The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-08
Steamship Liban Sunk I'm Collision
with the steamer Insulafre
Near Marseilles.
MANY PASSENGERS ABOARD
BOILERS EXPLODED AS THE LIBAN
SANK INTO THE WATER.
Half the People on the Steamer Drawn
Down by an Eddy Formed by
the Sinking Vessel.

MARSEILLES, June More than one
hundred persons. passengers and crew, were
drowned near Marseilles to-day in a collision
between the Insulaire and the Liban, pas
senge steamers belonging to the Fraissenet
Steamship Company, of Marseilles. The
Liban sank and seventy-seven passengers
and seventeen of the crew were saved, while
the remainder persisted. The steamer Lii
han left Marseilles this morning on her
regular passenger trip TO Bastia, Corsica.
and was run down and sun by the Insu-
laire off the Marie stands.
The collision was witnessed from the pilot
boat Blechamp, which was about two miles
distant. The Blechamp Immediately re-
paired to the spot to render assistance. The
force Of the collision had cut a great hole
in the Liban's side. and it already was
making water rapidly. The captain saw
that the only chance was to run the steamer
aground, and the Liban was headed full
speed for the shore, but within seventeen
minute after the collision, and while still
in deep water, the forepart of the steamer
plunged beneath the waves, and a few min-
utes later 1t had disappeared.
In the meantime the Blechamp. the steam
er Balkan. also belonging to the Fraissinet
COMPANY ohio otiiC q AoWh ACoi
the sinking ship and were making desperate
efforts to rescue those on board. The Bic
champ picked up forty persons, many of
whom were at the point of exhaustion. The
Balkan rescued thirty-seven passengers.
and up to the present it is known that in
addition to the passengers seventeen of the
crew were also saved.
officers of the steamer Balkan describe
the scene just before the Liban disappeared
as a terrible one AS the vessel was sink
ing IL was inclined to such an angle that
her masts struck the water, causing an
eddy which made the work of rescue most
difficult. A mass of human beings was
~clinging to the laundering vessel and utter
ing despairing cries as it went down. At the
same time the boilers exploded, intensifying
the horrors. For a few moments the VIC
tins were seen struggling in the sea-, then
the waves closed over them, and all was
silent. OF about two hundred passengers
who were aboard the Liban, it is feared that
half were drowned.
The Balkan launched three boats and the
other vessels did all possible to save the
victims in the short time that elapsed be-
tween the time of the collision and the sink
ing of the Liban.
Up to 5 o'clock this afternoon thirty bodies
had been recovered.
1t is stated that the collision was due to
the following circumstances: The Liban
was putting out to sea just as the steamer
Insulaire was making for the harbor.
MARS island (correct), which lies of the
entrance to the port, hid the vessels from
each other until it was too late to avoid a
collision.
Many of the rescued were badly injured
in the collision.
The Insulaire suffered considerable DAM
age to her bows, but managed to reach
port safely. Thousands of persons gath
cred round the morgue, hospitals and on
the quays throughout the evening. Thus
far only four bodies have been Identified.
The French steamer Liban was a three
masted schooner-rigged vessel, 2S feet long
and 2,3OS tonnage gross. She was built at
Glasgow in 1882.