrambled toward the bow.
! Life boats were lowered, and into the
first fifteen colored women were
Il placed, according TO Second OfflceT
w l.. Morris, who was In command.
!, The boat was swamped as 1t struck
| the water and its occupants were
thrown into the sea. All were
J, drowned save the second officer and
the colorcd stewardess The latter
!, died before the small boat reached
!, the Hamilton, more from injuries
} received by the impact of the COLI
!, sion than by drowning. She had been
y held up by First Mate Goslee, who
! sank himself as the small boat from
, the Hamilton reached them.
{ In the meantime the rush OF
y waters into the bow of the Saginaw
had caused the decks to hurst from
their fastenings with roar like thu
report of big guns and tons Of freiRh,
of all descriptions soon Uttered tn,
8 sea. To boating wreckage the stTug
! Cling people in the water chung with
!, desperation and many of them wer,
t. rescued by the boats from the Ham
5 ilton.
Before the life boats of the Hamil
t ton had reached the Saginaw the lat
8 ter had isappeared beneath tn
t waves and nothing but her topmast
8 were visible. To these several mel
O were clinRing, one OF whom was th
h aged captain. j. S. Tunnel. When b
8 was taken off 1t was found that h
!. had suffered severe internal injuries