The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-27
They Were Hurled From Sidc,td
Side by the Fury, Of 8#
the Waves.
RUDDERLESS VESSEL
ALMOST TURNED TURTLE.
Lay Pitching for Days in t:hlaS
Trough Of the Sea One Sailor 4
Killed ard Several Severely
Injured Crew Go for
Days Without Clos 8,-,5
ing Their Eyes.
Especial to Tho Tlmes-D Dispatch,

Especial to Tho Times-Dlspatch.}5 53,St "
NEW YORK, Dec. Son the Cedric
yesterday were thirteen OF tho seventeen
cabin passengers Of the Menominee4#
Whom on tho Monominee they wera
thrown about, battered and bruised by \
the rolling Of the steamer, which lay for \
five days iii tho trough Of the sea, whis8
they were kept locked in their cabins.
Tho Mcnomineo sailed from London OF 4
December Sd. AS soon as she had lett 4
The Wash she met heavy seas piled sup 4
by tho northwest gales. The weather 4
grew worse, and throughout her trip
down the Channel she rolled and pitched \
without intermission. BY tho night oe
tho 9Th 1t seemed as though the storm
could grow no worse. The wind had
reached a atremcndous velocity. Tho seas
werc running up like small mountains.
and 10 keep from being blown or their
feet Captain Lucas and his officers had
to lash themselves on the bridge. At q
O'ct,ck tho next morning the storm
reached It's height. The ship groaned 4
ard 3trembled as she 3pitchcd and strained
rs The big rollers threw her over to port q
y huge cumulative wave, whose crest
struck her, full amidships, Tho NIenonll-
neo was thrown Oh her beam ends. The !;
starbonrd bilge keel showing far above 4
the Mater,8A few degrees moro and She
would certainly have turned turtle.
During the time the steamer was fall
Ing into tho trough OF the wtlvos, OIL wa 8
poured III great quantities over the SIDE.
but 1t had little effect. except to prevent 4
the waves from actually breaking on he \
steamer. III ga3Sg
Thrown From Bunks.
The passengers were thrown from their
bunlss. 10 add to their horror and fright.
tho electric lights had been turned otf,&
and -they wero In total darkness. ~
wave, following the big one. smashed
against tho vessel with sledgo-h hammer
force and shattered all her starboard
Of water poured.
The passengers, bruised and cut, were 7.
thrown from their bunks. to struggle In
tho dark, mixed with broken washboWls.a
trunks. furniture and everything nova I
bio in their staterooms. There was n ca r 4
it seemed to them that the boat was
founderinE
Panic stricken, they forced their doors
open and staggered out into the passage
ways. 1t was impossible for them to
stand on their feet. Crawling. they tried
to make their way to tho deck. Captain
Lucas saw them emerging, one by one. to
the dock and sent stewards among them
to quiet their alarm. The steamer was
still on Its beam ends, and every moment
1t seemed as lough she had turned com III
pletely over. AS she slowly began ia
right, tho passengers, who were III thelr
night clothes, rcgained confidence. .la
was moro than ten minutes before shs b
was onco again on a comparatively even
keel.
But instead Of being over. troubled
had just fairly begun. for she refused t1 4
nns wer her helm. An Investigation
showed that tho massive steel ruddes
post had broken like wood. The Me.
nominee is a single screw steamer, and
this accident placed her at the mercy
OF the wind and weather. Hardly had
this been discovered when another huga
wave struck her n1nidshps. y sailorsa
Jan Hansen, who was forward, was
thrown against tho port bulwarks, iia
lower jaw was torn away, his skull frac-
tured. and arms. legs. RIBS and back
bono were broken In dozen places
Despite his awful injuries Hansen lived
over un hour, finally dying IN horrlbls
agony. His body was scarcely sold be-
fore 1t was dropped overheard, Captain
Lucas hurriedly rushing through tho
burial service OF the Church OF England,
as the plank was tilted to slide the body
into tho water.
Steamer Helpless.
An attempt was begun at once to rig
a Jury steering gear. Tho Menomlnea
was helpless. Her engines had to be
stopped. 81
In the four days that followed Cap-
tain Lucas and his officers were on deck
day and night. Not once did they close
their eyes. Every hour tho Stewards
would bring them quantities Of scaldins
black coffee. The deck and engine forces
were worked day and night In their en-
deavors to improyise some sort OF ar
rangement to steer the steamer, until they
dropped and slept, a dozen times Cap
tain Lucas tried to bend OH little head
sail No sooner had It been spread than
it was seized by the winds and carried
Off like d lightning flash to leeward,
While the crew was working to repair
The rudder post three seamen We're se-
yerely Injured, When tho steamer finally
reached Falmouth they were taken to
The Falmouth hospital, where they have
about an even chance OF recovery.
At noon Of the 18th. the swinging T''dr &
der was held long enough to fiS sonlS
Jury gear, and the steamer went slow.y
back to Falmouth, Then, Tor the firsf
time since the accident, the passensers